Ep 18 - The "Exquisite" Gyokuro Is A Japanese Tea Made Of Dreams

The host and one of the tea importers from Trident Cafe and Teas, Jake Dirnberger, and filmmaker, Josh Hyde, steep a hard to find Japanese green tea knows as Exquisite Gyokuro. This high quality Gyokuro is a blend of young spring tea leaves from the Uji area in the Kyoto prefecture of southern Japan. Historically famous for its high quality green teas, this Gokujou, or “exquisite” Gyokuro lives up to its name. It brews a thick tea soup, rich in umami and sea vegetable notes balanced by sweet honeydew and cantaloupe. Additionally, this Gyokuro feels to us to be especially high in L-theanine, which is one of the psychoactive components in tea which produces a calming effect and may improve cognition and attention. Gyokuro is made by casting a net (kabuse) over tea bushes as they grow. The net restricts the amount of sunlight allowed to the bushes and forces them to produce much more chlorophyll than they otherwise would. This results in a deeper, greener color than sencha, as well as a richer and more umami-forward flavor. It is preferable to allow Gyokuro to rest for a number of months in order to let the steaming settle. Being vacuum sealed and refrigerated until now, it is currently in its prime drinking condition. Find the highest quality teas at Trident Cafe and Teas. Trident Cafe and Teas sources directly from tea farmers and maintains long term relationships with their farmers worldwide. These relationships have created one of the highest quality tea supply chains in the U.S.