Compare two teas
Side by side across seven dimensions. There is no verdict and no winner — the purpose is to understand the difference, not to be told which to buy.
Why these two get confused
Gyokuro and its most prestigious regional expression. Yame and Uji are the two areas making it at the top grade, and unqualified 'gyokuro' spans a very wide quality range.
Point by point
| Dimension | Gyokuro | Yame gyokuro |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Green tea · unoxidised | Green tea · unoxidised |
| Production | In order: Shading → Steaming (Japanese fixation) → Rolling and shaping → Drying. bud and two leaves and spring harvest. | In order: Shading → Steaming (Japanese fixation) → Rolling and shaping → Drying. bud and two leaves and spring harvest. |
| Origin | Japan — Uji | Japan — Yame |
| Flavour | umami, sweet, vegetal and creamy. full bodied, silky and rich in the mouth. Aroma: sweet seaweed, steamed spinach, cream, chestnut. Layered in character. Moderate in intensity. | umami, vegetal and sweet. full bodied, silky, rich and complex in the mouth. Aroma: seaweed, sweet broth, steamed greens. Layered in character. Moderate in intensity. |
| Brewing | Western brewing (teapot or mug): 3–5 g/100 ml at 50–60 °C, first steep 120s. Kyusu brewing (Japanese style): 3–5 g/100 ml at 50–60 °C, first steep 150s of 3 authored. Cold brew tea: 1–2 g/100 ml at 4–10 °C, first steep 21600s. Gongfu brewing (gaiwan): 3–4 g/100 ml at 75–85 °C, first steep 20s of 4 authored. | Western brewing (teapot or mug): 1.5–2.5 g/100 ml at 45–55 °C, first steep 150s. Kyusu brewing (Japanese style): 3–5 g/100 ml at 50–60 °C, first steep 150s of 3 authored. Gongfu brewing (gaiwan): 3–4 g/100 ml at 75–85 °C, first steep 20s of 4 authored. |
| Cultural context | Used in Senchadō (the way of steeped tea). | Not recorded for this tea. |
| Who may prefer it | Someone who wants presence without being dominated and wants to enjoy it on the first cup. It rewards attention to leaf weight and timing. | Someone who wants presence without being dominated and is willing to drink something several times before it makes sense. It rewards attention to leaf weight and timing. |
Nothing above is a recommendation. The last row describes the drinker each tea suits, using each tea’s own authored fields and the same sentence structure for both, so neither can be framed as the safe choice.