Camellia sinensis var. sinensis
★★★☆☆
Yamakai
A Yabukita selection with a strong, aromatic, full-bodied sencha character.
Species
var. sinensis
Lineage
Modern selection
Country
Japan
Year
—
Leaf size
Medium
Cup quality
3/5
Yamakai (やまかい) is a Japanese green-tea cultivar selected from Yabukita. It is grown in Shizuoka and Kyushu and prized for a notably strong aroma and full body.
As a single-cultivar sencha it gives an aromatic, brisk, full-flavoured cup, and it is also used to add fragrance and depth to blends — one of the more characterful of the Yabukita-descended cultivars.
Modern selection
Selected from heirloom material in the 20th century. Parent material: Yabukita.
Lineage data & sources
Clonal / landrace selection — selected from its regional population, so a specific mother and father plant are not individually documented.
Sources: senbirdtea.com
Teas produced
Sencha
Flavor signature
Growing regions
- Japan (Shizuoka, Kyushu)
Origins where Yamakai grows
Brands likely carrying Yamakai
Direct-sourcing operations with focus areas that align with this cultivar's typical growing regions.