What is Uji Hikari matcha?
Uji Hikari (宇治光, うじひかり) is a Kyoto tea cultivar especially associated with shaded tencha and gyokuro production. The Kyoto Prefectural Tea Industry Association lists its old strain name as Kyoto Research No. 170, developed in 1954 by the Kyoto Prefecture Tea Industry Research Institute; WHISK.’s Uji Hikari is a ceremonial, first-harvest, single-cultivar matcha from Uji, Kyoto, in a 30 g tin.
What makes the cultivar distinctive?
The official Kyoto descriptions emphasise Uji Hikari’s delicate, pale-green new leaves and its quality as tencha: an even shape, soft leaf, bright clear colour, and good colour extraction. These describe the cultivar and the raw leaf; shading, processing, and preparation then shape each cup.
Drinkers often describe well-made Uji Hikari as deeply savoury, aromatic, and rounded, with relatively restrained bitterness when prepared carefully. As with any fine tea, harvest, shading, processing, storage, water, and preparation all leave their mark on the cup.
What does the name mean?
宇治光 is commonly romanised Ujihikari and literally reads as “Uji light.” The “light” translation is a reading of the characters; the official cultivar records give the name and its history, and leave the poetry of it to the drinker.
Parentage: what is known and what is not
Public Kyoto sources describe Uji Hikari as Kyoto Research No. 170 and identify the breeding institution. Research on Japanese tea cultivar relationships lists Ujihikari among cultivars selected from Kyoto landraces or their progenies; no single parent pair has ever been recorded, which only deepens its old-Kyoto character.
How to prepare it
Try Uji Hikari straight as usucha to notice its cultivar character: sift 1.5–2 g, use 60–70 ml of water at 70–75°C, and whisk with a chasen. It can also be used in a latte; WHISK.’s milk/latte house temperature is about 80°C.
WHISK. product facts
- Origin: Uji, Kyoto
- Cultivar: Uji Hikari; single cultivar
- Harvest: first harvest
- Positioning: ceremonial, first harvest; lovely whisked straight and just as good in a latte
- Pack size: 30 g
See WHISK. Uji Hikari 宇治光 (30 g when in stock), or the matcha collection.
Sources
The cultivar history and characteristics above follow the Kyoto Prefectural Tea Industry Association and Kyoto Prefecture.