What makes one matcha taste different from another?

Our Guide to Uji Matcha Cultivars.

Most matcha labels talk about ceremonial grade matcha. Few talk about cultivars, the specific tea plant variety that determines everything from sweetness to umami depth to colour. At GYOKO MATCHA, every edition is built around a cultivar. Here's what that actually means for your cup.

Origin and Rarity

What are tea cultivars?

Cultivars are varieties of tea plants bred for their flavour profile, colour or harvest timing. Each cultivar is grown from leaf cuttings rather than from seeds.

Cultivars are one reason matcha has different taste profiles.

Our ceremonial matcha collection features five cultivars: Samidori, Gokou, Asahi, Okumidori, & Yabukita, as well as one heritage seed variety. Discover what each cultivar and seed represents.

さみどり -- cultivar 01

Samidori

The foundation of all our ceremonial matcha blends, Samidori makes up only <1% of Japan's tea cultivation.

Native to Uji, Kyoto, Samidori is known for its elegant profile, with deep umami, nutty notes, rounded sweetness and low bitterness.

Find it in all our ceremonial matcha blends.

ごこう -- cultivar 02

Gokou

Native to Uji, Kyoto, Gokou is among the smallest fractions of cultivars grown in Japan, with an undocumented annual production.

Rarely seen outside of gyokuro, it has a notably short harvest window, reserved for rare matcha harvests with creamy umami and nutty sweetness.

Find it in Edition 6 & Limited Edition Heritage Farm I.

あさひ -- cultivar 03

Asahi

Native to Uji, Kyoto, Asahi is grown only by a handful of farmers, with a short harvest window and low yield that make it one of the most difficult and expensive cultivars to cultivate.

It is intensely sweet and nutty, with a long umami finish and minimal bitterness or astringency.

Find it in Single Cultivar Asahi, Limited Edition Heritage Farm II, & Limited Edition Heritage Farm III.

おくみどり -- cultivar 04

Okumidori

Okumidori makes up just ~3% of Japan's tea fields, prized for its deep green colour, strong umami, minimal bitterness and velvety texture.

Find it in Edition 4 & Edition 6.

やぶきた -- cultivar 05

Yabukita

Yabukita is planted across ~70% of Japan's tea fields, prized for its resistance to the cold and reliable yield.

It offers a fresh, balanced flavour profile with gentle sweetness, a natural starting point if you're new to ceremonial matcha.

Find it in Edition 1, Edition 2, Edition 3 & Edition 6.

在来 -- Before cultivars, there was a seed

Zairai Seeds

Zairai trees are grown from heritage seed varieties passed down through the generations, unlike cultivars, which are bred through leaf cuttings. Each seed carries a unique flavour, distinct to the families that have kept the tradition alive.

~2% of Japanese tea is grown like this.

Find it in Edition 5.

Which edition is right for you?

Still deciding? Take our Matcha Selector to receive personalised matcha recommendations.

A Note on Farm Origin

Beyond cultivars. What shapes each cup of matcha.

Cultivar is only half the story. Where and how the tea is grown, from shading and harvest timing to terroir, shapes the final cup just as much.

GYOKO MATCHA Editions are grown and cultivated by centuries old, heritage tea farms in Uji, Kyoto. That is why each tin carries an edition number, reflecting a distinct expression of its heritage farm, cultivar and traditional cultivation methods.