Gyokuro Asahi Pearl Dew Green
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Gyokuro Asahi Green

Gyokuro Asahi Pearl Dew Green Tea, which many consider the finest green tea, is produced exclusively in the famed tea gardens of Uji near Kyoto, Japan.

It is full-bodied and typically more appealing to those already familiar with the complex, vegetal taste of green tea. If you take your time to appreciate this tea, you will be well rewarded.

Gyokuro brews a pale green color in the cup with the infused leaves a dramatic, deep green color which is due to a special labor-intensive growing process.

In late April or early May, when the first buds appear on the tea bushes, marsh reed screens are set over the plants. As the leaves mature, more screening is added until more than 95% of the sunlight is excluded. After three weeks of growing in the shade, the leaves are plucked by hand, then steamed, dried and rolled until they resemble pine needles.

The shading increases the levels of chlorophyll in the tea which results in a dark green leaf with a flavor unmatched by any other green tea. Most green teas have only a very light aroma but Gyokuro Asahi Pearl Dew has a rich bouquet like fresh-picked tea leaves. Since the production of this tea is very limited, and it is so highly prized in its native country, very little Gyokuro Asahi Pearl Dew is available outside of Japan.

To best enjoy this tea, bring fresh water to a boil and then let it cool down to 160 to 180 degrees. Pre-heat your teapot by pouring in some of the hot water and then emptying it. Add hot water to the leaves and let the leaves steep for no more than three minutes. Pour into small cups and sip slowly. Before swallowing, swirl the tea around your tongue to explore its complex flavor. And remember to breathe in the delightful aroma.

For further reading:

• Pratt J. and Rosen D. The Tea Lover's Companion Birch Lane Press NY 1996 P 38
• Stella A. et al The Book of Tea Flammarion Paris 1990 PP 51, 234
• Tanimoto Y., Japanese green tea production, Tea and Coffee Trade Journal, Oct 96 Vol 168/No.10 PP 84-91
• Ukers W. All About Tea Tea and Trade Journal Company New York 1935 PP 219, 234-5, 261, 309, 316-8
• Willson K.C. and Clifford M. Tea:Cultivation to Consumption Chapman & Hall London 1992 PP , 414-5, 427-8, 433, 435, 441