Description
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Charaku Fine Japanese Tea Gyokuro Variety Gift Box, 2026 Spring Harvest, 4 x 50g. A gift* box of premium Japanese Gyokuro (Precious Jade Dew) from four premier Gyokuro-growing appellations across Japan: Yame, in Fukuoka Prefecture, a perennial award winner in national Gyokuro competitions; Uji, in Kyoto, the center of Japanese tea culture and a region with a long and distinguished history of Gyokuro production; Asahina, in Shizuoka Prefecture, the stand-out Gyokuro-growing area in the prefecture with Japan's largest tea production; Hioki, in Kagoshima Prefecture, is a rising challenger to Gyokuro production volumes. An ideal gift for experienced Japanese tea drinkers, or for those just starting out and wanted to compare different Gyokuro tastes. Take a tour of Japan with these fine Sencha selections! Gyokuro, "Jade Dew", is typically the most expensive of the Sencha-type teas and is cultivated much like Sencha up until a few weeks before harvest when reed, straw, or netting is applied to cover the tea plants. This partial blocking of sunlight increases L-theanine and caffeine, as well as the plant's natural chlorophyll production which gives more green color to the leaves. These changes also lead to flavor changes with more sweetness and savoriness, amami and umami. Simultaneously catechins and tannins, responsible for some of tea's astringency, are decreased. To be considered Gyokuro, shading must take place for at least 20 days, and typically Gyokuro are shaded about 20-30 days before harvest. To cover (kabuseru) less than 20 days makes the tea a "Kabuse Sencha". While Yabukita is the most common cultivar used to make Sencha in Japan, Gyokuro often uses, but is not limited to, Saemidori, Okumidori, and Asahi cultivars. These four Gyokuro exemplify the great qualities in Gyokuro tastes and experiences. -Gokou Cultivar Gyokuro from Oku-Yame, Hoshino Village, Fukuoka Prefecture. -Okumidori Cultivar Gyokuro from Minamiyamashiro (Uji), Kyoto. -Saemidori/Okumidori/Yabukita Blend Gyokuro from Asahina Valley, Okabe, Shizuoka Prefecture. -Saemidori Cultivar Gyokuro from Hioki, Kagoshima Prefecture. *We're happy to include a personalized note for you! Just include the desired text in the "Comments" section of your order. |