G-JP-025

Bancha

番茶

Late harvest steamed green, from Shizuoka, Japan.

Green tea

Bancha is strongest on vegetal, astringency and smoothness. Typical tasting words: cut hay, fresh grass, steamed greens, cereal, dry wood. Produced from coarse, mature leaves picked after the primary spring flushes, long serving as Japan's everyday staple. A domestic table tea consumed freely with meals, noted for lower caffeine and mild, straightforward flavour.

Also known as Common Tea and Autumn Sencha.

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The profile

Taste, 0 to 5

sweetness2bitterness2astringency3umami1brightness2body2smoothness3aroma intensity2finish length2

Flavour families, 0 to 5

floral0fruity0vegetal4marine1nutty2toasty1malty1honey0spicy0woody1earthy1smoky0creamy0citrus0stone fruit0tropical0cocoa0caramel0

Facts

Origin: Shizuoka, Japan
Plant: Camellia sinensis var. sinensis, Yabukita
Harvest: summer or autumn, late harvest
Elevation: low
Oxidation: 0 to 3%
Roast: unroasted
Leaf: broken
Price band: budget
Availability: everywhere
Ageing: not for ageing
Forgiving to brew: 5 of 5
L-theanine: low

Made by: steaming, then rolling, then drying.

Caffeine

A cup of Bancha carries a typical estimate of 25 mg of caffeine, within a range of 15 to 35 mg depending on leaf amount, water temperature and steeping time. Figures are estimates for a 240 ml cup. Better earlier in the day if you are sensitive to caffeine. The caffeine planner turns this into a daily total.

How to brew it

Method	Leaf	Water	Steeps
Western, 250 ml	3 g	80 to 90 °C	60 s, 60 s, 90 s
Cold brew, 250 ml	3 g	Fridge	3 to 6 hours

Up to 3 infusions. Scale for your own pot with the brew calculator.

Drinking it

afternoon
evening
after_meal
midday
breakfast
relaxing

Pairs with breakfast_dishes, fried_food and sushi. Milk: no. Iced: yes. Sweetener: no. Good for beginners: yes.

Tasting words explained

cereal