HONZU SAEMIDORI MATCHA | Yame

Pure Elegant Umami and Refined Natural Sweetness

This competition-awarded winner Koicha grade artisanal Matcha is quietly expressive and aromatically composed. A mellow yet substantial umami unfolds with natural sweetness, a supple, creamy texture, and a long, poised finish that fades with clarity rather than weight.

Crafted from the delicately sweet Saemidori cultivar, this matcha is a refined expression of contemporary Japanese tea making. Grown in Jōyōmachi, Yame (Fukuoka), it is produced by a third generation, multi-award-winning farmer, cultivated alongside his Dentō Hon Gyokuro fields.

Shaded for around 30 days using the traditional Honzu (本蔶) shading method, the plants develop natural sweetness, rounded umami, and aromatic clarity. A slow 2025 spring supported steady nutrient accumulation, followed by a single hand harvest. The finest leaves were processed into tencha, cold aged (jukusei), and stone-ground in small batches.

Pure and composed, Honzu Saemidori Matcha Oboro offers firm yet gentle umami, natural sweetness, and notes of buttered edamame, steamed spinach, sweet grass, and subtle almond, with a smooth, rounded texture and long, clean finish. Elegant as Usucha, it gains depth and persistence as Koicha.

Awarded Best in Show Gold at The Leafies 2024 and Highly Commended in 2023, this matcha is produced in only a few kilograms per year, an expressive example of Saemidori and Yame craftsmanship, suited to moments of attention and ceremony.

About the Tea Garden

Situated in Jōyōmachi within Yame’s mountainous interior, this long-established tea estate operates in one of Japan’s most demanding gyokuro environments. Cool mists, marked day, night temperature variation, and well-draining, mineral-rich soils create conditions that favour slow leaf development and concentrated flavour formation. For over a century, the estate has specialised in gyokuro alongside carefully produced sencha, matcha, and wakōcha (Japanese black tea).

Guided by a third-generation tea master, cultivation follows the strict parameters of Dentō Hon Gyokuro. The traditional Honzu method, constructed from reed screens layered with rice straw, is installed gradually to control light reduction with exacting precision. This extended shading period promotes elevated L-theanine levels and a refined amino acid profile, contributing to density of umami without sacrificing clarity. Harvesting is performed manually, with selective picking focused exclusively on the youngest, structurally sound leaves.

This agricultural discipline has translated into national recognition, including a perfect 200-point score at the 2017 National Tea Competition. Beyond accolades, however, the estate’s standard is measured in the cup: composure, depth, and a finish that reflects both environment and method.

Preparation method: Koicha

Cultivar: Saemidori, shizen-jitate, single-cultivar

Origin: Jōyōmachi , Yame, Fukuoka

Grade: Koicha grade, Competition winner

Elevation: 320mt above sea level

Harvest: First flush, Hand-picked (tezumi), Spring 3^rd May 2025

Shade: Honzu natural method, shaded for 30 days before harvest

Fertilising: Rapeseed oil cake, fish cake (tuna and bonito)

Steaming: Medium (futsūmushi)

Flavour profile: Rich Umami, round and sweet, long savoury finish

Producer: Kuma Family

Content: 20g