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History. Ujido has been working with matcha for over 185 years: growing the perfect tea leaves, running a family tea shop, and now bringing our heritage to you. Our tea leaves are traditionally grown, hand-picked, and stone ground. We’re not chasing a trend. We are the trend.

Every leaf comes from Uji, the birthplace of matcha. We never mix inferior matcha into our products from other regions of Japan or China. We only use the highest quality tea leaves cultivated and hand-picked at our family farm in the southern hills of Kyoto, Japan where matcha began.

Family connections. As a traditional Japanese tea grower and manufacturer in Uji, Kyoto, Japan for over 185 years, we directly import to the US and sell to you. Without middlemen or other companies involved we can keep our prices competitive while keeping our quality higher than most.

Yes. All our matchas are low on the glycemic index without any added sugar and can be combined with good fats in the best ways. Even our Sweet Matcha is sweetened with monk fruit and erythritol, a sugar alcohol that doesn’t absorb like sugar and doesn’t count toward your net carbs. It is safe for diabetics, people doing keto, and those watching sugar for any reason. 

Our Sweet Matcha is sweetened with monk fruit and erythritol. Erythritol is a sugar alcohol that is counted as a carbohydrate on packaging, even though it is not treated like one by the body. It tastes sweet, but doesn’t spike blood sugar because it isn’t absorbed during digestion, so it does not count toward your net carbs. Enjoy the sweetness without the worry.

Yes. Matcha is simply stone ground tea leaves and does not contain any wheat or other sources of gluten.

Many people use it specifically for that reason. Green teas increase metabolism and mental focus while relaxing the body and calming cravings. With naturally occurring caffeine, beneficial antioxidants, detoxifying chlorophyll, matcha is a great way to help you maintain your weight without a ton of stimulants or unnatural ingredients.

Yes. Organic and Japan are fairly new to one another, but we do offer organic products for those who want them.

It all comes down to fertilizers, not pesticides.

Despite the benefits of organic products in many countries, matcha isn’t necessarily improved by going organic. Matcha tea leaves are grown in shaded tea gardens so the plants produce the greenest, sweetest, tenderest leaves full of chlorophyll, amino acids (L-Theanine), and healthy catechins. With less energy from the sun and an early spring harvest, matcha tea plants require a small amount of powerful fertilizers, most of which haven’t been certified organic in Japan just yet.

Comparing color and flavor, organic matcha is a less vibrant green and less sweet. Organic fertilizers take months to give the plants the energy and nutrition needed to develop, meaning the leaves are harvested at a time when they are less tender, less green, less nutritious, and less sweet. So what does that mean as far as safety? You have no reason to worry. Japan cares deeply about tea.

Our farmers start the year off using organic fertilizers, and then sprinkle in a small amount of non-organic fertilizer at the crucial moment just before spring harvest. Japan also strictly regulates what types of pesticides can be used, how much can be used, and when they can be used. Farmers are bound by strict regulations to record what pesticides they use and when, submitting reports to the authorities. Tea leaves are then tested for chemical residue, and not allowed to enter the market if they go even slightly above Japan’s stringent safety standards.

Matcha is harvested several times, and each harvest results in different flavors and colors. The highest quality tea leaves are only the smallest, youngest, and greenest parts of the plant harvested in early spring. The two leaves at the tip of each new shoot are hand-picked. They contain a flavor that is more than sweet, a distinctive complex taste unique to this harvest that’s full-bodied, rich, and mature, never chalky, bitter, or bland. This top quality first harvest matcha is used in the traditional Japanese tea ceremony that appreciates the delicate full flavor in pure hot water without any additions.

A second harvest occurs in summer, with special care to still select the brightest green tea leaves that have a naturally sweet flavor and high nutrition, but the color is less vibrant and the leaves slightly more bitter than the first, ceremonial harvest. These summer tea leaves are used for culinary purposes: in baking, smoothies, lattes, and many other recipes. Many even use it like a spice. Culinary Grade Matcha is less expensive than Ceremonial Grade Matcha, making it easier to enjoy more often. Our Artisanal Blend is your best of both, combining spring and summer harvested leaves for a delicious matcha that can be used in any way you can imagine at a reasonable price.

Premium Ceremonial Matcha – The youngest, greenest tea leaves from 1st harvest (Ceremonial Grade)

Ceremonial Matcha – 1st  harvest tea leaves (Ceremonial Grade)

Artisanal Matcha – A blend of 1st and 2nd harvest tea leaves (Ceremonial/Culinary)

Summer Harvest Matcha – 2nd harvest tea leaves (Culinary Grade)

Smoothie Booster Matcha – 2nd and 3rd harvest tea leaves (Culinary Grade)

That’s up to you, but we’ll try to help.

Ceremonial Matcha can be enjoyed simply in hot water. It is handpicked during an early spring harvest of the tenderest tea leaves for a naturally sweet, full flavor. This makes it more expensive. In Japan, this tea is enjoyed on special occasions.

Artisanal Blend is a mix of ceremonial and culinary matcha. It is a best seller because of its versatility, natural sweetness, and refreshing flavor. This is your daily matcha, designed for tea, lattes, baking, cooking, and more.

Summer Harvest Matcha is a culinary grade matcha from summer harvest when the tea leaves are less sweet. This also makes it less expensive and easier to use more often. This is your matcha for baking, using as a spice when cooking, sprinkled over ice cream and desserts, or blended into beverages with other ingredients.

Matcha Smoothie Booster is a late summer harvest culinary grade matcha. These tea leaves are packed with a full season of nutrition, but have taken on a slightly bitter flavor not favorable for teas or lattes. Energize a smoothie or use it in baking and cooking.

Roasted Matcha (Houjicha) is our matcha that has been roasted for a darker, richer flavor that makes it perfect for morning beverages, afternoon pick-me-ups, baking, and cooking.

Brown Rice Matcha (Genmaicha) is our matcha combined with roasted brown rice for a warm, nutty flavor. Drink it as a tea, latte, or use it in baking and cooking.

Sweet Matcha is our matcha sweetened with monk fruit and erythritol. It comes in ready to mix packets and easily mixed with water, milk, nut milks, and other beverages.

Matcha Energy is our matcha with B vitamins and lightly sweetened with monk fruit. It comes in ready to mix packets and easily mixed with water and other beverages. Use it as a daily boost, a pre-workout, an afternoon lift, focus enhancer, metabolic booster and calorie burner for weight management, or to bolster the immune system on long flights or during cold and flu season.

Gyokuro is a whole leaf green tea that is grown in shade, like matcha. It is steeped in hot water to make a delicious, sweet tea all its own.

Sencha is a whole leaf green tea grown in full sun, steamed, rolled, and dried for a unique, refreshing flavor when steeped. Sencha is also the most popular tea in Japan. 

Spoon 2 grams of matcha into a cup or matcha bowl. Add a few ounces hot water, just under a boil. Whisk vigorously in a zig zag motion until frothy. You can drink it as is or add more hot water for a thinner tea. Add a sweetener if desired. Enjoy.

Just between ¼ and ½ teaspoon. A heaping ¼ teaspoon is about right.

Matcha is sensitive to heat, humidity, and light. It can also absorb flavors and odors from other foods. We recommend keeping it refrigerated after opening the bag, sealing it firmly to lock out air. For extra freshness, let it warm up to room temperature before opening to avoid condensation.

We recommend customers consume below 1.8 teaspoons (about 9 grams) of matcha daily. This stays within the lower recommended caffeine limit of 200mg per day.

There are 44mg of caffeine in each 2g serving of our Ujido Matcha.

There are 198mg of catechins per 2 gram serving size.

There are only 480 micro grams (0.48 milligrams) in each 2g serving of our Ujido Matcha.

Zero calories

Zero glycemic index

Zero impact on blood sugar or insulin

Zero bitter or chemical aftertaste

Zero GMO’s, additives, or artificial flavors

Natural and safe for people with diabetes

We have done an analysis of heavy metals at a third party laboratory. They were either undetectable or extremely low across the board.

Arsenic: Not detected.
Lead: 0.20 ppm
Cadmium: 0.03 ppm
Mercury: Not detected

We have tested our Matcha and confirmed it is radiation free. All of our matcha is grown in the same area of Uji, Kyoto, Japan, which is more than 540km (335 miles) away from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.

In China, green tea is not grown under shade nor dried by steam to stop fermentation, which means it is not truly matcha. Japan also strictly regulates residual pesticides and contaminants to ensure purity and quality, where China does not.

When stored unopened in a cool place, or refrigerated, matcha can last for very long periods, often well past the expiration date. We print this date for our retail stores to match their rotation guidelines. After expiration, matcha will decrease in nutritional value and potency, but it is still safe to consume.