gyokuro asahi pearl dew green tea

type: green

origin: japan

caffeine: medium

price level: $$$$

Most green teas have only a very light aroma but Gyokuro has a rich bouquet like fresh-picked tea leaves. Our Gyokuro Asahi Pearl Dew has a lovely clean and fresh quality with sweet, grassy notes. Gyokuro is meant to be sipped slowly and enjoyed plain. Gyokuro is one of the most expensive and renowned green teas available in Japan. It was first discovered in 1835 by Yamamotoyama Tea Company's sixth owner Yamamoto Kahei. Gyokuro is produced exclusively in the famed tea gardens of Uji near Kyoto, Japan. The name "gyokuro" translates to "jade dew", which refers to the luminescent pale green color of the liquor. Gyokuro is highly revered in Japan for purity of flavor and depth of the "green" taste that is so unique to Japanese tea. Gyokuro is one of Japan's few hand-plucked, shade-grown teas. In late April or early May, when the first buds appear on the tea bushes, canopies called tanas are placed over the bushes for about three weeks. As the leaves mature, more screening is added until more than 95% of the sunlight is excluded. The leaves are plucked by hand, then steamed, dried and rolled until they resemble pine needles. The final stage is oven-firing (roasting) the tea. The shade forces the leaves to produce a higher amount of chlorophyll in the leaves and reduces the bitter elements which makes for a very fresh-tasting, full-flavored brew, unmatched by any other green tea. The leaf grown by this method is costly and has a high degree of complexity, sweetness and softness in its flavor.