Kurihara Tea Farm: Shin - Premium Gyokuro 2023

Premium Gyokuro Shin 心 (heart) from Kurihara Tea Garden

100g / 20g

Gyokuro is a green tea that is grown under shading. This allows the leaves to mature without astringency. The shading process used to create Gyokuro results in a delicate and sweet tea with strong umami.

This Premium Gyokuro is shaded using a vinyl covering, and is machine-harvested for greater volume. The shading blocks approximately 85% of sunlight and allows for a rich umami flavour to develop. 

• Many producers will age Gyokuro for 3-6 months before releasing it for sale to customers. The ageing process is similar to that of tencha leaves for matcha: as the leaves age the flavour balances, astringency mellows and umami becomes stronger. This tea has been released by Kurihara early so that customers can choose to enjoy it as an Ichibancha (first flush spring tea) or age it at home themselves. 

Steeping Notes: 5g | 50ml | 50°C | 60sec

• Name: Premium Gyokuro Tea
• Ingredients: Green tea
• Harvest: Mid-May 2023
• Region: Yabemura village, Yame, Fukuoka

• Notes: Shaded for 3 weeks before harvest, machine cut, medium steaming used but leaves are young and delicate so the results is close to a deep steaming (fukamushi)

• We highly recommend using the spent leaves in cooking. Add them to some rice for onigiri, mix them into a salad or even just add some soy sauce and eat as a side dish with a main meal. 

About Kurihara Tea Farm:

Specialists in gyokuro tea leaf cultivation and processing, the Kurihara family began in 1922 as a wholesaler. In 1942 the first master decided to move his wholesale business to the Yame region, famed for its Yamecha, and start growing tea himself. His son, Kippei Kurihara is now a respected member of the Yame City legislature while sons Yuji and Akio begin to take over the tea agriculture business.