"Nico" > wrote in message precisely,

> >Question: Is Gyokuro dyed green?

I guess charteuse is dyed with gyokuro.

> The extreme "greenness" comes from the tea plant's being grown under a
> tarp, causing more cloriphil (sp?) to be produced.

I don't find gyokuros greener than other uncovered senchas. Gyokuros tend to
be deep green but deep slightly-yellow-green, while there are sencha that
turn more blue-green if processed in a certain way.

>Plus Japanese greens
> are steemed rather than roasted.

That's it.
The senchas that are microwave-steemed tend to get the most irreal green.
Freeze-drying also keeps greener colors to herbs but I have not heard they
did it for tea in Japan (for herb tea in France, they do it.).

Also there is a stuff I don't remember the English name that is used to keep
vivid colors to preserved vegetables.
Supposing they wanted to cheat, that'd be easier to rinse the leaves with
that than to dye them. I don't think they need.

Kuri