Robert Dunbar > wrote:
> Two shipments of Gyokuro (from different vendors) show the same
> characteristic: an intense green color of the leaf. Yesterday I poured
> cold water over a spoonful of it and, lo, the cold water turned green,
> or more precisely, chartreuse.
> Question: Is Gyokuro dyed green?

Here's a relevant experiment: let the chartreuse liquid in question sit
for a few hours. It should oxidize to brown. If it's still a virulent
green in the morning, I'd say that is proof of artificiality. Of course,
oxidation isn't proof the other direction.

Also (and excuse me if someone else has mentioned this), I've seen several
gyokuros with matcha (pulverized green tea) added. So I suppose, if it is
one of those, one could say it is dyed with matcha.

Best,

Rick.