Yabukita-Samidori Matcha · classic tin, 40 g
Free delivery in Ireland over €60 · Free pickup at OMMA Café, Brown Thomas · Delivery & returns →
OMMA has grown up with every trip to Japan, and has a new look. This is one of the last of our classic tins: our very first design, with the girl who has a whisk on her head. The same matcha inside, now for less.
A gently priced first-harvest matcha from the volcanic fields of Kagoshima, blended by a champion tea blender: Yabukita for freshness, Samidori for softness and sweetness. A balanced, honest cup and a lovely place to begin.
Usucha
Mix 2 g of matcha with 10–15 g of water (80°C) in circular motions to make a smooth paste.
Once it’s fully dissolved, add 90–100 g of water.
Whisk briskly in a zigzag motion until a soft foam forms.
Iced Matcha Usucha
Add 2g of sifted Matcha to a tumbler or thermos, add 200ml of cold filtered water and shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Pour over ice.
Koicha
Add 25 g of water (80°C) to 3 g of matcha.
Knead slowly with the whisk in circular motions, without whisking to a froth, until thick and silky with no foam.
Matcha latte
Whisk 3 g of matcha with 40 g of water (80°C) until smooth.
Add 150–180 ml of milk. We recommend ROA milk for a perfectly balanced cup.
Matcha tonic
Whisk 3 g of matcha with 40 g of water (80°C) until smooth.
Fill a glass halfway with ice and top with tonic. Choose a tonic with a soft texture, such as Fever-Tree.
Gently pour the matcha shot over the top.
If you love citrus, add a little yuzu purée or marmalade to the bottom of the glass.
This matcha pairs beautifully with citrus, berry and sparkling flavours.
Cooking receipe - https://www.instagram.com/p/DeebsEEImP6/
This matcha is about inspiring energy, volcanic yet grounded. It fills you from within with a gentle tingle of alertness and clarity, and with pure joy and the feeling that you can do anything.
Yabukita is Japan’s best-known cultivar. It was bred in Shizuoka by Hikosaburo Sugiyama in the early 20th century, and today it grows on more than 60% of the country’s tea fields. Its taste is what the Japanese consider classic: fresh, grassy and lively, with a gentle briskness.
Samidori is a rare cultivar from Uji, covering only 0.7% of Japan’s tea land. It’s traditionally grown in the shade for tencha and gyokuro, prized for its softness, natural sweetness and deep umami, with almost no bitterness.
Together they complement each other: Yabukita brings freshness, character and the familiar taste of Japanese tea, while Samidori softens it with sweetness and depth. The result is a balanced, harmonious matcha, both classic and gentle.
Direct shading. 3–4 weeks before harvest, nets are laid directly over the bushes of both cultivars to shield them from the sun. The leaves become softer, vivid green and rich in umami.
Harvest. Before picking, the bushes are cleared by hand of dry leaves, insects, cobwebs and anything else that doesn’t belong. Then, from early to mid-May, only the youngest, most tender first-flush leaves are picked, using large Kawasaki machines.
Steaming. Right after picking, the leaves are steamed to stop oxidation and keep their colour and freshness.
Drying. The leaves are dried flat, without rolling as for sencha. This makes tencha, the base for matcha.
Refining. Smart sorting machines remove the stems and veins, leaving only the pure leaf.
Roasting. The leaves are then gently roasted. This is where the sweet, nutty notes typical of southern Japan are born.
“The tea sleeps”. The tencha is sealed in airtight bags and sent to a partner farm in Kakegawa, Shizuoka, where it rests in cold rooms for about 5 months. During this time its flavour matures, gaining depth and complexity.
Blending. After maturing, Yasuhiko-san tests recipes and blends the two tenchas in a precise ratio: 80% Yabukita and 20% Samidori.
Milling. The tencha is ground using a modern machine method that combines speed, efficiency and consistent quality.
Storage: keep in a cool, dry place.
Is it ceremonial? There is no certification or grading in Japan that defines a "ceremonial" grade. Matcha is only ceremonial when it’s prepared in a tea ceremony. This is a first-harvest, shade-grown matcha that’s lovely pure and especially good in lattes and tonics.
Tin or refill? The same matcha. Start with the tin, then top it up with the refill pouch: same taste, less packaging.
