Gyokuro
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Type: | Green |
| Other names: | 玉露, 'Jewel Dew' |
| Origin: | Japan |
| Quick description: | Considered the highest grade of tea available in Japan. |
Gyokuro (玉露) is a fine Green tea from Japan. Selected from a grade of green tea known as Sencha (煎茶), Gyokuro's name refers to the pale green color of the infusion.
While technically a variety of sencha, authorities, including merchants selling Japanese green tea, will generally recommend quite a different method for brewing gyokuro. While the details differ from one source to the next, characteristically they recommend
- twice the weight in dry tea leaves for a given quantity of water (e.g. 12 grams for 300 ml);
- cooler brewing temperatures (in the range of 120-130 F instead of 150-160 F for sencha);
- a longer steeping duration, at least for the first infusion (2-3 minutes instead of 1 minute for sencha).
Since gyokuro steeps at such a mild temperature, sources generally recommend pre-heating both pot and cup so as to maintain the warmth of the tea as one drinks it. Characteristically one drinks gyokuro very slowly, to savor its distinctive flavor.
