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Gyokuro

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Gyokuro
TypeGreen
Other names玉露, jewel dew / jade dew / pearl dew / precious dew
OriginJapan
Quick descriptionOne of the highest grades of Japanese tea.

Gyokuro (Japanese: 玉露, "jade dew") is a type of shaded green tea from Japan. It differs from the standard sencha (a classic unshaded green tea) in being grown under the shade rather than the full sun. Gyokuro is shaded longer than kabuse tea (lit., "covered tea"). While gyokuro is shaded for approximately three to four weeks, kabuse-cha is shaded for approximately one week.[citation needed] The name "gyokuro" translates as "jewel dew" (or "jade dew", referring to the pale green colour of the infusion). While most sencha is from the Yabukita (薮北) cultivar of Camellia sinensis, gyokuro is often made from a specialized variety such as Asahi, Okumidori, Yamakai, and Saemidori.

Cultivation

Gyokuro steeped at 60° Celsius for 90 seconds

Though it is categorized as a type of sencha according to production methods, gyokuro cultivation differs from other sencha teas. Gyokuro tea leaves are shielded from the sun for at least 20 days[1] with straw mats before being harvested. This causes both the amino acid theanine and the alkaloid caffeine in the tea leaves to increase, which yields a sweet flavour.[2] The tea also gains a distinct aroma from the covering process. This type of cultivation is also used in producing tencha, (碾茶) but records indicate this process had already been developed in the Azuchi-Momoyama period.

Market

Gyokuro is one of the most expensive types of sencha available in Japan. The name was originally the product name of the tea made by the Yamamotoyama Tea Company (Japanese). The tea was first discovered by Yamamotoyama's sixth owner, Yamamoto Kahei, in 1835 (Tenpō year 6). The process was completed by another manufacturer at the start of the Meiji period.

The greatest appellation of gyokuro in terms of both quality and quantity is Yamecha, which is produced in Yame in Fukuoka Prefecture. More than 40% of gyokuro is produced in Yame, and in the national tea jury in August 2007, Yamecha held all the ranking positions from first to 26th as the best gyokuro.[3]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Gyokuro". www.myjapanesegreentea.com.
  2. ^ "Components of Gyokuro｜ IPPODO". www.ippodo-tea.co.jp.
  3. ^ Result of 2007 National Tea Jury Archived May 15, 2011, at the Wayback Machine (in Japanese)
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