Bancha – Den's Tea website

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Bancha

Bancha (番茶) is produced from the bottom part of tea leaves that are big and thick. Compared to sencha, bancha is somewhat more astringent. Nevertheless, it is appreciated in Japan for its robust flavor. Den's bancha is an upgraded variation, using fresh green leaves picked right after the first flush tea.

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Definition of Bancha

bancha

There are actually several types of bancha, and, if you compared them side-by-side, you would see that each of them are very different. There are several definitions for the name "bancha". Bancha could mean "late tea" or "exceptional tea”, and these definitions are used interchangeably. Bancha can be made in several different ways as described below:

  1. Teas made from the top several leaves of the first flush are mostly used for sencha. After this harvest, the lower tea leaves are picked and used for bancha. This type of bancha is made from first flush tea leaves and is the best quality bancha.

  2. Tea made of third or fourth flush leaves are called "shuto bancha" meaning "autumn‐winter bancha" in Japanese. These leaves are used for lower quality banchas, blended for genmaicha or roasted for houjicha.

  3. Another source for bancha could be the tea left after the sorting and sifting process of making sencha. Big and irregularly shaped leaves are removed because they do not blend well for sencha.

  4. Regardless of the source, the process of making bancha is same as sencha. After picking, leaves are steamed, rolled, kneaded and dried. They then go through an additional process of sorting and sifting, as well as a light roast.

Our Bancha Suruga is made by the first method described above, using leaves from the first flush. We also use some of these leaves for producing our Houjicha Gold, which is a roasted green tea. 

Bancha is also known by other names in certain areas of Japan. In the Hokkaido and Tohoku, people call bancha, "houjicha". In Ishikawa prefecture, bancha is often is referred to as, "houji-kukicha". In Kyoto, large, roasted leaves known as kyo-bancha are quite popular. So, for some Japanese folks, bancha is sometimes referred to as "houjicha"!

goishi cha

There are also some unique banchas in areas of Japan. A few examples are awa bancha, goishi cha, and batabata cha. You might call these the local craft teas of specific regions.



Health Benefits of Bancha

Bancha has all the health benefits of green tea and more:

  • Less Caffeine - Bancha contains less caffeine than sencha because larger leaves generally contain less caffeine. 

  • More Catechins - Bancha contains more catechins than sencha because the lower tea leaves stay in the sun for longer (after the sencha is picked). Note that catechins is a kind of tannin, so bancha is slightly more bitter and astringent than sencha. 

  • Bancha contains more of what are called polysaccharides. Polysaccharides restrain enzymes (i.e. amylase, sucrase) from metabolizing saccharides (i.e. sugar) which may support healthy blood sugar levels. This makes bancha the perfect iced tea for summer cookouts since more polysaccharides are extracted when brewing it cold.


Brewing

bancha brewing

Bancha is the type of tea that is enjoyed for its fresh aroma and strong green flavor. It can brew up pretty bitter, but even the most experienced tea connoisseur doesn't always want a smooth, sweet cup of tea. Sometimes, a little bitterness is nice. How else would we appreciate the sweet moments of life? 

If going for a strong cup, you may want to use boiling water for brewing. However, brewing it too long will result in an overly bitter cup.