The Japanese green tea whose leaves are shaded for about three weeks before harvest is gyokuro. Its name is commonly translated as “jewel dew” or “jade dew,” and the tea is prized for its deep green color, savory umami, and low astringency.
Gyokuro plants are covered almost completely for roughly 20 days, often using reed screens, straw, or shading nets, as the first new shoots develop. The reduced sunlight changes the leaf chemistry: more L-theanine and caffeine remain, while catechins and tannins decrease. This produces gyokuro’s characteristic rich, brothy flavor.
Gyokuro is processed similarly to sencha, but its cultivation sets it apart. Tea shaded for fewer than about 20 days is generally classified as kabuse tea rather than gyokuro proper. Common gyokuro cultivars include Asahi, Okumidori, Yamakai, and Saemidori.
Most production comes from Japanese tea-growing regions including Fukuoka, Kyoto, and Mie. Gyokuro is often confused with matcha because both are associated with shading, but matcha is powdered tea made from tencha, while gyokuro is brewed from rolled leaves.