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Home » Styles of Tea » Green Tea » Bancha
Updated: Feb. 28, 2012
Bancha is produced similarly to sencha, but is harvested later in the season. It tends to be made of larger, more mature leaves than other Japanese teas; it sometimes even contains stem, although it is not predominately stem like kukicha. For these reasons bancha is sometimes described as a coarse tea, and tends to have a lower caffeine content.
Like most Japanese green teas, bancha is steamed rather than pan-fired as most Chinese green teas are. Bancha is often considered less desirable than sencha, and tends to be less expensive. However, it is hard to generalize about the quality or price of bancha; some bancha exceeds some sencha in both price and quality.
Bancha is sold plain, and is also frequently roasted to produce hojicha, and is also often combined with toasted brown rice to make genmaicha. Although bancha is ubiquitous in Japan, it is not as well-known in the west, possibly owing to the commercial focus on varieties of tea that are perceived as higher-quality.
Bancha
Wikipedia: Bancha | Wikicha: BanchaUpdated: Feb. 28, 2012
About Bancha
Bancha(番茶), sometimes improperly called bancha tea, is a common type of Japanese green tea. It is often considered the "basic" or "default" green tea in Japan.
Bancha is produced similarly to sencha, but is harvested later in the season. It tends to be made of larger, more mature leaves than other Japanese teas; it sometimes even contains stem, although it is not predominately stem like kukicha. For these reasons bancha is sometimes described as a coarse tea, and tends to have a lower caffeine content.
Like most Japanese green teas, bancha is steamed rather than pan-fired as most Chinese green teas are. Bancha is often considered less desirable than sencha, and tends to be less expensive. However, it is hard to generalize about the quality or price of bancha; some bancha exceeds some sencha in both price and quality.
Bancha is sold plain, and is also frequently roasted to produce hojicha, and is also often combined with toasted brown rice to make genmaicha. Although bancha is ubiquitous in Japan, it is not as well-known in the west, possibly owing to the commercial focus on varieties of tea that are perceived as higher-quality.
References:
1. Shizuo Tsuji, M.F.K. Fisher, Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art, Kodansha International, 2007.
Best Bancha
The notion of the "best" Bancha is subjective, because different people have different tastes. We present the most often-rated and highest-rated teas in this category, and allow you to draw your own conclusions.
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