The rich flavor unique to Hon Gyokuro covered with straw
"Gyokuro Okumidori" is an Asahina Hon Gyokuro made from a single cultivar Okumidori in Okabe Town, Fujieda City, Shizuoka Prefecture.
In recent years, most Gyokuro tea gardens have been covered with black plastic called kanreisha. However, this product, called Hon Gyokuro, is made in a tea garden covered with straw.
The significant difference between regular Gyokuro and this Hon Gyokuro is the depth of flavor and aroma. It is characterized by its smooth throat sensation, and long-lasting aftertaste, stronger than regular Gyokuro.
The distinctive feature of Okumidori is its strong richness (flavor expansion and body). When you take it into your mouth, the flavor spreads like a wide-angle lens, allowing you to enjoy a very rich flavor.
* There may be white powder-like substances on the inside of the bag or on the tea leaves. This is crystallized amino acids derived from the tea leaves, which are abundant in Gyokuro.
The longer Gyokuro is aged, the more these crystals increase. Since these are natural ingredient crystals, please be assured when consuming the tea.
Gyokuro is tea made by intentionally limiting the sunlight to the tea garden
Gyokuro is cultivated by covering the tea garden with straw or plastic kanreisha to limit the sunlight on the tea leaves.
By limiting the sunlight, it affects the biosynthesis of the components in the tea leaves, creating the unique flavor and aroma of Gyokuro.
Additionally, the tea leaves synthesize a large amount of chlorophyll to efficiently absorb sunlight.
Therefore, compared to sencha leaves, Gyokuro leaves have a very deep green color. Moreover, Gyokuro leaves are larger to absorb more sunlight, and the leaf surface has folds.
Producer Mr. Miyazaki
Traditional Hon Gyokuro made by covering with straw
This product is called Hon Gyokuro. Hon Gyokuro is Gyokuro made in a tea garden covered with straw.
In contrast, in recent years, most Gyokuro tea gardens are covered with black plastic called kanreisha. When comparing Hon Gyokuro and regular Gyokuro, there is a significant difference in taste and satisfaction when drinking. The decisive difference lies in the depth of flavor and aroma.
Both Gyokuro covered with kanreisha and straw-covered Gyokuro have similar levels of umami derived from amino acids and meet the standard for the unique seaweed-like flavor of Gyokuro.
The critical difference is the depth of flavor and aroma of Hon Gyokuro. It is characterized by a richer body, smoother throat sensation, and a longer-lasting aftertaste than regular Gyokuro.
This is because minerals contained in the straw drip into the tea garden with the rain and are absorbed by the tea. Therefore, the straw used for covering and its preparation significantly affect the flavor of Gyokuro.
Rich flavor by using only Okumidori
Usually, Gyokuro is made by blending multiple cultivars.
This is true even for Gyokuro that wins awards at tea competitions. Blending is done to adjust the flavor and cost.
Different cultivars have different characteristics, such as strong body or rich flavor, and a balanced flavor is formed by the blending ratio.
However, this product is made from a single cultivar without blending. Okumidori is one of the slowest-growing cultivars and is harvested last in the Gyokuro tea garden.
The distinctive feature of Okumidori is its strong richness (flavor expansion and body). When you take it into your mouth, the flavor spreads like a wide-angle lens, providing a very rich flavor.
In contrast, the aftertaste is slightly lighter compared to our other product sold under the name Asahina Gyokuro.
Enhanced aroma by aging for over six months
To deliver the fresh aroma of tea leaves, no heat is applied at all.
We purchase the tea directly from farmers right after it is processed. However, to further enhance the aroma, it has been aged for about six months in an oxygen-free state at room temperature.
By aging, the aroma has been enhanced and made more vibrant.
