Takamine Okumidori

Renowned for its smoothness, lack of bitterness and astringency, and slightly floral finish - Okumidori is a popular cultivar that is the perfect place to start exploring the world of ceremonial matcha. More than anything, it is remarkable for its creamy body, even without the addition of milk.

"Takamine" roughly translates to "pinnacle." That is, the tencha for this Okumidori matcha was graded by the grower to be of particularly high quality. The farmer for this tencha also produces our Asahi and Somada Okumidori.

The Takamine version has even more creaminess and is smoother than the Somada Okumidori!

The Tencha for this tea comes from the same farm in Somada as our Somada Okumidori. The only difference is that the plot of land from which this batch was harvested lies at a steeper incline than the rest of the farm. This small environmental change makes a big difference in flavor. The roots of the tea bushes penetrate the topsoil more effectively, drawing up more nutrients from deeper layers of the earth. 

Somada is a sub-region of Wazuka, the main tea town of Uji. This Okumidori is grown there by the same farmer who grows our Asahi. This farmer is quickly becoming renowned in Uji for his success using biodynamic farming methods to make outstanding tencha. This means our Okumidori is grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers.

As with all of our matcha, our Takamine Okumidori is milled-to-order by us in Minneapolis. This guarantees the highest percentage of aromatic compounds and antioxidants, as well as a smoother matcha.