{"product_id":"kirari31-dentou-hon-gyokuro-hoshino-village-yame-fukuoka-prefecture-50g-2026-spring-harvest","title":"NEW Kirari31 Dentou Hon Gyokuro; Hoshino Village, Yame, Fukuoka Prefecture, 50g. 2026 Spring Harvest","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOkuyame Hoshino-cha* Kirari31 Dentou (traditional) Hon (authentic) Gyokuro - 2026 Ichibancha (First\/Spring Harvest Tea.)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOrigin: Hoshino Village, Yame, Fukuoka Prefecture; Takaki Tea Farm, Farmer Takaki Akihito \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCultivar: Kirari31 (\"\u003cem\u003eFlash of Light 31\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\")\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e*Okuyame means \"Deep Yame\", and Hoshino-cha refers to teas grown in Hoshino-mura (Hoshino Village), which is within the Yame City borders, but deep in the mountains. While Yame itself is known to be one of the premier Gyokuro, Kabuse-cha, and Matcha producing regions of Japan; the mountainous area of Hoshino Village is known as one of the premier tea growing locations within Yame City. The Takaki Tea Farm is an award-winning grower and producer of fine teas from Hoshino Village, and Takaki Akihito is the fourth generation head of this highly reputable tea farm.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis Gyokuro is very rich in \u003cem\u003eumami\u003c\/em\u003e, with a rich viscous mouthfeel, and \u003cem\u003edashi\u003c\/em\u003e-like aroma and salinity. It starts off with a light color, but with rich flavor, then emerges as a emerald green in latter infusions. The sweetness reminds me of honeydew melon, and the astringency is very low throughout. Each infusion is incredibly smooth, and there are several to be had. With focused brewing, at least six, or more, infusions should be possible. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGyokuro from the Takaki Tea Farm are generally classified as \"Dentou - Hon\", meaning \"Traditional\" and \"Authentic.\" In terms of Gyokuro production, traditional means shaded with natural materials, such as rice straw or bamboo mats (\u003cem\u003esumaki\u003c\/em\u003e), and authentic refers to the shading period of at least 20 days, the tea plants being grown naturally without shaping, and the tea being hand-picked. Gyokuro of this quality, and with this level of production effort, is not always easy to find in the market. While Gyokuro of this caliber is comparatively expensive; focused brewing with the low temperatures, small servings, and slow infusions that yield Gyokuro's best qualities can lead to double the number of infusions of typical Sencha. This makes Gyokuro a luxurious value. You can even use the spent leaves with a sprinkle of soy sauce to make \"\u003cem\u003eohitashi\u003c\/em\u003e.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Kirari31 cultivar is a cross between Sakimidori and Saemidori cultivars and was just recently registered officially in 2016. While \"\u003cem\u003eKirari\u003c\/em\u003e\" means a bright flash of light, the \"31\" is a play on the Japanese words \"\u003cem\u003esan\u003c\/em\u003e\", meaning 3, but sounding like the English word \"sun\"; and \"\u003cem\u003eippai\u003c\/em\u003e\" for \"\u003cem\u003eichi\u003c\/em\u003e\", or one, meaning full. All of this, because it is harvested early, in full sunlight. It is versatile and used for Sencha, Kabusecha, and for Gyokuro as it has good \u003cem\u003eumami \u003c\/em\u003eand sweetness, with low astringency. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Yame region of Fukuoka Prefecture on Japan's southern island of Kyushu is known for producing high quality Gyokuro and Sencha, but in relatively limited amounts. The region consistently produces teas that win awards at Japanese national tea competitions. A person living in Tokyo would find it a real treat to enjoy fine tea from Yame, and you can now have it here in North America.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Charaku Fine Japanese Tea","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58435968631087,"sku":null,"price":23.75,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0778\/9464\/8111\/files\/YAME.KIRARI31.GUOKURO.LEAF.jpg?v=1788725098","url":"https:\/\/charaku-tea.com\/products\/kirari31-dentou-hon-gyokuro-hoshino-village-yame-fukuoka-prefecture-50g-2026-spring-harvest","provider":"Charaku Fine Japanese Tea","version":"1.0","type":"link"}