Shop our Karigane

Karigane is a shaded stem tea made from tea plants used to make premium green teas like matcha and gyokuro. Because this tea is shaded, it takes on a sweeter and fruitier flavor compared to a regular, unshaded stem tea. The flavor of Karigane begins to go into the direction of a gyokuro, but it is not quite as powerful because of the addition of the stems.

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What is Karigane?

Karigane green tea is a type of stem tea made from shaded tea plants, like those use to produce matcha and gyokuro. Because the tea plants are shaded, karigane takes on a darker green color and a sweeter flavor compared to a normal kukicha stem tea. 

karigane in a cup of tea

Our Karigane is exclusively sourced from small farmers in Japan

After traveling around Japan for the past few years, we’ve had the great opportunity to meet with dozens of farmers and sample hundreds of different green teas. It was only recently that we were introduced to the concept of cold brewed karigane green tea. Mr. Sakamoto served a few glasses to us and we were hooked right away! We knew this karigane green tea was something we needed to share with as many people as possible and we are proud to work with a farmer like Mr. Sakamoto who is not afraid to try new things.

Our Karigane is 100% organically grown and pesticide free

When we visited the legendary karigane and gyokuro farmer Mr. Sakamoto, he demonstrated to us how soft the soil on the tea fields was by driving a large bamboo pole into the ground, with very little resistance. He says that this is because there are no pesticides used on the tea fields, so the earthworms and small insects are able to move around the soil and loosen it up. This not only leads to a more balanced ecosystem, but also more flavorful tea as the roots are able to penetrate deeper into the ground and absorb more nutrients.

karigane tea leaf

Karigane flavor profile

The flavor of karigane green tea is somewhere in between a kukicha and a gyokuro. While gyokuro plays on these powerful savory notes, the karigane is much more mild and nuanced, allowing you to drink more of it throughout the day without getting tired of it. Compared to kukicha tea, it does have a more fruity, floral and sweet flavor profile, which many prefer.

History of Karigane

The name Karigane means “wild goose” in Japanese. The reason for this is that when the wild geese are migrating over the ocean, they can sometimes stop for a rest on driftwood. When you brew karigane green tea in warm water, the stems of the tea rise to the surface, which could accommodate any wild geese that may want to stop for a rest!

Karigane brewing instruction

to brew karigane tea, you can follow a few short stems. We prefer to prepare this tea in a similar way to gyokuro, but with a shorter brewing time. The reason for this is that some gyokuro leaves are included in the karigane, and it is important to brew those at a lower temperature to extract the sweetness.

  • Step 1

    Add 5 grams of karigane green tea to your kyusu teapot

  • Step 2

    Pour in 150ml of water at a temperature of around 140 degrees fahrenheit

  • Step 3

    Let the karigane sit undisturbed for 1 minute and watch the stems float to the surface

  • Step 4

    Pour out your karigane green tea and allow the built in sifter to filter out the leaves

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Karigane production

Karigane is made from the leaves and stems of shaded tea plants, like those used to make gyokuro, matcha and kabusecha. This particular karigane was made from gyokuro tea plants. Mr. Sakamoto normally focuses his production on the leaves of the tea plants to make his famous gyokuro tea, but he has also noticed in recent years that the stems of the tea plant also produce a great tasting tea. He has meticulously crafted and blended different ratios of stems and leaves from different tea plants to creat the Gyokuro Karigane, a well balanced tea with a fruity sweetness and a light floral or straw note.

Frequently Asked questions

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Delivery

We currently offer free delivery options for everyone around the world. For certain orders, we also provide free express shipping, which usually arrives in just a couple of days. If your order is time sensitive, make sure you have one of the faster delivery options selected at checkout.

Teas and Teaware

Have questions about any of our products? You can either ask our customer service team, or refer to the hundreds of videos we have on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok for more information.

Order issues

While things usually are sent out quickly and efficiently from our E.U and U.S distribution centers, there are some delays due to customs, holiday traffic and weather. We can provide you with tracking information when you order so you’ll know where your tea is at all times!

Payments

We currently accept payment by major credit card, paypal, apple pay and bank transfer. If you have any questions about your preferred payment method, please be sure to reach out to us and we can figure something out to accommodate you!

Returns & Refunds

While returns are very rare at Nio, they occasionally do occur. We want everyone to be satisfied with the tea they get, so we would prefer to offer a replacement tea rather than leave someone with a tea they don’t like. Please be sure to reach out to us and we can solve whatever issues you might have with the tea you ordered.

Steam Tea & Karigane Education Center