Chiyo no Sakae
CeremonialUjiFrom $16.20 (30g) (~$0.54/g)
Pricing as disclosed
- 30g — $16.20
- 150g — $63.72
Flagged inconsistencies on the brand's own page
- Grade/tier discrepancy: Sazen Tea (authorized retailer, most detailed/technical listing) describes Chiyo no Sakae as 'entry grade usucha... also perfect for flavoring soft drinks' (i.e., a lower/culinary-adjacent tier), while Ujicha Matcha markets the same product as 'Premium ceremonial-grade matcha.' These are materially different grade claims for the same product name and brand.
- Price discrepancy: Sazen Tea lists 30g at $16.20 vs Ujicha Matcha at $19.99 for what is presented as the same product/size - could be normal retail markup rather than a factual contradiction, but flagging since it's a notable gap (~23%).
Everything disclosed on the product page
- Item Code
- CMM001 (note: different code prefix than the other 9 Hekisuien 'MTG0xx' matchas, suggesting a separate/export-oriented product line)
- Grade Per Sazen
- Entry grade usucha (thin matcha), also described as suitable for flavoring soft drinks; positioned as culinary-adjacent entry tier
- Grade Per Ujichamatcha
- Marketed as 'Premium ceremonial-grade matcha' (see contradictions)
- Type
- Usucha (thin tea)
- Maker
- Hekisuien, founded 1867, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan (Uji tea growing area)
- Prices Sazen
- { "30g_branded_can": "$16.20", "150g_branded_can": "$63.72", "300g_branded_can": "$123.12" }
- Price Ujichamatcha
- $19.99 (30g and 150g tin can options; listed as currently sold out)
- Processing
- Stone-mill ground (not ball mill); particle size ~5-9 microns; production rate cited elsewhere for Hekisuien matcha generally as ~40g/hour per stone mill
- Tasting Notes Sazen
- Fresh flavor, creamy texture, subtle floral fragrance; harmonious balance of medium umami and slight astringency; notes of fresh cut grass, hazelnuts, cacao nibs, and a hint of vanilla
- Tasting Notes Ujichamatcha
- Delicate sweetness, deep umami richness, smooth balanced finish; brilliant green color; silky texture
- Uses
- Thin tea (usucha), iced matcha, matcha lattes, high-end desserts/beverages; also 'perfect for flavoring soft drinks' per Sazen; 'ideal for traditional tea ceremonies or moments of personal indulgence' per Ujicha Matcha
- Ingredients
- Green tea powder
- Shelf Life
- Best before FEB/2027 (per Sazen Tea listing at time of capture)
- Storage Note
- After opening, consume within one month for best experience
- Brewing Instructions
- 1.5-2g (~1/2 tsp) matcha whisked into 70ml water at 80C (176F); pre-warm bowl, sift powder, consume immediately
- Review Rating Sazen
- 4.7 out of 5 stars (13 reviews) - customers praise quality-to-price ratio, note it works well for lattes despite entry-level classification
- Review Rating Ujichamatcha
- No review count or rating displayed
- Not Found On Official Site
- Product name not located in Hekisuien's official Japanese-language online shop (ujicha.online) matcha category listing, unlike the other 7 products in this batch, which suggests this may be an export/international-retail-specific SKU rather than part of the core domestic lineup
- Packaging
- Branded tin/can, offered in 30g, 150g, and (per Sazen) 300g sizes
- Shipping Sazen
- Worldwide delivery (DHL, FedEx, Yamato Transport, Yu-Pack, S.F. Express), typically posted within 5 business days
Research notes
Primary source used: Sazen Tea (authorized Hekisuien retailer), cross-checked against Ujicha Matcha (ujichamatcha.com), a US-based retailer. Sazen Tea's collection page (c25-hekisuien-matcha) lists this as item CMM001 with a distinct code prefix from the rest of the Hekisuien matcha lineup (MTG0xx), and it was not found in Hekisuien's own Japanese-language official shop (ujicha.online) matcha listing, unlike the other 7 products researched in this batch. This raises the possibility it is an export-market or private-label product rather than a core domestic SKU, though both retailers attribute it directly to Hekisuien.