| Gyokuro | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Green |
| Other names | 玉露, jewel dew / jade dew / pearl dew / precious dew |
| Origin | Japan |
Gyokuro (Japanese: 玉露, "jade dew") is a type green tea from Japan that is grown in the shade. It differs from the standard sencha (a classic green tea grown in the sun) in being grown under the shade rather than the full sun.[1] The name "gyokuro" translates as "jewel dew" (or "jade dew").[2] According to the Japan Tea Central Association, gyokuro is defined as "a tea manufactured in the same manner as sencha from tea leaves picked from covered tea gardens that are almost completely shaded from sunlight for about 20 days using covering materials such as reed screens, straw, or shading nets, from the time when the new shoots of the first flush start to grow."[3]
While most sencha is from the Yabukita (薮北) cultivar of Camellia sinensis, gyokuro is often made from a specialized variety such as Asahi, Okumidori, Yamakai, and Saemidori. Most gyokuro is grown in the Fukuoka, Kyoto, and Mie prefectures.
Gyokuro tea production dates back to the 1830s, when the merchant Yamamoto Kahei discovered some Japanese farmers were covering tea plants with a netting to protect them from frost, and that this actually changed the flavor and aroma of the tea. He introduced the tea to Edo and it was immediately popular.[4]