Gyokuro Japanese Green Tea - Loose Leaf

The Gyokuro Japanese Green Tea blend from English Tea Store is a steamed green tea with a full flavor and a satisfying light refreshing character.

The tea is made is made from from single buds that are picked only in April/May. In an effort to develop increased chlorophyll (responsible for the dark green color) and reduced the tannin levels (giving a sweeter flavor with no bitterness), the tea is covered with black curtains, bamboo or straw shades for 3 weeks before plucking. The leaves are small - about 3/4's on an inch long and extremely fragrant and tender. Immediately after plucking, the leaves are taken to the factory and steamed for about 30 minutes to seal in the flavor and arrest fermentation. Next they are fluffed with hot air and pressed and dried to 30% moisture content. Repeated rolling takes place until the tea develops long thin dark green needles at which time it is finally dried to a 4-6% moisture content.

Gyokuro has been referred to as history, philosophy and art in a single cup and is usually brewed in a kyusu (special Japanese teapot) and served in handle-less cups.

• First time trying English Tea Store's Gyokuro Japanese Green Loose Leaf Tea?

  Try our Sample Size of 1 ounce.
• Contents loose leaf tea net weight 4 ounces
• Contents loose leaf tea net weight 16 ounces (1 pound)

According to Japanese tea researchers, there are many reasons to drink green tea. Green tea reduces the incidence of cancer. Their studies relate to the high levels of catechins in tea. On study, by Y. Nakamura, concluded that green tea and catechin markedly inhibited the development of cancer. This study utilized data from a survey of inhabitants of Shizuoka (the major tea growing region in Japan), where green tea is a staple product and a main beverage where the inhabitants daily consume as much as 1 - 1.5 grams of green tea catechins in their tea drinking. The survey suggests that green tea catechins played a significant role in a low SMR (Standardized Mortality Ratio). The scientific aspect of the study, when combined with the survey, led the scientists to the conclusion that there is a striking reduction in the cancer death rate amongst residents who are accustomed to drinking quite a strong tea and frequently changing the tea leaves.

Another benefit to drinking green tea is it suppresses aging. Professor Okuba (Chem.Pharm.Bull.31 1983) demonstrated that catechin in green tea is a far stronger antioxidant than vitamin E, leading to a hypothesis that green tea contains a powerful antioxidant that is believed to help control aging. More antioxidants are extracted from tea (L. Camellia Sinesis) the longer it is brewed. And the more tea is used, the greater the antioxidant benefit.

Check out our English Tea Blog for more information on Gyokuro.