Yame Dento Hon Gyokuro
Yamecha KumaenAn award-winning tea that embodies the pinnacle of gyokuro production. Rich in umami, yet mellow and sweet, with a long finish unique to straw-shaded teas.
Gyokuro must meet some specific requirements to be called Yame Dento Hon Gyokuro. Of course, it must be grown and produced in Yame, Fukuoka. It must also be shaded for over 16 days under honzu straw shading.
Honzu (本簀) shading is the most traditional shading method. Dating back at least over 400 years, the Honzu method uses the same shelf system as kanreisha but uses a screen of reeds as the first layer of shading instead of synthetic fabric. Though considerably more labour intensive and expensive to construct, the reed screen allows for even more air and moisture to circulate around the plants producing higher-quality, more complex teas. The straw also acts as a moisture regulator, absorbing excess humidity. Additional layers of shading are added by placing straw mats on top of the reed screen.
Then, the tea must be hand-picked. While most gyokuro uses a rather open pick of one bud and 3-5 leaves, this gyokuro from Kumaen employed a very fine isshin-niyou (一心二葉 - one bud and two leaves) picking.
Naturally, the processing and finishing must also be at the highest standards.
Producer: Kumaen
Region: Yame, Fukuoka
Elevation: 350m
Cultivar: Saemidori
Harvested: April 18, 2024
Picking: Hand-picked
Located in the south of Japan, Yame (八女) is best known for its shaded teas, namely gyokuro and matcha. Each year, the award for the best gyokuro in Japan usually goes to Yame (with Uji in second place).
Part of why Yame excels is their preservation of high-quality, traditional shading practices in the form of Yame Dento Hon Gyokuro (八女伝統本玉露): Yame Traditional True Gyokuro. This designation is applied to hand-picked teas shaded under straw for at least two weeks.
Outside of their gyokuro, Yame is known for finishing their teas with a relatively strong firing, imparting a nutty aroma, especially in their matcha and sencha.
Saemidori was registered in 1990, 21 years after it was first bred from a cross between Asatsuyu and Yabukita. With the intent of combining the high-quality taste of Asatsuyu with the high yield and frost resistance of Yabukita, Saemidori is a popular cultivar for sencha, fukamushicha, and gyokuro in the more southern tea producing regions, such as Kagoshima and Fukuoka. With a name meaning ‘clear green’, Saemidori is known for is vibrant colour, high umami, and low astringency
Brewing Instructions
Traditional
Hot Tea
Use 4 g (0.14 oz) of tea leaves for every 50 ml (1.70 oz) of water
Heat your water to 45º C (113º F) or cool boiling water by pouring it into a yuzamashi, into the cups, then into the teapot
Let it steep for 2 minutes and 30 seconds before pouring slowly until the last drop. Enjoy!
Yamecha Kumaen (八女茶くま園)
Head tea master Masahiro Kuma (久間正大) is a third-generation tea farmer who sees producing Dento Hon Gyokuro as a year-long bet, requiring months of dedicated work in the hope that the spring harvest will yield delicious tea. His goal is to one day make tea that is more than just ‘delicious’, a tea that will move people’s hearts.
Overall operations at Kumaen are headed by Kazumi Nakatani (中谷一美), the fourth generation granddaughter of a tea farmer whose goal is to spread the deliciousness of Japanese tea and Yamecha all over the world.
Founded over 100 years ago, Yamecha Kumaen produces gyokuro, sencha, matcha, and wakoucha in Joyomachi area of Yame in Fukuoka. Kumaen is known for their exceptional Yame Dento Hon Gyokuro, a style of gyokuro that must follow strict, traditional guidelines, such as honzu straw shading and hand-picking. Their Dento Hon Gyokuro consistently wins many awards, with their 2017 harvest even receiving 1st place in the Gyokuro division of the National Tea Competition 2017, with a full score of 200 points.
In addition to the ubiquitous Yabukita, they also grow Saemidori, Samidori, Okumidori, Okuyutaka, Tsuyuhikari, Asatsuyu, Hikari-tsuyu, and Kirari 31 for sencha, tencha, and gyokuro production. They also produce wakoucha using the Benifuki and Benihikari cultivars.