Gyokuro Set 2025

Chidori = Japanese for ‘plover’ Enjoy a gyokuro with dark, silky, needle-shaped leaves, offering fresh green Ooika aromas and a harmonious balance of delicate fruity spice and refined sweetness. The tea from the Yabukita cultivar is grown in the highlands of Kagoshima, and the tea bushes are harvested only once a year at the beginning of May. 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.

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.

Sae Tezumi is made from the award winning cultivar Sae Midori using only the best leaves carefully selected and picked by hand. The result is a wonderfully clear, lively tea with a fresh sweetness, a light green cup and a slight aroma of fresh pine needles in spring. The harvest by hand also entails a smaller harvest amount - so get your share now, stocks are limited! Kabusecha is a green tea for which the tea plants are shaded, thus forming a high content of chlorophyll and other active ingredients and at the same time little bitter substances. Their characteristic "shade aroma" is called "ooika". Preparation For the hot infusion of Sae Tezumi , we recommend an infusion temperature of 65°C and a brewing time of 70 seconds for the first infusion. For the second infusion, a shorter infusion time of about 30 seconds is sufficient, you can then let the last infusion steep a little longer again (70 sec) to bring out the full flavor. The Sae Tezumi is a normal steamed tea (Chumushi) and also suitable for cold infusions (Mizudashi). Infusing this tea with cold water will take a little longer than for Fukamushi tea but creates a slightly sweet, light taste and a light green colour. Simply steep the tea leaves for about 7-10 minutes. Since the bitter substances do not dissolve as strongly in cold water, the sweet aromas of the Kabusecha are especially noticeable.StorageIn 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 in a cool and dark place in the refrigerator or freezer.