The Samidori & Asahi Matcha Blend combines two premium matcha cultivars for a smooth, balanced flavour. Samidori offers a vibrant green colour and a rich, umami sweetness with a creamy texture. Asahi brings a delicate, floral aroma and a subtle sweetness, creating a refined and harmonious finish. Ideal for Matcha lovers transitioning onto their own path to make matcha. The Asahi variety, discovered in Gokasho, Uji, where the tea farm is located, was named by Jinnojo Hirano, who described it as standing out among native varieties. Its soft, thin, large leaves are vulnerable to the strong summer sun and late spring frosts, requiring the use of cheesecloth as a sunshade. This makes cultivation labour-intensive and challenging, with a short harvest period that limits yield and expansion. Blended with the delicate and early harvested samidori variety, this blend is not one to miss out on. Tea picking in Uji takes place for three weeks each spring, with 30 to 40 pickers working around the clock in shifts from 6 am to 6 pm daily. Uji tea is grown using high-quality organic fertilisers, including rapeseed, sesame, and fish fertiliser. Pressed fertilisers are preferred over chemical-based fertilisers, with the fish fertiliser offering a pleasant scent upon delivery. Each tea ridge in the tea farm has its own unique aroma, distinct from matcha but recognisably "tea." As the leaves open, a powdery fragrance fills the air, enhancing the tea-picking experience. All In Japan, the japanese camellia 'tsubaki' by which matcha is from comes in a variety of types. Known to be used in Japanese tea rooms, the camellia is a flower with an eternal beauty. All of our Keiko Uchida matcha is named after different camellia varieties. Please note that all best before dates are in the Japanese format YYYY.MM.DD