Shade-grown beneath handcrafted bamboo and straw, these young leaves of competition-grade gyokuro by Kurihara Tea boast a remarkably sweet and complex profile with rich umami aroma followed by a creamy sweetness with no bitterness. The shading allows the leaves to mature without obtaining bitterness. The moisture that drips from this natural shading flavors the tea — a return to the past with this gourmet tea.
3rd generation tea farmer Hiroki Matsumoto manages some 30 fields in the Kiriyama region of the Makinohara plain in Shimada, Shizuoka. He utilizes the UNESCO designated World Heritage agricultural tradition, Chagusaba, to cultivate his tea leaves. This tradition requires farmers to cultivate sasa grasses surrounding the tea fields, and use the grasses as fertilizer in the fields.
Regular steamed tea leaves create a balanced sencha green tea.
Kaneroku Matsumoto Tea Garden
📍Shimada, Shizuoka, Japan
Grassy and sweet at the same time. Light and airy.
