We at Japan Australia have been big green tea fans for years. What’s not to like about this liquid gold with its great taste and amazing health benefits. Recently we were offered the chance to try some new green tea from The Japanese Green Tea Company, winner of the Global Tea Championship in both 2017 and 2018.
The Japanese Green Tea Company offers quality green tea from Japan that is grown using the chagusaba (茶草場) method, an ancient farming technique that relies on labour-intensive processes to enhance soil fertility in order to produce quality tea crops. This method has been practiced by farmers in Shizuoka, known for growing the finest green tea in Japan for centuries. Sugar cane and sugar syrup are also added to the soil to enrich, protect and revitalize the soil, which enhances the sweetness of the tea.
We chose to try Gyokuro (玉 露), a premium green tea that is grown in the shade with specially made mats to allow the caffeine levels to increase in the leaves. This technique produces a sweeter and stronger flavor tea, which is my kind of tea.
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| Gyokuro Japanese Green Tea |
The Taste Test
The tea leaves for Gyokuro are a darker green due to the cultivation process, which creates a beautiful emerald green coloured tea with a rich taste and aroma.
I sat down with some Kashiwa mochi, a traditional Japanese rice cake filled with red bean paste and wrapped in an oak leaf, which is enjoyed on Kodomo no Hi (Children’s Day) here in Japan, and brewed a pot of tea in my Mino-yaki Kyusu (急須) traditional Japanese teapot.
How did it taste? The taste is crisp and strong with a nice aroma. This is definitely more mellow and sweeter than your regular sencha green tea and is not bitter at all. You get a slightly different taste after each steeping and this tea is something that you can enjoy two or three times with one serving of tea. The colour and aroma are like spring in a cup for me and perfect to enjoy with the warmer weather.
This is a great Japanese green tea to try for anyone who is new to Japanese green tea and is looking to try a quality green tea that is easy and mellow to drink and not bitter.
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| Premium Japanese Gyokuro Green Tea |
The Health Benefits
Gyokuro is great for anyone on a diet as it is high in polyphenol, catechin and EGCG, and reduces the absorption activity in the stomach. It has zero cholesterol and sodium levels. Gyokuro is rich in vitamins C and E with the added benefit of making your skin smooth and soft.
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| Green Tea has many health benefits |
How to Order
You can order your own Japanese green tea from The Japanese Green Tea Company website. Just mention that your are friends of Japan Australia by entering the coupon code of “JAPAN-AUSTRALIA” when you checkout on the site to receive a special 10% discount on top of the already 20% discount on offer.
A great starting point is The Champions Gift Set, which contains the 2018 and 2017 Global Tea Championship winning teas.
