Yame Shizuku Gyokuro

Gyokuro (“Jade Dew”) gets its name from its intense green color and the historical ball-shaped preparation of this tea. Nowadays, the leaves are straight needles like sencha, but the shading process prior to harvest still gives the tea its deep, saturated green color and rich umami flavor. The Yame growing region is known across Japan for its excellent Gyokuro. Production of Gyokuro involves a 10-day period of shading the tea plants prior to harvest. The shading forces the plant to boost its chlorophyll and L-theanine production and retain its store of amino acids, leading to a deep green color and rich umami. This is a  Dento Hon Gyokuro (伝統本玉露), meaning it must be grown in Yame, Fukuoka (similar to the regional protection accorded to champagne, Parmigiano-Reggiano, etc.), the plants must be grown naturally, must be traditionally shaded for at least 16 days with tana (棚), a tent-like cover made from straw, and, finally, all Dento Hon Gyokuro is handpicked by farmers. Less than 1% of g