Organic Gyokuro Asanoka (EU/USDA ORGANIC)

Tea Repertoire

CHF50.00

Type: GREEN TEA

Tea Type: Green Tea

Tea Cultivar: Asanoka

Tea Region: Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Clear, Jade, emerald green coloured infusion.
Aroma: Creamy, milky, cooked vegetal notes accompanied with gentle, sweet, floral notes.
Flavour: Creamy, umami, buttered steamed greens (spinach, zucchini) notes with sweet, refreshing gardenia note.
Mouthfeel: Supple, full-bodied liquor. Creamy and unctuous mouthfeel and well-sustained, refreshing sweetness. Absence of bitterness and astringency.

Brewing Guidance

Measure 3g of tea per 150ml water. Boil water to 60℃. Steep for 2 minutes.

All You Need to Know about Organic Gyokuro Asanoka (Certified JAS/EU/USDA -ORGANIC)

Made from carefully grown, tea leaves in Kagoshima Prefecture, our organic Gyokuro Asanoka offers a highly fragrant and aromatic liquor, full of umami and refreshing, sweet, floral notes.

Asanoka is a rare, unique, Japanese cultivar, a cross-breed between Yabukita cultivar and a Chinese cultivar named Hiramizu #1, mostly cultivated in Kagoshima prefecture. It's not common to find Gyokuro made from Asanoka cultivar outside of Japan. It was developed in Kagoshima prefecture and it was officially registered in 1996. As the cultivar naturally contains a good amount of amino acids, this cultivar makes a refreshing, highly elegant, Gyokuro with plenty of umami and noticeable floral sweetness.

In comparison to our other single cultivar Gyokuro - Gyokuro Yabukita and Gyokuro Goko (they make a delicious, full-bodied, creamy tea with sweet, umami flavour), you will notice distinctively, pronounced floral sweetness in our Organic Gyokuro Asanoka, which renders this special Gyokuro very elegant. Besides being rich and umami, the tea liquor tastes very gentle, pure and sweet with a touch of sweet, refreshing, gardenia. This unique floral characteristics reminds us of the floral aroma that we find in Taiwanese oolongs such as Alishan Golden Lily and Baozhong.

A rare opportunity to try carefully grown, organic Gyokuro made from a highly aromatic cultivar, a must try for any tea connoisseurs and Japanese tea lovers.

Tips for Tea Connoisseurs

Gyokuro, which translates into "Jade Dew" in Japanese, is a highly appreciated, much sought-after green tea by Japanese green tea connoisseurs for its elegant and refreshing aromas and flavours.

To make Gyokuro, tea plants have been shaded 3 - 4 weeks before harvest helps tea plants to achieve its iconic mellow sweetness. Due to its limited exposure to the sunshine, tea plants undergo a chain of physiological changes in order to survive, which, in turn, results in the changes of the chemical composition of the tea leaves. As this shading method imposes a heavy burden on the tea plants, tea leaves for Gyokuro green tea are harvested only once a year, in contrast to tea leaves for Sencha green tea which are harvested 4 times a year. Produced this way, Gyokuro green tea is extremely rich in L-theanine, the essential amino acid in developing Gyokuro green tea's desired flavour profile - mellow, sweet, rich, umami flavours.

Please ensure to use low water temperature (60℃) for no longer than 2 minutes to appreciate its iconic, deep, umami flavour. Infusion at any higher temperature will result in bitterness in the liquor, which will cover up the distinctively elegant and mellow character.

As with all green tea, Gyokuro is rich in antioxidants and known for its potential health benefits such as promoting heart health, cancer prevention, boosting the immune system and lowering down blood pressure.

If you like this product you may also like Gyokuro Kukicha, Matcha Eroica, Sencha Asamushi and Wild Arbor Joongjak.