Uji

Uji, just south of Kyoto, has been at the heart of Japanese tea culture for over 800 years. Tea cultivation here began in the 13th century with Buddhist monks, and Uji's specific combination of cool morning fog, fertile soil, and meticulous farming traditions produces the world's most prized matcha and gyokuro. The shading techniques used in Uji - covering tea plants for 20+ days before harvest with tana (overhead) or kabuse (direct) shades - boost L-theanine and chlorophyll, creating the deep umami and brilliant green color that define ceremony-grade Japanese teas. Uji is home to centuries-old tea families and the most famous tea brands in Japan. Sencha itself was invented in Uji in the 18th century by Nagatani Soen.

All teas from Uji

• Matcha

  Green Tea

  Stone-ground shade-grown tea powder used in Japanese tea ceremony. Rich in L-theanine and antioxidants.

• Gyokuro

  Green Tea

  Japan's most prized green tea, shade-grown for 20+ days to intensify amino acids and reduce bitterness.

• Gyokuro Karigane

  Green Tea

  Premium twig tea from gyokuro offcuts - shade-grown umami intensity in a lighter, sweeter format.

• Tencha

  Green Tea

  Matcha's parent leaf brewed whole - shade-grown and de-stemmed but unground, revealing a unique delicate umami.