Japan Gyokuro Hisui – Organic Green Tea

Brew & Taste

Japan Gyokuro Hisui organic green tea is rightly ranked among high-quality varieties. The way in which it is grown and processed gives it a very delicious taste, mild and sweetly fruity at the end. The Japanese had to invent a new taste to describe the flavor of gyokuro, and you probably know it as umami. The infusion has a light yellow-green color and can be steeped up to 3 times from one batch of tea. It surprises with slightly different notes each time.

Origins

Kyushu (meaning "nine provinces") is Japan's southernmost island, once considered the gateway to Japan. It is a mountainous region, with the country's most active volcano, Mt Aso, rising to 1,591m. Around 10% of Japan's total population lives on this island, with most towns concentrated along the northwest coast. However, the prefectures of Fukuoka, Kagoshima and Miyazaki are the most important to tea. They have a subtropical climate and mineral-rich soil.

Before we get to the description of this unique tea, let's mention that the entire island is also famous for its temples with stone Buddhas, shrines in high altitudes, castle town, porcelain, handmade paper, gourmet cuisine, amazing nature and modern buildings. It will probably come as no surprise that one can also come across the Tea Museum. The one in Fukuoka Prefecture not only offers insight into tea history and tea production, but you can taste tea noodles, rice tea porridge or roast your own fresh tea leaves. It's open daily except for Tuesdays.

It's no coincidence that this Japan Gyokuro also got the name Hisui in its name. It means "jade" in Japanese, and that's exactly the color of the tea leaves. This magnificent tea gained this attractive color thanks to the special cultivation of tea leaves. These are covered with reed mats about 20 days before harvest. This means that the tea leaves receive minimal sunlight and the plants are stimulated to produce more chlorophyll. This influences other substances in the green matter that have a significant effect on the taste and aroma of the tea. Shading tea trees has been used in Japan since the 17th century.

The leaves of tea trees are hand-picked by workers on the plantations between April and May. To prevent them from oxidizing and losing their precious freshness, they are steamed briefly. The tea is then rolled into tiny needles and gently dried. The Japanese love their gyokuro so much that they have assigned its taste to a fifth, special umami category. But beware, you have to search the market for good gyokuro. High-quality Japanese tea is often mistaken for Chinese substitutes. In the case of Japan Gyokuro Hisui, however, you can be sure of the origin. As well as the purity that the organic label guarantees.

Tea packaging preview

We pack our teas in a strong, zip-lock aluminum packet which allows you to easily re-seal its contents. This container protects the quality of the tea against humidity, light or foreign odors, all of which could noticeably affect the quality of the brew.