GUIDE · OKUMIDORI
What is Okumidori matcha, and why Yame?
Okumidori is a Japanese tea cultivar, a named variety of the tea plant, registered in 1974. Our Okumidori matcha is made from that one cultivar and comes direct from a family farm in Yame, in Fukuoka Prefecture on the island of Kyushu. It tastes very nutty, with a toasted sesame finish, softer umami than our Uji matcha and no bitterness.
Updated October 2026
What is a tea cultivar?
Tea plants come in named varieties, the way apples do. Most of Japan's tea fields are planted with one cultivar, Yabukita, and most matcha is a blend. A single-cultivar matcha is made from one variety only, so it tastes of that variety rather than of a recipe.
Where does Okumidori come from?
Okumidori was bred in Shizuoka, from a cross of Yabukita and a native Shizuoka tea, and registered as a cultivar in 1974. It buds about a week later than Yabukita, which helps it escape the early spring frosts. It was bred for sencha and is now also grown for gyokuro and matcha.
Where is Yame?
Yame is a tea region in southern Fukuoka Prefecture, on the Chikushi Plain in Kyushu. Tea has been grown there since 1406, when a Zen priest, Eirin Suzui, planted it at Reiganji Temple. Warm days, cool nights and morning mist off the Chikugo and Yabe rivers suit the tea plant. Yame is best known for gyokuro, and grows about 45% of all the gyokuro made in Japan.
What does Okumidori taste like?
Very nutty, with a toasted sesame aftertaste. It is softer on umami than our Uji matcha, and has no bitterness at all. That makes it easy to drink straight, and it holds a nutty character in milk too.
How is it different from Hikari and Shōgun?
Hikari and Shōgun come from our tea house in Uji, Kyoto. Hikari is the sweeter, brighter one, and Shōgun is the boldest, with the deepest umami. Okumidori comes from Yame instead: nuttier, softer on umami and with no bitterness. More on the Uji side in why the best matcha comes from Uji.
How do you make Okumidori?
Sift 2 to 3g into a bowl, add 60ml of water at about 80°C and whisk briskly in a W or M motion until frothy. Drink it as it is, or top up with 150 to 200ml of water or milk. The full method is in how to make matcha.
Where does Raku's Okumidori come from?
We buy it direct from a family farm in Yame that has grown award-winning tea for generations. This is their Okumidori. It is 100% Japanese green tea with nothing added, and we pack it in London the week it is sold.
Okumidori vs our Uji matcha
| Matcha | Origin and taste | Caffeine | Best for | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Okumidori | Yame. Very nutty, toasted sesame, soft umami | Up to about 90mg at 3g | Drinking straight, or a nutty latte | £35 / 30g |
| Hikari | Uji. Smooth, naturally sweet, high umami | About 70mg to 90mg a bowl | Drinking straight | £28 / 30g |
| Shōgun | Uji. Bold, deep umami, nutty | About 70mg to 90mg a bowl | Strong lattes | £27 / 30g |
Try it on its own, or side by side with our Uji matcha in the Hikari, Shōgun & Okumidori Set. For the evening, the Okumidori & Hōjicha Set pairs it with our roasted tea.
Questions people ask
Is Okumidori matcha from Uji?
No. Our Okumidori comes from a family farm in Yame, Fukuoka. Our Hikari, Shōgun and Hōjicha come from Uji.
Is Okumidori good in a latte?
Yes. Whisk 2 to 3g with 60ml of water at about 80°C until frothy, then top up with 150 to 200ml of milk. Its nuttiness comes through well.
What does single cultivar mean?
That the matcha is made from one named variety of tea plant only, here Okumidori, rather than a blend of several.