What is "gyokuro"

is a type of shaded green tea from Japan. It differs from the standard sencha (a classic unshaded green tea) in being grown under the shade rather than the full sun. Gyokuro also differs from another shaded tea called kabusecha (lit., "covered tea"), in the length of time it undergoes the final growth under the shade (gyokuro is shaded for approximately three weeks, while kabusecha is shaded for approximately one week). The name "gyokuro" translates as "jewel dew" (or "jade dew", referring to the pale green colour of the infusion). While most sencha is from the cultivar of Camellia sinensis, gyokuro is often made from a specialized variety such as Asahi, Okumidori, Yamakai, and Saemidori.