Gyokuro Chidori- Organic Japanese Green Tea

Get all three gyokuros from the 2025 harvest at a special price!  The set includes one pack each of:  Gyokuro Chidori, 50g Gyokuro Tonbo, 40g Gyokuro Tsuru, 40g  As well as a ‘Tasting Notes’ journal in which you can record your tasting experiences!

Tonbo = Japanese for "dragonfly"Thanks to slightly more intensive steaming and drying, this gyokuro is particularly rich in extracts. This is reflected in a beautiful green colour in the cup and a spicy, warm aroma, making the tea a wonderfully full-bodied treat.  The tea from the Sae Midori cultivar is grown in the highlands of Kagoshima, and the tea bushes are harvested only once a year at the end of April. In two stages, the tea plants are shaded for a total of three weeks before harvesting and only lightly steamed (Asamushi).  Gyokuro  Organically grown gyokuro is a rarity, as the tea plants are particularly susceptible to pests due to the heavy shading. Extreme care and a great deal of experience are therefore essential for cultivation. However, the effort is rewarded with a very distinctive, complex aroma. Gyokuro is often described as the master class of Japanese green tea cultivation. Preparation The classic method: Gyokuro is traditionally prepared very intensively with 6-7g of tea leaves per 100ml, water heated to 40-55°C and a steeping time of approx. 2 minutes. This produces a tea with an incredibly dense, full-bodied aroma and a very pronounced sweetness. Our recommendation: For a full but slightly lighter aroma, use 3-4g of tea leaves (a heaped teaspoon) per 100ml, water at 55-60°C and a steeping time of approx. 1.5 minutes. The second infusion then only steeps for approx. 30 to 45 seconds at 60°C. For the third infusion, the steeping time can be extended to one minute. Tip: Try a cold brew!The sweet aromas are particularly pronounced in cold infusions. To make a cold brew, add 3-4g of tea leaves to 100ml of cold water and steep for at least 5 minutes. In warm weather, you can also replace some of the cold water with ice cubes and serve in a wine or champagne glass. Storage To best preserve the valuable aromas and ingredients of the tea, please seal the bag tightly and store in a cool, dark place.

Tsuru = Japanese for ‘crane’ Cultivating organic green tea as gyokuro in full shade is an art that requires special dedication and, in the best case, is rewarded with a tea like this: The long, shiny dark green needles exude a fruity aroma and the infusion enchants with a round, complex umami, velvety-soft texture and long, sweet finish. The tea from the Sae Midori cultivar is grown in the highlands of Kagoshima, and the plants are harvested only once a year at the end of April and only lightly steamed (Asamushi). Before the harvest the tea plants are shaded for a total of three weeks In two stages. Gyokuro Organically grown gyokuro is a rarity, as the tea plants are particularly susceptible to pests and diseases due to the heavy shading. Extreme care and a great deal of experience are therefore essential for cultivation. However, the effort is rewarded with a very distinctive, complex aroma. Gyokuro is often described as the master class of Japanese green tea cultivation.  Preparation  The classic method: Gyokuro is traditionally prepared very intensively with 6-7g of tea leaves per 100 ml, 40-55°C hot water and a steeping time of approx. 2 minutes. This produces a tea with an incredibly dense, full-bodied aroma and a very pronounced sweetness. Our recommendation: For a full but slightly lighter aroma, use 3-4g of tea leaves (a heaped teaspoon) per 100ml, water heated to 55-60°C and a steeping time of approx. 1.5 minutes. The second infusion should then only steep for approx. 30 to 45 seconds at 60°C. For the third infusion, the steeping time can be extended to one minute. Tip: Cold brew The sweet aromas are particularly pronounced in cold brew. To make cold brew, add 3-4g of tea leaves to 100ml of cold water and steep for at least 5 minutes. In warm weather, you can also replace some of the cold water with ice cubes and serve in a wine or champagne glass.  Storage To best preserve the valuable aromas and ingredients of the tea, please seal the bag tightly and store in a cool, dark place. 

New in the KEIKO Shincha family: a sweet and aromatic Asamushi tea made from 100% Sae Midori with a silky-smooth sweetness, a full-bodied flavour with a long finish that is somewhat reminiscent of Gyokuro.Cultivation and processing Shincha - the ‘new tea’ heralds the start of the tea year every spring. The first tea from the fine, particularly aromatic leaf tips, which are harvested in the subtropical climate of Kagoshima as early as mid-April. Kabusecha is a green tea that is produced by shading the tea plants for 7-10 days before harvesting, which results in a high content of chlorophyll and other active ingredients and a low level of bitter substances. Their characteristic ‘shade flavour’ is called ‘ooika’. Early harvests such as Shincha Sae Midori also have a particularly high theanine content, which is noticeable in the sweet flavour and is particularly evident in the Sae Midori cultivar. Shincha Sae Midori is an asamushi tea, i.e. only lightly steamed. The leaves are therefore dark green, shiny and needle-shaped. The infusion is light green in the cup  Preparation Due to the lower steaming, the tea extract dissolves somewhat more slowly than with intensively steamed teas - we recommend an infusion temperature of around 65°C and an infusion time of 70 seconds for the first infusion. For the second infusion, a brewing time of around 30 seconds is sufficient, after which it can be extended again. This tea also develops its wonderfully full flavour as a cold infusion after a slightly longer infusion time - the dosage can be increased depending on taste. Cultivar: 100% Sae Midori (Asamushi) from the Komaki brothers in Minami Satsuma and the Kumada Family in Satsuma-cho.Storage To preserve the tea's valuable flavours and ingredients as much as possible, please close the bag tightly and store it in a cool, dark place in the fridge or freezer.

An exciting rarity from Kagoshima. The name "Niji" ("rainbow") symbolizes the wide range of delicate aromas this Tencha has to offer. Due to the strong shading of the tea bushes before harvesting, particularly high amounts of chlorophyll, theanine and caffeine are formed in the plant. The rather bitter tannin content, however, remains low. Tencha is the preliminary stage of Matcha tea. After short steaming and drying, the leaf tissue is separated from the leaf veins in an air stream. These flake-like Tencha leaves produce an exquisite, aromatic-mild and multi-faceted infusion. Can also be used as a decorative sprinkle seasoning in fine, experimental cuisine. An ideal culmination of exquisite dishes and a taste experience of a special kind. Storage In order to preserve the precious flavours and ingredients of the tea as best as possible, we recommend to seal the bag well and store it cool and dark - ideally in your refrigerator or freezer.