Karigane is a tea made by collecting only the stems from the tea leaves when they are sieved to make sencha and gyokuro.
The stems contain more sweetness, flavour and aroma than the leaves, and have a taste comparable to that of tea made from the leaves.
The stems contain fewer catechins than the leaves, so the tea is less bitter and has a fresh aroma that is unique to the stems, making it an easy-to-drink tea.