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Gyokura
Green Tea
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Click here for
Matcha
Gyokura literally translated means
"pearl dew". Gyokuro is a fine green tea selected from a grade of green tea known as
Tencha. Gyokuro's name refers to the pale green color
of the liquid blend.
Gyokuro teas are processed only with the limited
first flush leaf in order to achieve a rich and round flavor
with a subtle pale lemon-green color. Gyokuro’s unique
characteristics are achieved by the use of special cultivation.
The tea plant is grown in the shade of bamboo mats for
approximately twenty days before harvesting. You can
see a picture of this particular growing process to the
left. Initially
depriving the plant of direct sunlight
reduces leaf photosynthesis, which alters the proportions of
sugars, amino acids, flavanols and other substances
responsible for tea aroma and taste. Depriving the
plant of sunlight also causes it to over-produce the amount
of chlorophyll and slows down the
leaf growth, increases the amount of caffeine, and makes the
leaves a bit darker, with a bolder green color, than most
green teas.
Gyokura is considered to be the highest grade of tea available in Japan
and is usually quite expensive and is not widely available
outside Japan. Most of this premium tea is grown in
Uji district near Kyoto on the island of Honshu. The
Uji district which is the oldest tea producing area in
Japan.
Where Gyokuro is grown: The main Gyokuro producing regions are
Yame in Fukuoka, Uji in Kyoto and Okabe in Shizuoka
Prefecture.
Popularity of Gyokura: Gyokuro makes an excellent light evening tea.
Qualities of flavor and aroma: Its flavor is generally sweet and delicate
with notes of grass.
Matcha, which is used in the Japanese tea ceremony (chanoyu,
or, sometimes, chaji)
is made by grinding Gyokuro into a fine powder. It is then
mixed with water using a whisk.
Types of Gyokura green tea:
Matcha
Matcha is a
powdered green tea used in Japanese tea ceremonies. In
Japanese cuisine, matcha is often used to dye foods
green (soba noodles, for instance), and in a modern-day
adaptation it is also used to prepare green tea ice cream. An
alternative spelling that is seen frequently is maccha.
This well-known green tea powder is used
extensively in the Japanese Tea Ceremony (Cha No-Yu). Matcha is regarded
as a ‘heavy’ green tea, but in fact can be prepared as a
strong (koicha) or weak tea (usucha) depending on the way it
is prepared. (You can read about the tea utensils used
to prepare Matcha in our
glossary)
How Matcha is Processed:
Matcha has similar origins to Gyokuro, i.e. an early season,
high grade, shade-grown tea. After steaming the Matcha leaf
is comprehensively stone ground to a light and fine green
powder. The high level of
Catechins it contains is a
consequence of the very small particle size of the processed
leaf.
Regions where Matcha is grown: The
most famous Matcha-producing region is Nishio in Aichi (on
the main island of Honshu). This tea is specifically
referred to as Nishiocha.
Popularity of Matcha:
Prized for Japanese tea ceremonies and consequently the best
grade of Matcha are hard to find outside Japan. Matcha is
generally expensive compared to other forms of tea, although
its price depends on its quality.
Qualities of flavor and aroma:
The flavor of Matcha is dominated by its amino acids. The
highest grades of matcha have more intense sweetness &
deeper flavor than the standard or coarser grades of tea
harvested later in the year.
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