CeremonialSamidori SC
Ceremonial, sourced from Uji, Samidori cultivar
From $63.73 (20g)
~$3.19 per gram
Grade
Ceremonial
Cultivar
Samidori
Region
Uji
Sourcing
Uji, Japan
View the full sourcing map →Tasting notes
Ingredients: Green tea Cultivar: Samidori 早緑 meaning “early green” (not to be confused with Saemidori 冴緑 meaning “young green”) Cultivation: Cultivated using centuries-old traditional methods with the exception of plastic canopy shading instead of traditional reeds and straw. Tsuji-san also conducts soil analysis monthly and analysis of amino acid content in the leaf (which forms the umami flavor) annually to craft the best leaf year after year. Field used for competition grade tencha as well. Harvest: May (see variant info for year...in general leaves are aged for about 5 months before grinding is allowed so the newest harvest is released in Oct-Nov)....
Composition
L-theanine
24.31 mg/g
Ceremonial-grade published estimate — Goto et al., upper-grade matcha samples, Tea Research Report No.80:23-28 (1994)
EGCG
59.3 mg/g
Ceremonial-grade published estimate — Goto et al., upper-grade matcha samples, Tea Research Report No.83:21-28 (1996)
Pricing as disclosed
Full details
Everything disclosed on the product page (14 fields)▾
- Full Product Name
- #0680.K6 Tsujiki: Samidori - Imperial Ceremonial Grade Single Cultivar Modern Uji Matcha
- Price
- ¥9,980 for 20g option (¥499 per gram)
- Sizes
- 20g / 0.7 oz refill bag in gift can; also available as a 100g multipack (five 20g refill bags)
- Grade
- Imperial Ceremonial Grade
- Cultivar
- Samidori (早緑, meaning 'early green')
- Region
- Uji, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan
- Harvest Timing
- May (first flush/spring); leaves aged approximately 5 months before grinding
- Farming Method
- Traditional cultivation with plastic canopy shading; monthly soil analysis; annual amino acid testing
- Processing
- Steamed and dried in traditional tencha oven; stems and veins removed before grinding
- Packaging
- Double-sealed pull-top can with inner bag; wooden gift box option available
- Ingredients
- Green tea only
- Producer
- Tsuji Kiyoharu, fifth-generation farmer; recipient of the Prime Minister's Award for Agriculture (2017); field noted as used for competition-grade tencha
- Cultivar Background
- Samidori described elsewhere (general matcha cultivar guide) as one of Uji's most traditional cultivars, developed specifically for shaded tea, producing a remarkably smooth, elegant matcha with deep jade color and classic Kyoto sweetness
- Reviews
- 6 reviews noted on page (content/ratings not itemized)
Research notes
Note this product page describes shading method as 'plastic canopy shading,' while the Asahi SC page (same retailer, same farmer) describes 'traditional reed-and-straw canopy shading adjusted to block ~95% of sunlight.' Both may be accurate for different fields/cultivars grown by the same farmer, or may reflect inconsistent descriptions across the retailer's product pages -- flagged as a discrepancy rather than resolved.
