Traditional Hon Gyokuro

Tea (Camellia sinensis)Greensub-style

Traditional Hon Gyokuro is a named traditional style within the Japanese gyokuro family. Gyokuro is shaded before harvest, then steamed, rolled and dried as a green tea. Yame Dento Hon Gyokuro is a specifically defined regional expression of this tradition.

How traditional hon gyokuro is prepared

Infused as loose-leaf tea, often with relatively cool water and successive steepings to explore its sweetness and savoury character.

Cold Brewing

Beverages using this technique · 3
Royal Blue Tea
King of Green HIRO
Still white0% ABV
prepared as Cold-Brewed Traditional Hon Gyokuro

Royal Blue Tea uses Cold-Brewed Traditional Hon Gyokuro in King of Green HIRO: traditional Hon Gyokuro infused in cold water. The linked provenance notes cultivar: Saemidori.[4][5]

Royal Blue Tea
King of Green HIRO Premium
Still green0% ABV
prepared as Cold-Brewed Traditional Hon Gyokuro

Royal Blue Tea uses Cold-Brewed Traditional Hon Gyokuro in King of Green HIRO Premium: traditional Hon Gyokuro infused in cold water. The linked provenance notes cultivar: Saemidori.[5][6][7]

Royal Blue Tea
King of Green HOSHINO Super Premium
Still green0% ABV
prepared as Cold-Brewed Traditional Hon Gyokuro

Royal Blue Tea uses Cold-Brewed Traditional Hon Gyokuro in King of Green HOSHINO Super Premium: traditional Hon Gyokuro infused in cold water. The linked provenance notes cultivar: Saemidori.[5][8]

In depth

Shading before harvest

Gyokuro’s defining step happens in the garden. The new shoots are shaded for about twenty days before picking, using materials that reduce direct sunlight. This changes the balance of compounds in the leaf and contributes to the tea’s umami, sweetness and dark green appearance. The harvested leaves are then steamed, rolled and dried, preserving their identity as an infused green tea.[1]

Traditional production and the Yame name

The full name Yame Dento Hon Gyokuro identifies a regional expression registered in Japan. The Ministry of Agriculture describes rice-straw screens and other natural covering materials, together with hand harvesting. Those details distinguish the named Yame tradition from a general claim that a gyokuro is expensive or high grade. The regional specification should be read with its full name and production area.[2]

An attentive leaf-tea service

Gyokuro is usually brewed with cooler water than many other teas, allowing its savoury sweetness to come forward. The same leaves can provide several infusions, each with a different balance. It also has a place in senchado, the formal practice of preparing infused leaf tea. This is a different preparation from whisking matcha: the gyokuro leaves are steeped and separated from the drink.[1][3]

Part of Gyokuro