Gyokuro leaves are cultivated away from sunlight through the use of a special oishita covering for 20 days prior to picking. By preventing interaction with direct sunlight, the leaves are made more flavorful, and with a melting sweetness. The finer these fresh, deep green leaves are wound, the higher quality the tea. In a teacup the tea will appear yellow and nearly transparent, and in the mouth the tea will have a unique, refined softness.
To further bring out the flavor of Gyokuro, effort must also be placed into preparing the tea. The gyokuro must be steeped longer in low-heat, 50C water and then served in extremely small amounts. You'll only get a mouthful with each cup, but in return you'll be able to enjoy up to four brews from the same batch of tea leaves. Gyokuro is slightly different from normal tea and features a high class, refined flavor. |