Gyokuro, also known as jade dew, is the rarest of Japanese teas.
Even in Japan, where tea is traditionally a part of life, Gyokuro is regarded with almost religious reverence and considered a great rarity that is definitely not for everyday drinking...
While matcha has found its way into the everyday life of the Japanese through sweets, ice cream, matcha-lattes and the like, Gyokuro has receded into the background... With all its sublime sophistication, it has remained aloof from the busy world and retained its poetic charm.
The path to Gyokuro is not an easy one, but those who find it are rewarded with an incredible complexity of flavours and aromas that no other tea can offer.
History
The story of Gyokuro begins during the Edo period, in 1835. The merchant Yamamoto Kahei VI (the sixth of that name) visited Uji on one of his trips. More specifically, he went to study tencha cultivation with the Kinoshita family.
The winter of that year was particularly long and the farmers tried to protect the tea bushes from the frost with straw mats. Later, while processing the tea, Yamamoto noticed that the leaves from the local bushes were stickier than those from other areas during the shaping process. He noted this as a curiosity and unconventionally shaped the tea into small balls. The tea, which he named 'Tama no tsuyu', impressed everyone with its excellent taste and was a great success in Edo (modern-day Tokyo).
However, when Yamamoto Kahei later tried to repeat the production process several times in other places, he never again achieved such a great taste.
The man who, in 1841, understood that the key to making that amazing Gyokuro was to shade the tea bushes was Shigejyuro Eguchi, a farmer from Uji. Thus began Gyokuro's journey to fame - it didn't take long for it to become famous throughout Japan, and now the world.
Our Gyokuro
is the culmination of this story. Growing good Gyokuro takes time, work and knowledge. Many farmers claim that it is impossible to grow really good Gyokuro without chemicals. Master Sakamoto is living proof that it is not only possible to grow good Gyokuro, but that it is possible to grow the best Gyokuro without chemicals and fertilizers.
Master Sakamoto's plantation is located in a remote location, amongst the mountains, surrounded by forests in beautiful countryside, under the watchful eye of the majestic smoking volcano of Sakurajima. The plantation has been fully organic and JAS certified for over 30 years. Due to its remote location, there is no risk of pesticide contamination from other plantations.
The story of the search and the encounter with Mr. Sakamoto would take a book to tell, but there is no doubt about his abilities.
I have tasted many Gyokura over the past 20 years, but this is by far his best.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)