TWIG TEA

Twig tea has the stigma of being a poor man's tea, a peasant tea, in Japan, but it was championed by George Ohsawa who introduced it to the West as the standard beverage used in macrobiotics. It goes under several names. It is called "bancha" tea - meaning 'common' tea - while the word "kukicha" refers to the twigs, although there are, strictly speaking, numerous grades or types of "kukicha" and the roasted type usually used in macrobiotics is called "hoji-kukicha", not to be confused with "hojicha". It is all very confusing, as the names of Japanese teas can be. The Japanese are very particular about types and grades of tea and the nomenclature is often hard to follow. It is a matter for connoisseurs. For our purposes, we will just call it "bancha" (misleadingly) or "kukicha" (inaccurately), but in any case we mean by it the dark, roasted blend of twigs shown in the picture below:

Regardless of what we call it, it is a delicious tea and it makes the perfect accompaniment to macrobiotic wholefoods. If you haven't tried it, please do so. It is pleasantly different to other teas - a whole new tea experience from the familiar tea plant Camellia sinensis. Ohsawa was right to suppose that this common peasant tea was a neglected treasure, spurned purely out of snobbery by the modern Japanese. It is my favourite tea and deserves to be enjoyed beyond the narrow confines of the macrobiotic cognoscenti.

It is made from the twigs of the tea plant while higher grades of tea are made from the leaves. These twigs, moreover, are collected at the end of the season, in the late autumn or winter, and hence it is also referred to as "winter" tea, while more prized grades are from earlier in the season. It is the left overs. The dregs of the harvest. The twigs are relatively high in tannin and are kept in bags for several years, then roasted in iron caldrons to reduce the tannin content and astringency and to make it more palatable. George Ohsawa insisted on three year old twigs. The result of this long curing process is a woody, creamy, and unusual flavour. How to describe it? Smokey? Slightly. I think of it as "woody" and it is one of the few "woody" flavours going. Nutty? Slightly. Aromatic. Yes. Sweet. Malty. 

The key to a good cup of bancha is not to use boiling water. Like most 'green' teas the best flavours come from using water at slightly lower temperatures. They say the optimum temperature for twig tea is about 75 deg. C. I've never measured it with any precision, but using water just short of the boil certainly yields a flavoursome result. Usually I will bring the kettle to the boil then add some cold water - about another fifth of the total quantity, say. Pour this over the twigs - a teaspoon of twigs per person is about right. This is for the infusion method. Like all tea, it is best to use a proper ceramic teapot. For best results warm the teapot before adding the tea. At all costs avoid that modern abomination, the tea bag. You can buy twig tea tea bags, but it is just not the real deal, even if it does say 'Organic' on the packet.

Serve weak and black. No milk or sugar, thank you. You can reuse the twigs three or four times. Lots of books recommend simmering the twigs for up to 20 minutes. This is good too but, of course, it makes for a stronger brew. Again: don't boil. Simmer on a low heat. Simmering adds body and is therefore more appropriate in winter and cooler weather. Adjust this and other teas according to the season.

Some people will tell you that kukicha tea has miraculous powers. It fights everything from diabetes to cancer, they say. Probably not. But, flavourwise, it goes beautifully with macrobiotic cuisine and no doubt has all the supposed health benefits of any decent green tea. You know, antioxidants and all that. Some people will also tell you that it is virtually caffeine free. Probably not either. All parts of Camellia sinensis have caffeine. But cuts from later in the harvest do have less caffeine than those from earlier (as I understand it), so comparatively speaking it is likely to have less caffeine. (There are lots of variables in this. I take very little notice of chemical analysis.) If you really want no caffeine then you need to avoid teas from Camellia sinensis. 

What I do know is that it is pleasant and agreeable and in my experience not habit forming and won't keep you awake at night. It is also excellent chilled or mixed with fresh apple or pear juice on hot summer days. Excellent with any dish that contains shitake mushrooms which has a complementary woody flavour. 

When people are making the transition to macrobiotics I usually advise them (if they'll listen) that they can drink as much bancha tea as they fancy. It is a very effective transition beverage. It cleans the palette and seems to take away cravings for sweet things. Instead of snacking between meals, just enjoy a cup of warm bancha. Serve in small cups, though, not guzzle mugs. Tea drinking is - or ought to be - a delicate art. Sip! It can also be used as a cooking liquid in many dishes - kanten fruit jellies, for instance. 

Price-wise it can be outrageous. It is the dregs of the tea harvest after all! Like lots of "health foods" it is marketed to affluent urban trendies at truly immoral prices. There are several brands available. Shop around. Here in Australia I buy the Spiral Brand - good quality at a reasonable ask. Importantly, look for a brand with lots of twigs and not too much tea dust and other rubbish included. Quality can be variable. 

It should be added here that twig tea - call it what you will - is not the only fine tea to be enjoyed in macrobiotic cuisine, but it is a good every day beverage. Occasionally other fine teas - especially green teas grown by organic cultivation - can be on the menu. There are lots from which to choose. Mu tea, for example, which will be the subject of another post. You can add some ginger to bancha if you wish or, if it is to your taste, a few drops of soy sauce for an invigorating beverage to fight fatigue. There is much to be said about tea drinking. I intend this to be the first of many posts on the subject.