Everything You Need to Know About Bancha Tea

Bancha is a type of Japanese green tea and is most commonly found after Sencha. It is similar to Sencha in only one way, which is that they share the same plant and differ in every other aspect. Today you will know everything about Bancha tea in detail.

Bancha Tea is labeled as “ordinary tea” “tea for the poor” or “everyday tea” because it is the most commonly found tea in Japan due to its low rates and strong taste. Its name originated for many reasons such as older and coarse leaves being used when picking, late harvest, etc.
It is harvested after Sencha in the late season from the same plant. For Sencha, only the young and budding leaves are chosen, and the rest is left. These leftover leaves are let to grow more and mature, which are then harvested in three phases.
Bancha leaves picked in June are named nibancha (second crop), in August sanbancha (third harvest), and in October yonbancha (fourth harvest). Ban also means harvest or crop, and therefore they are named as such. In total, it goes through four times cultivation for one plant.
Tea leaves become tougher and fully grown with each picking season. While harvesting, upper stems, and large leaves, which were discarded when Sencha picking, are picked and processed as Bancha. These leaves are longer, much thinner, and dark greenish.
As for the processing, Bancha leaves are processed the same way as Sencha. These are steamed, dried, and rolled. Later cut into long shapes and packed.
Compared to Sencha, Bancha leaves have more astringent notes and less aroma, which makes it ideal for drinking after a heavy meal.
It is inexpensive and stands out as the most economical choice for a daily drink.
It is a low-grade tea with less amount of theanine in its leaves. The low level of caffeine and theine content is suitable for children and pregnant women.
You can also find high-grade Bacha that has less astringency and a more pleasant fragrance named Senryu.
Bancha can be later processed into Hojicha by roasting tea leaves and Genmaicha by adding roasted white rice. Both are famous on their own because the aroma and flavor they have are unmatchable.

Brewing

Bancha tea is made just like any other green tea. You simply need a Japanese teapot, small cups, boiling water, and tea leaves.

Heat the water to the boiling point, and let it sit for two minutes to cool down the temperature to 80-90 degrees.
Warm your teapot and add tea leaves to it.
Put the hot water in the pot and let the bancha leaves steep for 2-4 minutes according to your liking.
Lastly, pour it into small cups and enjoy the grassy aroma, yellowish liquid, and bitter after-taste of Bancha tea.

Benefits of Bancha Tea

In terms of positive benefits, it has a significant impact on your body but less than Sencha and Gyokuro. However, It plays an important role and is beneficial in many ways.

Bancha has a high concentration of minerals, especially iron, which makes it suitable for children, vegans, and pregnant women.
Tea includes rare traces of elements that your body needs, and you can fulfill it by drinking it after your meal.
It works miracles when drunk after a meal as it helps in digestion and soothing your stomach due to the tannins present in it and anti acidic properties. You should drink it when suffering from a stomach problem because of its positive effects.
Bancha tea contains more fluoride, which will help you against tooth decay and halitosis.
Bancha has almost half the caffeine level compared to Sencha and Gyokuro which makes it ideal for drinking in the late evening or at night.

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