Gyokuro (Japanese: 玉露, "jade dew") is a type of green tea from Japan.

"[3] While most sencha is from the Yabukita (薮北) cultivar of Camellia sinensis, gyokuro is often made from a specialized variety such as Asahi, Okumidori, Yamakai, and Saemidori.

Three weeks / twenty days is a standard length of time for a tea to be considered gyokuro proper.

[7] The shading causes both the amino acid L-theanine and the alkaloid caffeine in the tea leaves to increase, and the catechins and tannins to decrease, which yields significant differences from the flavor of sencha.

Gyokuro also has higher chlorophyll content, which accounts for the dark green color of the leaves.

These chemical differences lead to unique flavor and aroma of the tea, giving it more umami, a savory sweetness, and less bitterness and astringency.

[11][12][13] The length and type of shading or covering (kabuse) will affect the taste of the gyokuro tea.

Brewing gyokuro is generally done with lower temperature water (between 40 to 70 celsius; 104 to 158 fahrenheit depending on the leaf and personal preference).

There are also schools that add a "three-step brewing" method, which use water of intermediate temperature for the second infusion to extract astringency.

[15] A high amount of Ujicha gyokuro is also produced around Uji, in the Kyoto prefecture (140 tons in 2008).

The tea was first discovered by Yamamotoyama's sixth owner, Yamamoto Kahei, in 1835 (Tenpō year 6).