Gyokuro Jade Dew 2010 Early Spring
Gyokuro is a connoisseur’s tea in Japan. It is sometimes referred to by another name: ‘Jade Dew.’
This tea is rich and full-flavored, with a robust taste that stimulates the palate. It is highly revered in Japan for it’s purity of flavor and depth of ‘green’ vegetal taste.
Gyokuro is made from shade-grown fresh leaf that is closely-related to the shade-grown leaf from which Matcha (powdered green tea) is made. Both of these teas are drunk in Japan for special times and are widely appreciated for their flavorfull goodness.
This tea demands careful steeping. It must be infused in water that is cooler than usual for green tea. This is due to the fact that the plants for Gyokuro are shade-grown during their formative days of leaf production. The additional chlorophyll that developes in the leaves as a result of the shading will dominate in the liquor if the tea is steeped with water that is too hot.
Gyokuro liquor should be sweet and robust at the same time, qualities that are highly regarded in green teas by Japanese tea drinkers.
When infused ‘short’, a second infusion may be steeped with even cooler water than that used for the initial steeping. The infused tea will be slightly cloudy, similar to that of Kukicha Yama, but darker.
Use 1-2 teaspoons per 6 oz of water
Steep 2-3 infusions at 2 minutes each.
Water temperature should be a maximum of 170° F
