Tea Cultivar · Camellia sinensis var. sinensis
Yutakamidori
- Origin
- Japan - Kagoshima
- Registered
- 1966
- Primary use
- green tea, sencha, fukamushi, kabusecha
Overview
Yutakamidori is the second-most-planted cultivar in Japan after Yabukita, dominating Kagoshima Prefecture in particular, where it accounts for roughly a third of all acreage. Bred from a Princess Asanoyume seedling and registered in 1966, it was developed for the warm southern climate and now defines much of the country's early-season shincha market.
Characteristics
A medium-to-large-leafed sinensis with broad, slightly drooping leaves and a sprawling growth habit. It is extremely early-budding - often 7 to 10 days ahead of Yabukita - which makes it the workhorse of the Kagoshima shincha rush each April. It responds particularly well to short pre-harvest shading (asamushi to kabuse), and most Yutakamidori sencha is processed as fukamushi to balance its naturally strong character.
Flavor profile
Bright, rich, and grassy, with a thick mouthfeel and a slightly sweet marine umami. Without shading it can lean toward sharp astringency, but kabuse-style shading and deep steaming produce a deeply green, almost soup-like liquor with seaweed, sugar snap pea, and creamed-spinach notes. The color is often more vivid than Yabukita's, which has made it commercially popular.
Where it grows
Kagoshima · Miyazaki