 Shimo oka san
Mr. Shimooka, who produces the Gyokuro, is certainly considered the best tea producer in Japan. He won the Emperor's Cup last year for his tea. In the past 50 years, there has only been 5 awards for tea, and he is one such recipient. That was extremely prestigious, it's sort of like beating out all the Oscar contenders from music to costumes to acting to directing to win just one prize, for the Emperor's Cup usually goes to a sports event and not agriculture. Gyokuro is literally 'the dew of jade' and when you infuse it at the proper temperature, which is about 45 degrees C, it is rich, viscous, slightly savory, and finishes sweet as morning dew. It is a sentiment producing tea. Mr. Shimooka has a photo with Mr. Koizumi the former prime minister as well as a house completely taken over with plaques, awards, medals, gold cups...... Mr. Shimooka says it's never appropriate to pour boiling water to Sencha. But, he said, you can pour boiling water if you wish to quickly suss out the good and bad Senchas, the bad ones will turn bitterly sour instantly. However, for the proper enjoyment of what the Sencha (called Sincha in the early Spring) was intended, to get the right balance of astringency and rich flavour, the proper temperature should be between 60 to 70 degrees C. You heard it here from someone considered the best tea producer in Japan!
Mr. Shimooka asked us very politely to please make sure that people in America enjoyed his tea, not only as a beverage ( and, please, he said, don't make gyokuro lattes with them), but within the context of the great Japanese culture as well. In other words, DO NOT make his tea in tetsubins, cast iron pots meant for hot water only!
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