Teas / green / Uji Gyokuro (Jade Dew)

Uji Gyokuro (Jade Dew)

宇治玉露 · Uji Gyokuro

Uji gyokuro (literally "jade dew") is the high-shaded green tea that defines the Uji region of Kyoto. Per Wikipedia: the leaves are shaded for 20+ days using reed screens, straw or shading nets, with light blocking progressively increased from 70% to 80–90%; anything shaded under 20 days is classified as kabusecha instead. The shading raises L-theanine and chlorophyll while suppressing catechin development, which is what produces gyokuro's famously thick umami-marine cup. The technique was discovered in 1835 by merchant Yamamoto Kahei after observing farmers netting plants for frost protection. Uji produces ~140 tons annually (2008 figure, second after Yame's >40% national share).

Quick facts

Region: Uji
Harvest year: 2025
Harvest season: spring
Shading: 20 days
Cultivars: Okumidori, Asahi, Saemidori

Brewing

Leaf: 3.3 g / 100 ml
Water: 55°C
Rinse: no
Gongfu steeps (s): 120, 30, 45, 60

Per Wikipedia, gyokuro brews at 40-70 °C with about 5g per 150ml — radically lower water temperature than any Chinese green tea. The 2-minute first infusion extracts the umami; subsequent steeps go 20-30 seconds. Re-steeps 3-4 times.

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