Gyokuro is a type of shaded green teafrom Japan. It differs from the standard sencha in being grown under the shade rather than the full sun. Gyokuro is shaded longer than kabuse tea. While gyokuro is shaded for approximately three to four weeks, kabuse-cha is shaded for approximately one week. The name "gyokuro" translates as "jewel dew". While most sencha is from the Yabukita cultivar of Camellia sinensis, gyokuro is often made from a specialized variety such as Asahi, Okumidori, Yamakai, and Saemidori.
Preparation
Gyokuro is normally prepared differently from other green teas.
Use a temperature range of 50 °C–60 °C . For high-end gyokuro, consider a lower temperature, such as 40 °C. Then for each additional steeping, increase the temperature by 10 °F, until the last steeping, which may be increased by up to 20 °F.
Steep between 2-3 minutes, then 30-60 seconds for each additional steep.
The larger quantity of tea and lower-temperature allows for approximately 5-6 steepings.
Example Steeping
Using a premium Yamecha cv. yabukita gyokuro with 1.1 grams per ounce. 1st Steep: 120 s at 140 °F. 2nd Steep: 30 s at 150 °F. 3rd Steep: 30 s at 160 °F. 4th Steep: 40 s at 170 °F. 5th Steep: 40 s at 180 °F. 6th Steep: 40 s at 195 °F.
Cultivation
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 with straw mats before being harvested. This causes both the amino acidtheanine and the alkaloidcaffeine in the tea leaves to increase, which yields a sweet flavour. The tea also gains a distinct aroma from the covering process. This type of cultivation is also used in producing tencha, but records indicate this process had already been developed in the Azuchi-Momoyama period.
Market
Gyokuro is one of the most expensivetypes of sencha available in Japan. The name was originally the product name of the tea made by the :ja:山本山|Yamamotoyama Tea Company. The tea was first discovered by Yamamotoyama's sixth owner, Yamamoto Kahei, in 1835. 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. The Uji district is the oldest gyokuro-producing region in Japan. Gyokuro should not be confused with "tamaryokucha", a tea produced in the Kyushu region. Tamaryokucha also has a sweet flavour, but its production process differs from that of gyokuro.
