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Hon Gyokuro
Hoshino Saemidori

Contest Grade 99 P.

SKU
3893
Hon Gyokuro Hoshino Saemidori
Hon Gyokuro Hoshino Saemidori
Hon Gyokuro Hoshino Saemidori
Hon Gyokuro Hoshino Saemidori
Hon Gyokuro Hoshino Saemidori
Hon Gyokuro Hoshino Saemidori

Yoshi En has recently grown out of Sunday Natural to become an independent premium tea store. As part of this transition, some products may still be shipped in Sunday Natural packaging.

Hon gyokuro from Master Akihito Takaki, Nihoncha award winner. Hand-picked, first harvest of the saemidori cultivar from the top growing region of Hoshino in Yame. 40g
 
Character Full umami flavour; distinctively sweet, elegant and lightly balanced. High in chlorophyll, with notes of fresh grass and fruit
Tea Garden Master Takaki is an award-winning, fourth-generation gyokuro farmer, renowned throughout Japan
Terroir Makizono, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan
Harvest 1st harvest (ichibancha), beginning of May 2023, hand-picked (shigoki-zumi), exclusively the best leaves and buds
Cultivar Saemidori (100%)
Elevation 180m above sea level
Steaming Short (asamushi, 30 seconds)
Shading Fully shaded (95%) for over 20 days, tana honzu technique with rice mats
Organic Cert. None, conventional cultivation
Laboratory Tests Radioactivity (region as of 11/2019)
Awards Awarded 3rd place in the Japan-wide MAFF (Japan Ministry of Agriculture) Tea Awards 2021  (第75回全国茶品評会出品茶審査会)
Grade 99/100 p. (gyokuro category); Contest Grade
€29.90
40g

Delivery : 1–3 business days

Incl. VAT, excl. shipping

SKU
3893
€747.50 / 1kg

Back in stock after 2024 harvest

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Incl. VAT, excl. shipping

Id
3893
€747.50 / 1kg
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Tea Farm

Akihito Takaki is an award-winning, fourth-generation gyokuro farmer who is renowned throughout Japan for his teas, which are cultivated to the highest standards and processed on site. From cultivation and care to harvest and drying, the tea leaves are only passed through the hands of experts versed in the traditional means of producing Japanese gyokuro. Only the finest leaves are used to make the tea.

Character

Flavour

A top gyokuro from Master Akihito Takaki, with the full umami and intense sweetness of the saemidori cultivar. The tea retains a light, balanced character typical of Hoshino without an overwhelmingly over-fertilised aroma, as Master Takaki carefully monitors the amount of fertiliser used. The taste is rounded off with a strong chlorophyll undertone that pairs nicely with the fresh, grassy and fruity notes.

Leaf

Fresh, dark green, fine needles

Cup

Bright emerald green

Awards

Contest Grade Gyokuro

Once a year the "Zenkoku Cha Himpyo Kai" (National Tea Tasting Competition) takes place. This competition is considered the highest authority in the tasting of tea. The winners traditionally also receive the MAFF Award from the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Up to 120 tea farmers offer their teas for tasting by a national tea jury. Another major annual award is the Nihoncha Award. Winners of these competitions garner top prices and are quickly sold out.

Gyokuro

Gyokuro is considered by many to be the most exquisite of Japanese green teas. Via a time-consuming and difficult process, the tea plants for this tea are shaded for up to 30 days before harvest. By blocking up to 90% of sunlight, the leaves synthesise greater amounts of amino acids and many nutrients in the leaves are preserved. This composition of plant compounds lends the tea its famous sweetness as well as its robust umami flavour. Authentic gyokuro are exclusively made from the leaves of the aromatic first harvest of the year.

Hon gyokuro (traditional, genuine gyokuro)

In 1997, in the top tea-growing region, Yame, Fukuoka Prefecture, the hon-gyokuro, or dento hon-gyokuro (伝統本玉露), seal of quality was established for authentic, traditionally-produced gyokuros. Several criteria must be met to earn this distinction, including specific fertiliser and quality control at all stages, using the tea field's unique natural shape, at least 16 days of shading, and above all else, the tea must be hand-picked and shaded using the tana-honzu technique (rice straw on frame).

Laboratory Tests

We go to great lengths to identify the finest organic tea farms across the world’s most celebrated terroirs. All our teas are sourced directly from the farmer and, with a few exceptions, are certified organic or come from pesticide-free farms. Each batch of tea for every harvest is tested for pesticides and other pollutants in an independent German lab to ensure they meet our strict quality standards as well as HACCP food safety requirements. Likewise, all the regions of Japan from which we source our teas are tested for radioactivity for every harvest.

Yoshi En

Premium Organic Teas

Our comprehensive portfolio focuses on organic, single-origin teas sourced directly from renowned farms. We believe in creating partnerships with farmers who share our values and are committed to sustainable, responsible tea cultivation. Thanks to these strong relationships our exciting range is constantly growing and evolving. As an international team of dedicated and passionate tea experts, we are committed to preserving centuries-old tea culture while ensuring it remains relevant and continues to bring joy in the present. About Yoshi En.

Cultivation & Processing

The tea field sits in a prime location directly along the riverside in Nagao District in the town of Hoshino in Yame, known around the world for gyokuro. The hilly landscape of Hoshino produces deep, full-bodied gyokuro. The soil is reinforced with pebbles to enable better drainage and facilitate the growth of quality tea. The location next to a river further provides necessary moisture in the form of fog. Master Takaki uses only a limited amount of (natural) fertiliser, in contrast to most other Hoshino farms. Only a few kilos of this gyokuro are produced each year.

Single Origin

This tea is exclusively sourced from the above mentioned tea farm in Hoshino. Sourced directly from the tea farmer.

Preparation

Brewing Guide

3 heaped tsp per 100-300ml (55-60°C) water. Steep for 2 minutes. Suitable for several infusions.

Packaging

High quality, airtight, resealable standing zipper pouch with 9 protective layers to preserve flavour and protect against oxidation and contamination.

Recommended Teapot

The ideal teapot for gyokuro is a vintage Banko kyusu made from 100% violet banko clay. This clay, when transformed into a teapot and fired via a reduction firing process, brings out the nuanced flavour of the gyokuro that is shaped by its amino acids, chlorophyll, and other special compounds. Vintage kyusu from 1990 or earlier likely consist of 100% violet clay from the Banko region. Modern violet Banko kyusu with a fine ceramic strainer are, however, also suitable for making gyokuro.

Recommended Storage

The ideal tea caddy for gyokuro is one made from high-quality cherry wood (kabazaiku chazutsu; solid wood) or, alternatively, a more affordable airtight, double-coated tea caddy.

Test results

We find it very important that our teas are pure and produced in a way that respects the environment. For this reason, each one of our teas is tested for pesticide residues by an independent laboratory, the results of which can be found here. Some of our teas are also tested for specific nutritional compounds, in which case the test results are also published here.

See tests

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