Uji Gyokuro-cha has no peer among Japanese teas

Famous Japanese green tea ranges from matcha to sencha.  Gyokuro, though, stands above them all.

Why?

Gyokuro is hand-picked.

It is shade-grown to increase the amount of chlorophyll in each leaf.

And only the first growth of new leaves make it into this refined tea.

Among Japanese teas, only ceremonial matcha can compare to the finest Gyokuro. They’re the most refined… and the most expensive.

Few growers have the expertise and conditions right for this refined tea. In Shizuoka and Yame, gyokuro has many award-winning growers. Yet this tea comes from Uji, where they’ve been growing Gyokuro longer than anyone.

South of Kyoto, it’s Japan’s most storied tea-growing region. Some of the tea masters who blend Gyokuro have 10, even 15 generations of experience in their families.

So you know that each cup is more than worth it.

Uji Gyokuro uncovers the “Fifth Flavor”

The flavor of Gyokuro is subtle, precise. It’s specially grown to emphasize the Fifth Flavor, Umami.

Also called “Savoriness,” Umami has a central place in Japanese cuisine. In fact, some Americans can’t even taste it at first!

When you drink Gyokuro, expect a range of flavors. Because it’s shade-grown, the astringency of many Japanese teas is all but gone. Instead you have a rich palatte of mown grass, seaweed, and fresh spring air.

Uji gyokuro-cha is definitely not an everyday tea. But when you have the time, treat it with respect and it will reward you… over and over again.

Buy Uji Gyokuro-cha Here

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When you buy a high-quality green tea like Gyokuro, treat it with care. Store it in a cool, dry place. Avoid odors, like pungent garlic or cooking smoke, that can overwhelm the tea’s taste. Brewing Gyokuro also needs special care.

Because this tea is so refined, you can’t treat it like hojicha or genmaicha. It takes even more care than sencha. Here are some tips:

1. Use cooler water! Gyokuro is a finicky tea. It can’t handle the heat usually used when brewing green tea. Instead, keep it cool: between 50-60 degrees C / 120-140 degrees F. When going back for your second and third infusions, lower the temperature a bit more.
2. A good Gyokuro teapot is small. You’ll use about twice as much tea leaf, and less water than for other teas.
3. Small white cups can emphasize the “Jade Dew” color of the tea, and keep you from chugging. I have this problem with chugging tea. Gyokuro’s meant to be savored, not chugged.

Finally, know that enjoying tea like Gyokuro-cha puts you in the most rarefied echelons of tea drinkers. Most people never make it past iced tea. Uji Gyokuro, though, requires you put in the time and effort to appreciate it right.

And that time and effort will always be rewarded!