Gorgeous Gyokuro

How green tea was meant to taste. This Gyokuro is a light grassy tea, quieter than you expect.

Her time spent growing in the shade gives this tea her unique sweetness and the pale yet vibrant green hue of her namesake. Gyokuro translates as Jade Dew, or Jewel Dew, akin to the morning dew you experience at the first moments of sunrise, and then is gone. So is the tender taste of this green tea. 

Tasting notes

This soft, buttery flavor is full of umami and a delicate sweetness.

Ingredients

~ Pure Gyokuro Green Tea

The 1%

Gyokuro is a luxury tea that comprises less than 1% of all tea produced in Japan. She is the most highly prized of all Japanese teas. Once you become acquainted with her you’ll quickly understand why.

Good for you

This green tea comes with glorious health benefits!

~ ECGC levels are notably elevated in Gyokuro green tea leaves, owing to their time spent in the shade just before harvest. What's ECGC and why do you care? Well, it's a catechin known to reduce inflammation — which can be triggered by exercise, diet, mold exposure, illness, or even stress. 

~ High L-theanine content, which helps relieve stress on the spot and evoke a sense of relaxation. How, you wonder? Well, L-theanine triggers the release of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) — an inhibitory neurotransmitter that helps you shift into a relaxed yet attentive state. For more on this, read my blog post about Meditation in a cup. 

~ Plus plenty of caffeine to spark your energy and elevate your mood, but with less of a jolt than a cup of java.

~ You'll also find her chalked full of antioxidants to help fight free radicals, decrease inflammation and boost your immune system.

When consumed together in a cup of Gorgeous Gyokuro, these elements all pair up to boost brain function in a lively and lovely way. Thus giving green tea her known ability to influence brain function, namely reducing anxiety and improving memory and attention. (Phytomedicine Journal, 2017)

Note: The statements above have not been FDA-evaluated. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.

Origin

Traditionally grown in the tranquil hillside plantations of ​​Yame, Fukuoka, Japan, home to Hoshino Tea Museum. Harvested only once a year in the spring, and processed with care. The tea bushes are shaded for three weeks before cultivation which enhances the soft, buttery, umami flavor, AND ups L-theanine content of these tea leaves!

Yame is an old castle town known for its its lush garden landscape and green tea plantations nestled amidst rugged forested mountains, hot springs, waterfalls, and the Yame Central Tea Garden. Yame remains a picture-perfect slice of traditional Japan, thanks to the talented artisans who have made Yame their home since the 1600’s. 

How to brew Gorgeous Gyokuro green tea like a true green tea snob:

  2 tsp TEA | 6 OZ WATER, filtered

  120-140 DEGREES | STEEP 3 min.

        1 small splash COOL WATER after steeping

   Enjoy!

Then re-steep your tea leaves throughout the morning – each time with a tad less water, and for a tad longer. More value. But mainly more green tea pleasure.

Or, for my special hot-cold-flash-brew method, watch How to properly brew shade-grown green tea.

One 2-oz package makes ~15 cups.