You know that moment when your tea passion turned into an obsession? Precisely! That turning point for me was a sip of gyokuro. A long time ago, I was in Vancouver, Canada, and tried a delightful gyokuro from Yame Prefecture, Japan. It was heavenly.

This particular gyokuro right here belongs to a very limited batch and apparently it’s competition-grade. I got it at the Los Angeles tea festival last August at the Sinensis Salón De Té booth, a tea company based out of Tijuana, Mexico.

Tea name: Hagimura Seicha Gyokuro
Origin: Mie Prefecture, Japan
Ingredients: green tea
Harvest: 2019
Preparation method: kyusu teapot
Leaves to water ratio: 8 gr / 4 fl oz water (120 ml)
Water temperature: 140 F (60 C), boiled and then cooled to the right temperature
Steep time: 2 minutes

EYE
Dry leaves are long, dark green and glossy. Wet leaves are fresh vibrant green, liquor is green with hints of yellow

NOSE
Dry leaves are very aromatic and savory, wet leaves are savory and oceanic

PALATE
An umami bomb, a savory explosion on the palate, mineral-y, almost salty, with a hint of astringency. Play around with temperature and steeping time, 104 F (40 C) for 5 minutes, like my dear friend Carolina does (thanks for suggesting your favorite brewing parameters, my dear!).

PAIRING
gently dried and unsweetened apples. The pairing adds a touch of zesty notes to both. Intriguing.

THE TAKEAWAY
Wow, this tea reminded me why gyokuro is one of the first teas I’ve ever fallen in love with. Wow.

What was the tea that took your tea passion to the next level? Let me know in the comments!

Disclaimer: I purchased this tea with my own money. I was not asked nor paid to review any products or services mentioned in this blog post. This is my honest opinion.