Japanese Gyokuro Teas

Gyokuro (“jade dew”) is a prestigious shade-grown green tea from Japan with less catechin (tea tannin), resulting in a smooth and almost oceanic cup of jade dewdrops.

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What is Garden
Direct Tea?

Garden Direct is a carefully curated selection of single-origin teas sourced from the most esteemed growers. They are packaged freshly made at origin and air freighted to us immediately so we can celebrate and share these most cherished teas during the primer producing seasons. Each tea tells a story and invites you to share in our Garden Direct connections.

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What Rishi Tea Drinkers
Are Saying

"This is by far the best Earl Grey tea I have had. I drink a lot of tea and only drink Rishi Earl Grey. You will love the flavor. "

—Marshall

Earl Grey Supreme

Rich | Citrusy | Floral

"I don't believe there is a better green tea you can get in a bag. The evidence is in the bright, even, grassy green color this tea makes."

—JD

Matcha Super Green

Sweet | Smooth | Umami

"I love this tea - the richness of it is amazing, and it relaxes me with the ginger and turmeric. Such a winner :)"

—Kayla

Turmeric Ginger

Spicy | Zesty | Fragrant

"This tea is absolutely amazing! I feel immediate uplifting effects after consuming. Rishi has the best quality tea that I have found on any shelf thus far."

—Tia

Blueberry Hibiscus

Vibrant | Tart | Luscious

"This is seriously the BEST chai concentrate out there. It's incredible and has such a great spice. I'll never go back to another brand."

—Courtney

Masala Chai Concentrate

Spicy | Rich | Fragrant

"This is my first tasting of oolong tea and I'm in love! It's flavor is delicate yet robust and floral. Absolutely delicious, my new favorite tea."

—Amber

Iron Goddess of Mercy

Roasty | Dried Fruit | Smooth

"Delicious and satisfying. It's delicate enough to drink without doctoring but also bold enough to hold up to cream and honey. An absolute delight."

—Star

Golden Yunnan

Malty | Jammy | Mellow

The Highest Class of Japanese Green Teas

Celebrated for their strong umami flavor and low tannin concentration, Gyokuro green teas are a tea experience like no other. This tea is cultivated differently than typical tea leaves, and is shaded a few weeks prior to harvesting. This shade halts catechin production in the tea, halting the creation of bitter tannins in the leaf, and concentrating the umami and sweet notes of the tea. Due to the difficult and complex production processes, these teas are an incredibly rare and limited selection, further lending to its high regard in the tea world.

How to Brew Japanese Gyokuro Green Tea

As this tea is produced unlike any other tea, it also requires some care in brewing. We suggest adding 5-7 grams of tea to a Kyusu teapot and then adding boiled water cooled to 170°F. Traditional Gyokuro brewing uses about 1 part tea leaves to 1.2 parts water, infusing for 25 seconds and decanting. It’s important that you don’t add too much water to your first brew, rather just enough to cover the tea leaves. This tea can be steeped for another 5+ times, increasing the brew time by about 5-10 seconds with each steep. You can brew several times until the flavor and aroma dissipates.

FAQs

This special tea produces an intense, thick, umami-heavy drink when brewed. It should be enjoyed slowly with small sips, similar to intense Pu’er teas or whiskey.

While they are both Japanese green teas, and use shade as part of their process, Gyokuro and matcha are very distinct types. Matcha tends to be much less strong in umami notes, and is also ground before enjoying.

These teas can be stored like any of our other loose leaf teas — in an opaque and airtight storage container. This ensures that damaging UV rays and moisture don’t affect the quality and flavor of your tea.

Yes, these Japanese green teas contain moderate levels of caffeine. Due to the shading process of this tea, they contain about 20-40 mg of caffeine, elevated L-theanine levels and high polyphenol content. 

Browse all of our Limited-Edition Teas

If you enjoy high-quality, limited batch teas like these, browse our Garden Direct selection. Garden Direct teas are Rishi Tea’s carefully curated selection of the premium teas from a particular region, produced in outstanding micro-lots and celebrated for their quality and prestige. Each tea is packaged freshly at its place of origin and freighted to us immediately so we can share these most cherished teas with you. From aged Pu’ers, rich oolongs, and exquisite matcha teas, Rishi Tea & Botanicals’ Garden Direct selection contains only the rarest tea offerings.