Gyokuro

Gyokuro is the king of Japanese green teas. The centuries-old tradition of tea-making gives it a unique flavour.

A Japanese monument

Gyokuro is widely regarded as Japan’s finest green tea. In our humble opinion, this reputation is well deserved. Carried by a silky yet light texture, its complex aromas oscillate between floral, citrus and iodine notes. You don’t need to have been a tea drinker for years to appreciate the great refinement of Gyokuro: all of its quality is revealed at the first sip, even to a novice palate.

Gyokuro is the product of a quintessentially Japanese production process: it takes centuries to make, it is exacting, and it is honed to perfection by centuries of practice. As the end of the season approaches, the tea plants are sheltered from the sun (partially, then almost completely) for 20 to 40 days. Under pressure from the lack of sunlight, the leaves produce large quantities of aromatic compounds. Then it’s time for harvesting.

Caution: purism

Tea plants destined for Gyokuro are not pruned during their growth. They must therefore be plucked by hand in a single harvest. No second flush for Gyokuro! Another unique feature is that after steaming, the leaves are ‘massaged’ for hours to burst their cells and release all their flavours. A drying phase in an ultra-controlled environment completes the transformation.

We can’t recommend drinking Gyokuro in any other way than the traditional way: a low-temperature infusion (50 to 60°C, depending on the quality) that takes slightly longer than Sencha (about 2 minutes). Gyokuro contains less tannin than other Japanese green teas, which makes it more subtle but also more fragile. So make sure your water is as soft as possible! You’ll be rewarded: the best Gyokuro can be brewed three times.