Gyokuro Cultivar Set

¥3,000

This set is composed of 5 types of Gyokuro for a delicious cultivar comparison (Okumidori, Gokou, Yabukita, Asahi, Kanayamidori). Each cultivar is packed in two bags of 5g, perfect to carry and enjoy anywhere you go!

・Yabukita Gyokuro (5g x 2)
This single origin Gyokuro is made from the Yabukita cultivar (やぶきた) and is produced by our President Akky. Yabukita comes from a seed grown tea plant cultivated by Sugiyama Hikosaburo in 1908 in an experimental field in Shizuoka Prefecture.  The plant started to gain the attention of scientists in 1927 before being finally officially registered on the cultivar register in 1953. Since then, it is considered as one of the easiest tea cultivars to grow according to its very good climate adaptation characteristics, yield and balanced taste. Yabukita is not the best cultivar for shaded tea production as its umami is moderate compared to some other cultivars. Nevertheless, it gives this Gyokuro a very interesting taste with a sharp umami and a refreshing clear after taste.

・Gokou Gyokuro (5g x 2)
This single origin Gyokuro is made from the Gokou (ごこう) cultivar and is also produced by our President Akky. Gokou cultivar was officially registered in 1953. It was found and selected from a seed grown tea bush (Zairai) in the Uji region, Kyoto Prefecture. It is often used for shaded tea production (Matcha, Gyokuro, Kabuse Sencha) as it has a very rich umami profile and gives the tea a beautiful dark green liquor. It is also famous for its milky, deep flavour. This Gokou Gyokuro gives a delicate and aromatic cup with a nice, silky umami.

・Okumidori Gyokuro (5g x 2)
This single origin Gyokuro is made from the Okumidori (おくみどり) cultivar and is also produced by our President Akky. Okumidori cultivar is a crossing of the Yabukita cultivar and the Shizu-zai16 (静在16) cultivar. Grown for the first time in 1953, it was officially registered in 1974. Very easy to cultivate, it is often considered as the late budding version of Yabukita (“Oku” refers to “late budding”). Despite this cultivar is not the most popular for shaded teas production, this Okumidori Gyokuro turned out to have a powerful umami and a very well-balanced taste.

・Asahi Gyokuro (5g x 2)
This single origin Gyokuro is made from the Asahi (朝日) cultivar and is produced by Kenta-san from Hosoi-Nouen, a very talented farmer in Wazuka whom we are very glad and thankful to be able to collaborate with.
Asahi cultivar was officially registered in 1953. Like the Gokou cultivar, it originates from the Uji region in Kyoto Prefecture. Known for its round taste and aromatic fragrance, and for giving the tea a bright green colour, it is often used to produce very high-quality teas like Matcha or Gyokuro. The needles of this Gyokuro are dark green and reveal an elegant fragrance. A deeper steaming has uncovered more depth and strength to the aroma and flavour, which gives this Gyokuro a very powerful taste.

・Kanayamidori Gyokuro (5g x 2)
This single origin Gyokuro is made from the Kanayamidori (金谷緑) cultivar and is also produced by Kenta-san. Kanayamidori cultivar is a crossing of the Yabukita cultivar and the S6 cultivar. It was first grown in 1949 and was officially registered as a proper cultivar in 1970. Its name originates from its birthplace, Kanaya village (Shimada-city) in Shizuoka Prefecture. This cultivar is known for its specific aroma and some farmers also use this tea for Sencha and Oolong production. This Kayanamidori Gyokuro reveals a complex layered taste with a buttery texture and a round umami flavour.

 

 

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Description

What is Gyokuro?

Gyokuro (玉露) – the highest grade Japanese loose leaf Gyokurotea – is as unique as its name – ‘dew drop’. In contrast to making shaded Sencha, where the covers for blocking direct sunshine are spread directly on the plant, Gyokuro is grown under a special construction that allows more space for the tea leaves to steep out. The tea plant is shaded for about three weeks, during which fresh spring tea leaves develop a distinctive rich flavor and sweet smell. After the harvest the leaves are processed with great care, the result of which an emerald-green tea of unique beauty. Due to the level of care and attention needed to produce Gyokuro it is a rather rare tea less than 1 percent of all tea made in Japan is Gyokuro. 

Brewed tea, that gives off a distinctive fragrance, is traditionally served in little cups which makes enjoying Gyokuro even more special.

 

 

 

Farmers Profiles

Akky-san Farming Tea

Akihiro “Akky” Kita is our president and lead farmer here at Obubu. His desire to make this tea available to the general public is the foundation of Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms. In college, Akky took up a part-time job as a farmhand in Wazuka, and fell in love with the tea of this region. He made the decision then to leave college and devote his time to mastering the art of tea farming. Recognizing the need for independent farmers like himself to spread the joy of drinking Japanese tea, he travels each year during the winter off-season to bring Japanese tea to people all over the world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tecchan - Tea Farmer

Imanishi Tezuka aka “Tecchan” is a young tea farmer in Wazuka, Kyoto. His family has been making tea here for 5 generations. At the age of 25 Tecchan has taken over the family tea business and now is looking after both: tea farming and tea production in his factory.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hosoi Kenta from Hosoi-Nouen is a very talented farmer in Wazuka whom we are very glad and thankful to be able to collaborate with. Kenta has achieved remarkable success, having won the National Handrolling Competition twice. In November 2023, Kenta, along with Akky and Simona, won the first-place in the National Handrolling Competition. Beyond being a talented farmer, Kenta also serves as the president of the Wazuka Handrolling Preservation Society. This society preserves, promotes, and teaches this traditional technique to fellow farmers in the town.

 

Additional information

Weight 165 g

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