Kurihara Tea #11: 2023 Imperial Shiraore Stem Tea 極上白折 Kurihara Tea Farm

A delicate and lightly sweet tea coming from the award-winning Kurihara Tea Farm is a shiraore stem tea. So, what is meant by shiraore?  Shiraore is a term used for kukicha (“twig tea”), or leaf stem tea, made with parts of the tea plant that is usually not used for making the most common type of green tea such as sencha or gyokuro. This imperial shiraore consists of a blend of tea stems, stalks and twigs which came from the production of their imperial sencha, their finest sencha tea. While in Kyushu (the most southern island), the people call this type of tea shiraore, Kyoto folks call it karigane. Because the shiraore is a tea that comes mainly from the stems, the characteristics is a refreshing stalk aroma that will slightly differ from your typical sencha. 

Kukicha (stem tea) is a fantastic staple tea to add especially because a high quality kukicha such as this one will be pleasing but they are also often affordable. If you are looking to explore more, the Kurihara family also has a shiraore with matcha and a gyokuro shiraore for you to try! 

Product Info

• Name: Imperial Shiraore Stem Tea
• Japanese name: 極上白折
• Ingredients: Green tea
• Cultivar: Yabukita blend
• Harvest: May
• Region: Yabemura, Yame, Fukuoka
• Notes: Machine harvested from the tea fields of the Kurihara family farm. 

Vendor Info

• Name: Kurihara Seicha Ltd. – Kippei, Yuji, and Akio Kurihara (Father and sons)
• Location: 4236 Kita Yabe, Yabe-mura, Yame-shi, Fukuoka Prefecture 834-1401, JAPAN
• Size: About 3 hectares in multiple tea fields
• Altitude: 300 – 700 meters depending on the field