Cultivar: Saemidori
Elevation: 300 - 450m
Harvest Date:April 24th, 2018

This certified organic Gyokuro highlights the vibrancy of the Saemidori cultivar grown in the Nishi family gardens in the volcanic soils of Kirishima Mountain in southern Japan.
Gyokuro is a special Japanese green tea that is cultivated using a shading technique that elevates chlorophyll and amino acid contents. The first shading blocks some, but not all of the sunbeam. A second shade is added for the last 10 days before harvest to block about 70% of the light.
The tea bushes respond by developing very tender, deep green leaves as they try to capture the sunlight. Shade-grown plants develop higher concentrations of L-theanine amino acid, known for its umami taste and stimulating alpha brain waves. The plants also develop less catechin or tea tannin, resulting in a smooth and almost oceanic cup of jade dewdrops.