Japanese Matcha Cultivars Made Simple

Explore by cultivar collections, comparison chart, single origin / blend or even best sellers.
Late-budding and deep green, with a quiet aroma and gentle sweetness — one of Uji's leading tencha cultivars.
Japan's benchmark cultivar, on 64% of its tea fields — vegetal and balanced, with clear umami.
Bred in Kagoshima for strong umami and almost no astringency, over a vividly green cup.
Concentrated colour and flavour with a strong fragrance — bred in Saitama, grown in Shizuoka.
Registered in 1953 and now nearly gone from commercial fields — ours comes from Asamiya in Shiga.
Nicknamed “natural gyokuro” — sweet and umami-rich even without shading.
An Uji classic with a distinctive aroma of its own, long prized for gyokuro and tencha.
Uji's competition-grade tencha cultivar — demanding to grow, unmatched in the bowl.
Registered in 2020 and still rare — bred in Miyazaki for a vivid first-flush green.
Bred by NARO specifically for the shade: strong umami, low astringency, a vivid green powder.
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Pesticide-Free Growing
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No sweeteners
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Vegan
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Dairy Free
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Gluten-Free
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No Refined Sugar

What is a Cultivar

A cultivar is a tea plant variety bred or selected for particular qualities — how early it buds, how it stands up to cold, and above all how it tastes. Every tea on this page is Camellia sinensis, but Yabukita, Okumidori and Saemidori are as different from one another as two grape varieties in a vineyard. Growing region, shading and processing shape the final cup too, which is why we name the cultivar on every tea we sell.

Meet Our Matcha Cultivars

Compare typical cultivar profiles and where we source our teas. Flavour varies with shading, processing and brewing. National planting shares are Japan's own MAFF figures for 2025 and cover all tea, not only matcha; where no national figure is published we say so.

 

Typical Taste & Aroma

Nio Teas Sourcing Regions

Share of Japan’s Tea-Growing Area

Okumidori

Fresh, mellow and smooth

Wazuka, Kyoto, Uji, Yame, Shibushi & Shizuoka

4%

Yabukita

Balanced umami with fresh green notes

Shizuoka, Wazuka, Uji & Asamiya

64%

Saemidori

Sweet, rich umami with a mellow finish

Yame, Kirishima, Asamiya & Shibushi

6%

Sayamakaori

Concentrated colour and flavour, creamy and nutty in matcha

Shizuoka

2%

Sayamamidori

Little documented; ours is herbal, fruity and nutty

Asamiya, Shiga

No published figure

Asatsuyu

Naturally sweet, mellow and umami-rich

Chiran & Shizuoka

About 1%

Gokou

Strong savoury umami and a distinctive aroma

Shizuoka

No published figure

Asahi

Deep umami with a sweet, creamy finish

Uji, Kyoto

No published figure

Haruto 34

Vivid green with a fresh, floral first flush

Shibushi, Kagoshima

No published figure

Seimei

Rich umami with low bitterness and astringency

Shibushi, Kagoshima

No published figure

Single-Cultivar Matcha vs. Blends

One highlights the character of a specific cultivar. The other combines teas to create a carefully balanced profile.
One Cultivar

Single Cultivar

Made from one named tea cultivar, allowing its distinctive taste, aroma, texture and finish to take center stage.

Several Cultivars

Matcha Blends

Selected tencha lots are combined to balance qualities such as color, aroma, umami and texture.

Okumidori

Creamy and smooth, with rich umami and floral, vegetal or nutty notes
A single fresh green tea leaf with serrated edges, shown vertically against a light beige background with a soft drop shadow.
The image shows 2 views of matcha tea: a small bowl filled with matcha powder, a tin of matcha washimine from uji with matcha powder, and a steamed cup of matcha tea.
Zeremonieller Washimine Matcha -Tee
Preis:ab €32,50 Stückpreis: €108,33 EUR/100g
Zeremonieller Washimine Matcha -Tee
Rating: 4.9 out of 5
PREMIUM GRADE
Okumidori Matcha Noike
Okumidori Matcha Noike
Preis:ab €14,50 Stückpreis: €48,33 EUR/100g
Okumidori Matcha Noike
Rating: 4.7 out of 5
ENTRY GRADE
A tin container of Wazuka Tea Nakai Superior next to a bowl and a dish of matcha powder
Wazuka -Tee Nakai Superior
Preis:ab €38,00 Stückpreis: €126,67 EUR/100g
Wazuka -Tee Nakai Superior
Rating: 4.7 out of 5
SUPERIOR GRADE

Yabukita

Fresh and balanced, with vegetal notes and gentle astringency
A single fresh green leaf with prominent veins, centered on a light beige background with a soft drop shadow.
Premium-Matcha Latte Pulver
Premium-Matcha Latte Pulver
Preis:ab €19,90 Stückpreis: €19,90 EUR/100g
Premium-Matcha Latte Pulver
Rating: 4.7 out of 5
LATTE GRADE
Kyoto Matcha Masudaen
Kyoto Matcha Masudaen
Preis:ab €27,00 Stückpreis: €90,00 EUR/100g
Kyoto Matcha Masudaen
Rating: 4.8 out of 5
PREMIUM GRADE
Masudaen Makinohara Grüner Tee
Masudaen Makinohara Grüner Tee
Preis:ab €24,70 Stückpreis: €82,33 EUR/100g
Masudaen Makinohara Grüner Tee
Rating: 4.8 out of 5
PREMIUM GRADE

Saemidori

Bright, sweet and smooth, with fresh vegetal umami and little dryness
A single fresh green tea leaf with prominent veins, centered on a light beige background with a soft drop shadow.
Oishi Zeremonieller Matcha Saemidori
Oishi Zeremonieller Matcha Saemidori
Preis:ab €31,50 Stückpreis: €105,00 EUR/100g
Oishi Zeremonieller Matcha Saemidori
Rating: 4.8 out of 5
PREMIUM GRADE
Kagoshima Matcha Sae Sakamoto
Kagoshima Matcha Sae Sakamoto
Preis:ab €24,90 Stückpreis: €83,00 EUR/100g
Kagoshima Matcha Sae Sakamoto
Rating: 4.8 out of 5
PREMIUM GRADE
Oishi Premium-Matcha Saemidori
Oishi Premium-Matcha Saemidori
Preis:ab €35,00 Stückpreis: €116,67 EUR/100g
Oishi Premium-Matcha Saemidori
Rating: 4.9 out of 5
PREMIUM GRADE

Why Buy Your Tea from Nio Teas

No middlemen, no pesticides, no risk.
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Try it with confidence. If it isn’t right for you, contact us within 30 days.
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100% Pesticide-Free Matcha

Every matcha is grown without pesticides, then personally tasted and selected by our team.
We're matcha lovers just like you!

Cultivating an appreciation
for Japanese Tea

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4 out of 5 stars 4.6

Excellent

Loved by Matcha Drinkers Around the World

Our customers rate us 4.6/5 on Trustpilot, with countless reviews praising our tea, quality and service.

5 out of 5 stars 5/5
Ugne
Nio teas has been my favourite place to purchase good quality teas for a while now, and still they never disappoint me. Their teas are excellent quality, however, I’d like to give more attention to customer service - Nio team has been very kind and helpful each time I had any sort of problem. Their customer service never disappoints, they are very attentive and quick in responding to any queries, hence why I’ve been a loyal customer for a while now.

Apr 1, 2026

5 out of 5 stars 5/5
Sean
My favorite vendor for Japanese organic loose leaf green teas. They are sourcing some of the best organic teas out of Japan and supporting family farmers and the growing organic tea industry as a whole. I have ordered from every vendor for years and Nio consistently has the best prices and selection overall. They provide top notch customer service and fast shipping as well. Highly recommended 🍃

Feb 3, 2026

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FAQ

Before you order

Shipping is free once your order passes the threshold for your country — USD 54.99 · EUR 54.99 · GBP 44.99 · CHF 49.99 · CAD 74.99 · DKK 399 · SEK 599 · PLN 229 · CZK 1,290. Everywhere else it's the equivalent of USD 54.99, converted automatically. Below the threshold a flat rate applies, always shown at checkout before you pay.

We ship from warehouses in the US, the EU and Japan — whichever is closest to you. US and EU orders arrive in 4–12 business days; the handful of countries served from Japan take around 10. Business days count from dispatch rather than from when you order, and exclude weekends and public holidays. You'll get a tracking number by email the moment your parcel leaves the warehouse.

We only buy from fields grown without pesticides or chemicals. We ask each farmer directly how they manage their land, visit the plantation and processing facility ourselves, taste every harvest before committing, and check that the biodiversity around the fields is alive. Small family farms don't always carry paperwork — so we verify it in person instead.

Japanese green tea covers an enormous range, and choosing online isn't easy. If you've tried yours and it isn't for you, email info@nioteas.com within 30 days with your order number and a line on what you didn't enjoy. We'll send a different tea of equal or lower value, free. Nothing to post back — keep it, share it, or try brewing it cooler. Once per order.

Email info@nioteas.com within 30 days with your order number and a photo. We'll approve it, cover the return postage with a prepaid label or a reimbursement, and refund you — no restocking fee. Refunds go to your original payment method within 2 business days of the return reaching us; your bank may take another 5–20 to show it.

Unopened items in their original packaging can be returned within 30 days. Tea is sealed for hygiene, so opened packs can't come back — but the swap above covers exactly that situation. Return postage is yours unless the item arrived damaged, defective or incorrect.

Orders to the US and EU ship domestically from our local warehouse, so there's no customs charge and no duty. A small number of destinations are served from our Japan warehouse, where your own customs authority may apply import duty, VAT or a carrier handling fee on delivery. Those are set by your country, not by us. Ask before you order and we'll help you check.

info@nioteas.com or +41 79 751 83 88. We reply within 2 business days, usually much sooner, in English.

Two men standing outdoors in a tea plantation holding matcha pouches, with a large white warehouse building and blue sky in the background.