Name This Leaf
Monday November 2, 2009
How well do you know your tealeaves? Can you identify them by only the appearance and aroma? Test your skills and, if you're right, win bragging rights on Coffee / Tea and with your friends and family! Let's begin...This leaf doesn't look very leafy. Hmm... It smells roasty and a little bit nutty, like something a coffee drinker would love. What is it?
If you know the answer, "leave" it here (wah-wah-wahhh) or in the Forum. Let the naming begin!
P.S. - I know this is probably overly easy for serious tea drinkers. Let's keep this fun for everyone! If it's an extremely easy answer for you, then leave it for the newer tea drinkers to respond to. It's their chance to learn something new. Besides, you'll have your chance to identify rarer teas later!
Photo (c) Lindsey Goodwin
Comments
Looks like kukicha but it’s not. Sounds like a roasted maté but it’s also not that. Sounds like it could maybe be Houjicha if it look a little different…
So we’ve got three tentative guesses… Anyone want to lay a solid claim to any of those three or anything else?
it is roibush Tea.
Here’s a hint: It’s from camellia Sinensis, so it’s going to be a white, yellow, green, oolong, black or puer tea as opposed to an “herbal tea” or “tisane” like rooibos (a.k.a. “red bush tea”) or yerba mate.
Twig tea!
Congrats, Griffin! Yes, it is Houjicha, sometimes also known as “twig tea” because it is mostly made from the “twigs” of the tea plant. (Perhaps you were unsure about Houjicha before because you saw a type with more leaves mixed in?)
Houjicha is a Japanese green tea, but it doesn’t look very green compared to other Japanese greens. This is because it is roasted and most other Japanese greens are steamed. The roasting process is what gives Houjicha its distinctively roasty, smooth, nutty flavor. Many coffee drinkers are drawn to this tea.
Interesting side notes — Houjicha is low in caffeine (because it is made from the stems of the tea plant) and it is very popular iced.