GYOKURO TEN HOUJICHA 50g

• Type: Experiment (4 weeks shading)
• Style: Asamushi
• Cultivar: Haruto
• Region: Shibushi, Kagoshima
• Harvest: April
• Caffeine content: Minimal

An absolutely unique tea with an amazing aroma and an unrepeatable taste. Something you have never experienced in any other tea. With an extremely low caffeine content but an extra dose of L-theanine, it answers the question: what would houjicha taste like in the hands of Gyokuro Master Sakamoto?

This tea came to life thanks to a lucky accident. During the 2025 harvest, Master Sakamoto hardly left his tea processing factory, but on one occasion he stepped away for just eight hours—and that’s when the “mistake” happened. During steaming (mushi), the temperature was set just a few degrees lower than usual—still enough to steam the leaves, but not high enough to inactivate the enzymes in the stems. By the time Master Sakamoto returned and reached the tea, the enzymatic processes were already underway, shifting the tea into the realm of oolongs. At that critical moment, he made a bold decision: to finish the tea as a houjicha.

The result is a tea unlike any I have tasted in my 25 years of working with tea.

Area: 

SHUICHIRO SAKAMOTO

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Tea farm: Sakamoto-en
Terroir: Shibushi, Kagoshima, Japan

Elevation: 190 meters
Certification: EU and JAS certified tea farm since 1985

Preparation

 Kuyusu teapot 

 100 ml / 7g        55 °C       120 / 5 / 10 / 15 / 25 sec

( video ) 

1. Infusion:
Pour in water at 55°C (55°F) After two minutes of steeping, drain off every last drop.
2. Pour the infusion with water of the same temperature and pour off immediately.
3. and the next infusion pour gradually warmer water and extend the time of leaching until you are among the immortals.

 Packaged directly in Japan in original 50g resealable packaging to maintain maximum quality.