Food · Teas
Gyokuro (Premium Shade-Grown Green Tea)
玉露 (Gyokuro)
Also known as: Premium Shaded Green Tea, Jade Dew Tea, Highest-Grade Loose-Leaf Green Tea
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| Category | Food |
|---|---|
| Japanese labeling name | 玉露 |
| Common Japanese notations | 玉露, ぎょくろ |
| Origin | Steamed and rolled green tea from shade-grown Camellia sinensis (3+ weeks shading); principal origins Yame (Fukuoka), Uji (Kyoto), Shizuoka |
| Typical functions | Highest-grade loose-leaf Japanese green tea, Premium tea-house and gift retail, Specialty foodservice and connoisseur consumption |
| Regulatory status in Japan | JAS Standard for green tea (緑茶の日本農林規格) defines gyokuro as steamed-and-rolled green tea from leaves shaded 3+ weeks before harvest. GI protections: 'Yame Dentō Hon-Gyokuro' (Fukuoka), 'Uji Dentō Hon-Gyokuro' (Kyoto) define the strictest premium grades. |
Gyokuro (玉露) — literally 'jade dew' — is Japan's highest-grade loose-leaf green tea. Like matcha, gyokuro tea bushes are shaded for 3+ weeks before harvest, accumulating theanine and umami compounds while suppressing bitter catechins. Unlike matcha, the leaves are then rolled and dried into needle form (rather than de-veined and ground). Brewed at low temperatures (50–60°C), gyokuro produces a small, intense, viscous, deeply umami liquor with a refined sweetness — the connoisseur's premium green tea, commanding the highest prices in retail and gift markets.
Classification
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Product applications
Functions
Regulatory tags
Origin
Used in (typical product categories)
Finished-product categories that commonly include this ingredient in Japanese-market formulations.
- Premium loose-leaf gyokuro (gift retail SKUs)
- Single-origin Yame and Uji gyokuro (highest-end positioning)
- Specialty tea-house supply
What it is
Gyokuro is produced from Camellia sinensis bushes (premium cultivars: Saemidori, Asahi, Gokō, Samidori) shaded under reed or canvas for 20–30 days before the first-flush harvest. Shading triples theanine concentration and dramatically lowers catechin levels relative to sun-grown sencha. Harvested leaves are immediately steamed, then rolled and dried into the characteristic deep-emerald needle form.
Brewing requires precision: 5g leaves per 50ml water at 50–60°C steeped 90–120 seconds. The resulting liquor is dramatically smaller in volume than standard sencha but several times more concentrated in umami and sweetness — often described as 'umami in liquid form' with sake-like complexity.
Production volumes are tiny relative to sencha. Yame (Fukuoka) accounts for nearly half of Japan's gyokuro production; Uji (Kyoto) commands the highest premium per kilogram. Industrially supplied primarily as 50g–100g premium retail packs in beautifully designed gift packaging — gyokuro is rarely used in RTD beverages, ice cream, or other industrial applications due to its cost.
Typical uses in Japanese products
Premium home and tea-house brewing — the connoisseur's daily premium tea, brewed by serious tea drinkers as a special-occasion or daily premium ritual.
Tea ceremony (sencha-dō) — used in the sencha-dō school of tea ceremony (distinct from the matcha-based chanoyu).
Gift market — gyokuro in beautiful canisters is one of Japan's most established premium gift categories, especially for end-of-year (oseibo) and mid-year (ochūgen) gifts.
High-end foodservice and ryokan — premium ryokan and Japanese restaurants serve gyokuro as the welcome tea or the after-meal premium offering.
For OEM: premium retail loose-leaf gyokuro (the volume format), gift-packaged single-origin Yame or Uji gyokuro, and specialty tea-house bulk supply. Gyokuro is generally not appropriate for industrial RTD or confectionery applications due to cost.
Regulatory classification in Japan
JAS Standard for green tea defines gyokuro as 3+ week shaded steamed-rolled green tea.
GI protections: 'Yame Dentō Hon-Gyokuro' (Fukuoka, since 2017) and 'Uji Dentō Hon-Gyokuro' (Kyoto, since 2017) define the highest-grade premium products with traditional shading and processing requirements.
Allergens: gyokuro contains no major declared allergens.
Regulatory classification in other markets
| EU | Imported as premium Japanese green tea. EU pesticide residue standards must be met. Recognition as the highest-grade Japanese green tea is established in fine-dining and specialty retail. |
|---|---|
| USA | Imported under FDA standard food procedures. Premium specialty Japanese tea retail category. |
| China | Imported under GACC rules. Premium positioning in Chinese gourmet retail. |
| Korea | Imported as Japanese premium specialty tea. Limited established market presence outside specialty channels. |
Example products
Example finished products will be added after verification of origin (Yame / Uji / other), shading method (traditional reed vs. canvas), and GI designation (Hon-Gyokuro vs. standard).
All brand names and product names referenced anywhere on this site are the property of their respective owners. Example entries are provided for informational purposes only and do not imply endorsement.
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FAQ for OEM buyers
Q. Why is gyokuro brewed at such low temperatures?
Gyokuro's character is defined by its high theanine (sweet umami amino acid) content, which extracts at low temperatures, and its low catechin content, which extracts at high temperatures and produces bitterness. Brewing at 50–60°C selectively extracts the theanine umami while leaving the catechin bitterness in the leaf. Standard sencha brewed at the same low temperature would simply taste weak; gyokuro brewed at higher temperatures (like sencha) would taste astringent and waste its expensive umami profile. The brewing method is therefore essential to the premium experience.
Sources · Last reviewed: 2026-04-28
- Japan Tea Industry Central Council — gyokuro brewing reference
- Editorial — Japanese green tea theanine extraction
References
- MEXT Standard Tables of Food Composition — 玉露 浸出液 (16034)
- JAS Standard for green tea (緑茶の日本農林規格)
- Yame Dentō Hon-Gyokuro and Uji Dentō Hon-Gyokuro GI documentation
Last updated: 2026-04-28. Ingredient entries are reviewed at least annually against current regulatory listings.