Gyokuro

Woke up early this morning and for once actually felt like getting out of bed (plus the cat was restless, which always helps - easier to get up than listen to him scratching the carpet, pushing things off the bedside table, and so on), so I hopped up and decided to try out my gyokuro that I bought from T2 last weekend. I've been saving it up for a nice quiet time so I have the chance to savour it properly.

Well, all I can say is, it was a revelation. The liquor was clear yellow-green, and the taste - well, I don't know the proper terminology, so I'll just try to describe it as best I can. It was a bit earthy at first, but then with an aftertaste that was clear and sweet, a little fruity even, and it left a nice cool feeling on my lips that I've never experienced before except when drinking something like peppermint. Totally sublime.

I've just googled 'gyokuro tea' to find out more about it. According to Green Tea Expert, gyokuro means 'gem of dewdrop' or 'pearl dew' (isn't that lovely - although if I am repeating misinformation I hope that any Japanese speakers out there will correct me). It is apparently one of the rarest and most expensive Japanese green teas, and the dark green colour is the result of shading the plants, leading them to develop more chlorophyll.

(I have a second photo to add but for some reason it's just not uploading. I'll try it again later...)

I will definitely be drinking more gyokuro more often, and will probably invest in a whole packet once I've worked through the little sample size that I bought... This could prove to be an expensive habit. But who am I kidding? Tea was always going to be an expensive habit for me...

Update, 13 May – I just did a bit more reading about gyokuro and it would seem that I did not brew it properly the other day when I made it (nice though it was). You need to use a lot more leaf to a small amount of water (2 tablespoons leaf to 120ml!) rather than the regular 2 teaspoons to a pot, which is the T2 recommendation. Oops! But apparently you can get several brewings out of it this way. I guess I will try it, but it looks like I will be going through it a lot more quickly than I thought. Definitely a tea to be saved for special occasions…