Kaga Bōcha (加賀棒茶, Ishikawa roasted-stem tea)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Kyūsu (side-handled Japanese teapot), or a small French press
• •Yunomi cups, or small heatproof cups
• •Kettle
• •Digital scale, or a teaspoon for a workable stand-in
• •Fine-mesh strainer if using a glass jug

Instructions

1. 1

   Warm the ware

   Fill the kyūsu (side-handled teapot) and yunomi cups with hot water for about 30 seconds, then pour it away. Warm clay and porcelain steal less heat from the brew, and Kaga Bōcha needs high heat to lift its roasted fragrance. If you're using a small French press or glass jug, warm that too.

   A cold pot makes the water fall too quickly, and this tea is decided in the first minute.
2. 2

   Measure the stems

   Put 10g of Kaga Bōcha into the warmed kyūsu. It will look like too much because stems take up space; measure by weight if you can, not by shyness. A thin measure makes a thin cup, and extra steeping only draws out dryness.

   If you have no scale, use about 4 heaping teaspoons, then adjust the next pot by taste.
3. 3

   Heat the water

   Bring the water to a full boil, then let the kettle settle for 15 to 30 seconds, about 95 to 98°C. Don't cool it the way you would for sencha. The roasting has softened the green tea's edge, and near-boiling water carries the caramel and toasted-grain aroma out quickly.

   Water temperature is the first secret of tea. For this one, heat is the friend, provided the steep is short.
4. 4

   Steep briefly

   Pour 400ml hot water over the stems, cover, and steep 45 seconds. You should smell roasted grain, cedar, and a small sweetness from the pot. Don't stir or press; agitation makes the cup rough without making it deeper.

   Dose and time are the second secret. Use enough tea, then stop early.
5. 5

   Pour completely

   Pour into cups in small alternating rounds so each cup gets the same strength, then tip the kyūsu and empty the final drops. Those last drops are the most fragrant. Leaving liquid in the pot keeps extracting the stems and makes the second cup taste woody.

   Set the lid slightly askew while you prepare the second infusion so the wet stems don't sit trapped in heat.
6. 6

   Brew again

   For a second infusion, add another 400ml of 95 to 98°C water and steep 10 to 15 seconds. The stems are already awake, so a long wait only flattens the fragrance. Pour again to the last drop and serve with one small sweet if you like.

Chef Tips

• •Buy tea labeled Kaga Bōcha or ichibancha no kuki, first-flush stems. If the packet only says roasted green tea and smells mostly smoky, it may be useful hōjicha, but it isn't this cup.
• •Stems are bulky, so weigh them the first few times. If the tea tastes thin, add more tea next time before you add more time. Time gives woodiness faster than depth.
• •Use soft water if your tap water is hard or strongly chlorinated. Tea this plain has nothing hidden, so the water shows itself immediately.
• •Keep roasted tea airtight and away from light. The fragrance fades faster than unroasted green tea, so buy modest amounts and drink it while it still smells lively.

Advance Preparation

• •For a hot cup, premeasure the dry tea and set out the kyūsu and cups, but brew just before serving. The best fragrance is in the first few minutes.
• •Opened Kaga Bōcha keeps best for 1 to 2 months in an airtight tin, away from heat and light.
• •In summer, mizudashi Kaga Bōcha is a sensible make-ahead service: steep 10g tea in 750ml cold soft water for 3 to 4 hours in the refrigerator, then strain cleanly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 400g)