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Gyokuro tea is grown beneath shading, cutting out some 85% of the sunlight. This allows the leaves to mature without obtaining bitterness. The results is an ultra delicate green tea with an extremely sweet taste profile. Unlike Kurihara Tea's Heritage Grade level Gyokuro (grown beneath traditional, handmade bamboo and/or straw shading), this Premium Gyokuro uses easier-to-handle vinyl covering, and is machine-harvested for greater volume. The shading allows for a rich umami flavor, while the larger volume harvested provides a lower price. Aging & Shincha While gyokuro is harvested at the same time as other spring teas, producers commonly prefer to age their gyokuro at least 4 months, often 6 months before releasing the product for sale. The aging of the product in cool, temperature-controlled environment allows the greenness--bitter, astringent flavors--to degrade, ever so slightly increasing the umami flavors. The final polish that transforms a high grade product into the best Japan has to offer. Kurihara Tea, however, chooses to make the new tea leaf available both for tea enthusiasts to taste the fresh leaf, and to enjoy aging on their own. Flavor Guide SAVORINESS (umami): ★★★★ SWEETNESS (amami): ★★★★ ASTRINGENCY (shibumi): ★ FRAGANCE: Rich umami aroma BREWED LEAVES: Great for salads! Used leaves should be steeped 3-4 times before using eating. Top with soy sauce and bonito flakes, or your own salad dressing. Product Info Name: Premium Gyokuro Tea Japanese name: 本玉露 Ingredients: Green tea Harvest: Mid-May 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). Fields used are currently being converted to certified organic tea fields. Vendor Info Name: Kurihara Seicha Ltd. Members: Kippei, Yuji, and Akio Kurihara (Father and sons) Location: 4236 Kita Yabe, Yabe-mura, Yame-shi, Fukuoka Prefecture 834-1401, JAPAN Size of fields: About 3 hectares Altitude of fields: 300 - 700 meters