Gyokuro
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Overview
Gyokuro (玉露, literally "Jade Dew") is a Japanese green tea that is kept in shade for roughly 20-30 days before harvest.[1] These shaded tea leaves are then processed into either gyokuro, tencha, or matcha.
Though kabuse cha is also shaded before harvest, it is not gyokuro. It is not shaded as much or for as long, and is much more like sencha in flavor.
Shading
Gyokuro bushes are shaded in one of two ways: Tana and Jikagise. The Tana method is very time- and labor-intensive, as it requires the erection of frames which are then covered in nets, but it is said to produce better tea. The Jikagise method, on the other hand, only involves draping nets over the bushes.[1]
Flavor Profile
Gyokuro is intensely sweet and vegetal, reminding many of spinach or zucchini. It is an acquired taste.
Preparation
Preparation of Gyokuro is more difficult than the preparation of most other Japanese green tea, and is not recommended for beginners. It is typically brewed with a large amount of leaf (often double the amount used for sencha), a small volume of water, and low temperatures (between 120˚F and 150˚F (c. 49°C and 65°C)).
Shiboridashi are designed for brewing gyokuro. They are small, shallow, gaiwan-like teapots.
Vendors
- Adagio
- Den's Tea
- Harney and Sons
- Hibiki-an
- Ito En
- The Japanese Green Tea Shop
- O-Cha
- Rishi Tea
- Upton Tea Imports
- Zencha
- Chado Tea House
