About Hon Gyokuro:
Mineral saltiness, honeydew melon, and the sea air occasionally grace your palate when enjoying this smooth brew. Gyokuro tea is commonly brewed at an even cooler water temperature than Sencha and can even make an excellent cold-brewed tea. This year’s Hon Gyokuro comes from Uji, Japan.
Hon Gyokuro is shade-grown for 3 weeks, which leads to the increased production of chlorophyll. The young leaves used for Gyokuro can only be harvested for a few weeks each season. Freshly-picked tea leaves are steamed — something that gives Japanese greens a unique flavor and brilliant color. Following steaming, the tea leaves are rolled and dried and take on a long, thin shape. At this stage it is considered “aracha” or unprocessed tea. The next step is to turn it into “shiage” or refined tea. This involves sieving and cutting the tea leaves and further drying them. Finally, a special blend is carefully created to achieve a unique and agreeable flavor.
Available in a 2 ounce canister.
Ingredients: Green tea leaves.
Flavor Profile:
A smooth, vegetal, oceanic brew with some saltiness and notes of honeydew melon. Light and gentle, though it brews quickly and lends itself to shorter infusions.
Brewing Instructions:
Every tea is different and can be brewed in different ways. The chart below is not a hard-and-fast guide for brewing this tea, but rather a place to get started. Steeping time may vary based on your personal taste or on how many infusions have already been done. Experiment with the brewing of your tea to discover its unique character.
| Water Temp °F (°C) | Steep Time (minutes) | Number of Infusions | Quantity of Leaf (tsp / 8oz water) |
| 140°F (60°C) | 1 | 1-2 | 1 |
