Which matcha for what? At a glance
| Cultivar | Taste | Origin | Best for | Per cup (3 g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yabukita | clean umami, moderate sweetness, low astringency, fresh and grassy | Wazuka · Takayuki Matsuda | first step, straight (works with milk too) | €2.69 |
| Okumidori | round umami, walnut sweetness, mild bitterness, nutty | Wazuka · Takayuki Matsuda | straight or latte | €3.69 |
| Saemidori | balanced umami, mild sweetness, very low bitterness, floral | Wazuka · Nobuyuki Kita | straight, usucha | €3.99 |
| Gokou | intense umami, creamy sweetness, no astringency | Wazuka · Takayuki Matsuda | straight, usucha, koicha | €3.39 |
| Asahi | intense umami, vanilla and meringue sweetness, velvety | Wazuka · Kenta Hosoi | straight, usucha and koicha | €4.49 |
| Daily Matcha Okumidori | creamy umami, gentle sweetness, low astringency | Kagoshima | lattes and every day | €2.30 (30 g) · about €2.06 (80 g) |
Prices for the 30 g tin, as of 21 Oct 2026. See all cultivars side by side in our matcha comparison.
What a cultivar actually is, and why single-cultivar matcha tastes different from a blend, is explained in What are matcha cultivars?.
Yabukita: the classic
Yabukita is the cultivar that built Japanese tea culture: around 75% of all tea in Japan comes from it. The name roughly means "north of the bamboo grove". In the cup, Yabukita is consistent, reliable and clean: clean umami, moderate sweetness, low astringency and a fresh, grassy aroma. Balanced and the most common cultivar in Japan, and so a good first step.
Our Yabukita comes from Takayuki Matsuda's fields in Wazuka, Kyoto, a region that has been producing tea for over 800 years. First harvest, shade-grown, stone-milled. It's best straight, but works with milk too.
Okumidori: deep green
Okumidori – "deep green" – is named for what it does best: one of the most vivid matcha cultivars, with exceptionally high chlorophyll content. The colour holds in milk, in food and in heat. It tastes creamy and grounding, with round umami, walnut sweetness and nutty depth, plus a clean finish. Soft, round and mild, with no sharp edges.
Our Okumidori also comes from Takayuki Matsuda in Wazuka: first harvest, shade-grown, stone-milled. It's good straight and especially suited to a matcha latte, because the colour doesn't fade in milk.
Daily Matcha Okumidori: for every day
Daily Matcha Okumidori is single-cultivar Okumidori from Kagoshima, first harvest from spring 2026: creamy, balanced and easy-going. It brings creamy umami, gentle sweetness and low astringency, with roasted nuts on the finish. Straight, as a latte, in smoothies or for baking: it's our everyday matcha. It comes in a 30 g tin (€23.00) and an 80 g tin (€55.00, about €2.06 per cup).
Saemidori: clear green
Saemidori – "clear green" in Japanese – is a cross between Yabukita and Asahi, bred to combine the sweetness of Asahi with the vivid colour of Yabukita. The result is one of the most visually striking matcha cultivars grown in Wazuka. It's exceptionally smooth, floral and sweet, with very low bitterness and no rough edges. Lighter, brighter, elegant and easy to drink.
Our Saemidori comes from Nobuyuki Kita in Wazuka, Kyoto: first harvest, shade-grown, stone-milled. It's at its best straight, as usucha (thin tea).
Gokou: rare and layered
Gokou is one of the rarest matcha cultivars in Japan. It's grown on only a handful of farms in Wazuka, was developed exclusively for tencha (the leaf matcha is made from) and is almost never used any other way. The flavour is unlike standard matcha: dark chocolate, sweet cream, oceanic minerality, layered and dense, with a long finish. Soft and round, with deep umami and almost no bitterness. Not a simple cup.
Our Gokou comes from Takayuki Matsuda in Wazuka: first harvest, shade-grown, stone-milled. Drink it straight or as thick tea (koicha).
Asahi: morning sun
Asahi means "morning sun" and makes up less than 1% of Japan's total tea production. It's grown on very few farms in Wazuka and is the cultivar of choice for formal tea ceremony. The taste: intense umami, vanilla and meringue sweetness, a velvety texture and an aroma of seaweed and forest green. Very soft, almost creamy, fine and delicate.
Our Asahi comes from Kenta Hosoi, a fifth-generation tea farmer whose family has been growing tea in Wazuka since the late 19th century. First harvest, stone-milled. Drink Asahi straight, as usucha or as koicha.
Okumidori vs. Yabukita: side by side
These are the two cultivars people compare most. Ours both come from Takayuki Matsuda in Wazuka, both from the 2025 first harvest, and yet they taste different:
| Yabukita | Okumidori | |
|---|---|---|
| Taste | clean umami, moderate sweetness, fresh and grassy | round umami, walnut sweetness, nutty |
| Character | balanced, consistent, clean | soft, round, mild, creamy and grounding |
| Colour | green | one of the most vivid cultivars, holds in milk |
| Best for | first step, straight (works with milk too) | straight or latte |
| 30 g tin | €26.90 (€2.69 per cup) | €36.90 (€3.69 per cup) |
Rule of thumb: if you want a clean, classic matcha to get to know the category, go for Yabukita. If colour and creaminess matter most to you, especially in a latte, go for Okumidori.
Taste two cultivars side by side
The best way to learn the differences is to taste two cultivars next to each other. The MATCHA DUO Umami Bomb brings together Gokou and Okumidori, two of our most umami-forward cultivars (2 × 30 g, €58.80 instead of €70.80 separately, you save €12).
How to compare: prepare both the same way (3 g sifted, 60 ml of water at 75–80 °C, whisk for 15–20 seconds) and taste them straight, before trying a latte. What to look out for is in How to tell matcha quality.
And hojicha?
Hojicha isn't a matcha cultivar but roasted green tea from Kyoto, with notes of caramel, roasted nuts and cocoa. Perfect for lattes, desserts and baking. More in Hojicha: what it is.
Frequently asked questions
What does single cultivar mean?
Every tin contains matcha from just one variety (cultivar) of the tea plant. Nothing is blended, so each cultivar keeps its own taste.
Which matcha is best?
That depends on how you drink it. For lattes: Daily Matcha Okumidori or Okumidori. Straight, as a first step: Yabukita. Smooth and floral: Saemidori. For connoisseurs and koicha: Gokou or Asahi.
Which matcha for a latte?
Ideally one with strong colour and a creamy taste, such as Daily Matcha Okumidori or Okumidori. The recipe is in our matcha latte recipe.
Which matcha for koicha (thick tea)?
Gokou and Asahi.
Are all cultivars prepared the same way?
Yes: 3 g sifted, 60 ml of water at 75–80 °C, whisk for 15–20 seconds. For a latte, add 150 ml of milk of your choice. More in our FAQ.
Sources
- Taste, origin, farmers, harvest and prices: Green Room Matcha product pages, tins and matcha comparison (as of 21 Oct 2026)
- What a cultivar is: What are matcha cultivars?
