Japanese Green Teas, Pt 4: Gyokuro

Gyokuro is a very fine tea from Japan that can with some authority lay claim to being the world's best green tea. Unlike most green teas, Gyokuro is shade-grown. This means that the tea plant is shielded from the sun using either finely woven cloth or, in the more traditional method, straw. This protection from sunlight imparts a number of qualities to the tea that are not found in any other tea.

First, the leaves retain a much higher chlorophyll content than other green teas, which contributes both to the beautiful deep emerald color of the leaves and the grassy flavor. Second, the proportion of nutrients absorbed from the soil is higher as the plant does not need to devote as many resources to keeping itself hydrated. This results in higher concentrations of sugars and amino acids and lower concentrations of catechins. The result on the flavor of the tea is a sweeter, milder tea with very little astringency and strong notes of grass, vegetables and pure water. Thirdly, Gyokuro's bouquet is almost like perfume: sweet, fresh and pure, redolent of spring, it is unequalled by other green teas. Perhaps the most alluring aspect of Gyokuro, however, is its legendary color. When infused, the color of the liquor is a pale, almost clear yellow-gold (seen at left).

Unfortunately, as with many other commodities prized by connoisseurs, the high quality of Gyokuro also translates into high price. For example, 50g of Gyokuro cost $14.80 per 50g as of March 7, 2011; five times as much (250g) of a good quality China Jasmine only cost $7.02. There are a number of reasons for this; first, Gyokuro is very popular in Japan, and only grown once a year, in Spring. The majority of the tea is consumed domestically, and it is quite often that the initial harvests are quickly sold out. It is also frequently given as a gift between wealthy individuals or businesspeople, in the same way that the Chinese make gifts of aged nests of Pu-Erh tea.

Still, despite its sometimes prohibitive cost, Gyokuro is one of the world's finest green teas and one that every tea enthusiast or lover of green tea owes it to themselves to try; it is worth the high price.