Everything You Need to Know About Bancha Tea

Bancha is a type of Japanese green tea most commonly found after Sencha. It is similar to Sencha in one way, with they share the same plant Camellia Sinensis, but differ in every other aspect. Today, you will learn everything about  Bancha tea  in detail.

Bancha with is labeled as with ordinary tea with tea for the poor or with everyday tea with because it is the most commonly found Tea in Japan due to its low rates and strong taste. Its name came from Ban and Cha. Cha 茶 means Tea, while Ban 番 is often used as a suffix in Japanese when counting, but it might be just a name to differentiate from Sencha or might mean ordinary. Bancha can originate from many reasons such as older and coarse leaves when picking, late harvesting, etc. Bancha can be confused with Aracha, but Aracha leaves were not sorted and mixed with other tea leaves. Bancha is more refined than Aracha. You will find out more about Bancha and why Aracha is mentioned.

WHAT IS A GOOD QUALITY BANCHA?

Deep green leaves with a good smoky or earthy smell. The leaves are long or large and a bit dry/matured. No powder and flavorings can be seen.

STORING BANCHA

When the best-before date passes, we must learn how to store Bancha properly. First, when you open the packaging, put the remaining tea leaves in an airtight, opaque container to protect the tea from sunlight. Store it at room temperature or in a cupboard. Tea leaves exposed to sunlight or warm temperatures will oxidize, lose their health/nutrition value and green color, and smell pungent or rancid.

WHAT BANCHA TASTES LIKE?

It tastes refreshing and light, with a slightly leafy or grassy taste. It is a bit astringent, although overall, it tastes good. It is a healthy drink without spending much on quality teas.

DO FARMERS USE PESTICIDES TO GROW JAPANESE GREEN TEA PLANTS?

Farmers use no or almost no pesticides (both organic and conventional). They use pesticides in Summer or Spring when insects are active. Tea farms follow the safety standards regulated by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF).

WHEN DOES SENCHA BECOME A BANCHA?

Farmers will harvest tea leaves from the Camelia Sinensis plant and process these to make Sencha tea. After picking these leaves, they will check and sort them, and the older leaves, especially those from the lower parts of the plant, will be made into Bancha. They will take the older leaves and the stems from which they picked the leaves from the same plant. For Sencha, only the young and budding leaves are chosen for their sweetest taste, fresh aroma, and nutrient-filled tea, and the rest is left. The leaves from the lower part are tougher, which is why they turn these into Bancha. Farmers do not even pick the leaves from other plants, so these leftover leaves are left to grow and mature, which are then harvested in the third or fourth phase.

Since tea harvesting phases were mentioned, here they are:

Ichibancha / First tea – late April to May, tea leaves that were picked were made into Sencha, while the rest of the phases were made into other green teas.

Nibancha / Second tea – June to early July, or 40 days after leaves from Ichibancha were harvested. Sanbancha / Third tea—This tea season occurs in Southern Japan. It lasts from mid-July or August to early August or early September. Some places in Japan call this Shuutoubancha or Akibancha, and in late September. While in some places, there is fourth one since some areas’ four seasons are not distinct: Yonbancha / Fourth tea – happens in the Autumn/Winter Season from September to October. Bancha tea came from the last harvests from mid-July to August (Sanbancha) and in some places, from September to October (Yonbancha).

Tea leaves become tougher and fully grown with each picking season.

HOW DO THEY PROCESS BANCHA

Bancha leaves are processed the same way as Sencha. They are steamed rolled. Later cut into long shapes and packed.

Compared to Sencha, Bancha leaves have more astringent notes and less aroma, making them ideal for drinking after a heavy meal. It is inexpensive and stands out as the most economical choice for a daily drink.

You can also find high-grade Bancha with less astringency and a more pleasant fragrance with Senryu. It is still cheaper than buying Sencha.

Summary of the Usual Bancha Processing Steps

Harvesting: Collect mature leaves and stems.

Steaming: Prevent oxidation and preserve color and flavor.

Rolling: Shape the leaves and enhance flavor release.

Drying: Remove moisture to stabilize the tea.

Sorting: Separate leaves and stems (if desired).

Roasting: Optional step for varieties like Hojicha.

Packaging: Protect and preserve the tea for storage and sale.

This process ensures that Bancha maintains its distinctive qualities, making it a popular and affordable everyday green tea in Japan.

BANCHA IN DIFFERENT REGIONS

To reduce wastage, and some people prefer lower caffeine, 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 their aroma and flavor are unmatchable.

Bancha refers to Hojicha on certain northern parts in Japan. Aside from Bancha leaves, Hojicha may contain some Sencha leaves and twigs. The leaves were roasted in a pot over charcoal. When brewed, the taste results in a smoky flavor.

Genmaicha, also known as popcorn tea or brown rice tea, consists of Bancha leaves roasted with toasted brown rice. The rice makes a popping sound when roasted with the leaves, which is why this tea is called popcorn tea. Genmaicha produces a sweet and nutty taste.

Yoshino Nikkan Bancha is a sun-dried type of Bancha in the Yoshino region, located in Nara prefecture. Bancha leaves were deep-steamed and naturally left to dry under the sun. After that, leaves were roasted using hot sand, and unlike other types of Bancha, tea leaves were not rolled. A tea almost the same as Hojicha. It is low in caffeine, less astringent and less bitter than Hojicha.

Meban Bancha came from Honyama in Shizuoka prefecture. It is a premium-quality Bancha harvested between Ichibancha and Nibancha. This tea tastes light with a hint of celery and grass flavor.

According to the Global Japanese Tea Association, Sannen Bancha, which translates to Three-year Bancha, is tea leaves aged for three years. Another way of making Sannen Bancha is to harvest leaves after the plant has grown for three years. Leaves are picked, steamed, dried, and aged for three years. After three years, these leaves are lightly roasted. Sannen Bancha is a lighter and gentler tea with fewer irritants than the typical Japanese green tea, making this tea safe for everyone.

There is Kyobancha in Kyoto, but sometimes in Osaka and Kyoto, Bancha there is called Kawayanagi or Aoyanagi.

ABOUT KYOBANCHA

When you go to Kyoto, especially in Uji, when looking for Bancha, they might give you a Kyobancha where the unrefined leaves and stems come from different tea plants (called Aracha or crude tea). This type of Bancha is called Baby Bancha because it contains almost zero caffeine. Kyobancha undergoes a roasting process; unlike Hojicha, it does not involve any rolling process. Kyobancha has a chocolatey and woody aroma. 

SENRYU  川柳

From Fukuoka, Senryu tea is a lower-grade Sencha with thinner and longer leaves than Bancha. It is like the quality of tea between Sencha and Bancha. Senryu is similar to turning Bancha into Sencha when it comes to taste. Budget-wise, you can get a trial taste of Sencha by drinking Senryu, as it is cheaper than Sencha, and since Bancha is an everyday tea, you can get the most of the health benefits and taste on a budget. 

WHAT IS ARACHA? HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM BANCHA?

Aracha means “raw tea” or “crude tea.” This tea is unsorted and unprocessed since its leaves, twigs, and buds come from different plants in the same field. Unlike Bancha, where leaves are mature, Aracha’s were picked fresh and steamed immediately. After that, they were rolled and dried.

Because of its raw and unprocessed state, Aracha has more nutrients than other Japanese green teas. It also reduces more fat and cholesterol than the others, as there are four types of catechins in Aracha: epicatechin, Epigallocatechin, Epicatechin gallate, and Epigallocatechin gallate.

When processing Aracha, various leaves, twigs, and buds are pressed and steamed for 30 seconds to 2 minutes to prevent oxidation. After cooling down, leaves are pressed and rolled in a machine to dry and remove moisture content until little moisture is left to produce needle-shaped leaves and not-so-dry green tea.

RELATION OF ARACHA TO BANCHA

Some tea makers roast the Aracha longer than usual to turn it into Hojicha, which is, as mentioned earlier, a different type of Bancha.

Aracha can also be used as a main ingredient when teamakers are making Gyokuro. 

Aracha and Bancha are still different from each other aside from the plant parts. Aracha is more refined and has a natural flavor with a raw leaf taste, while Bancha has less caffeine and a desirable earthy and astringent taste.

BREWING BANCHA

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 it to 80-90 degrees.
• Add Bancha leaves to your teapot.
• 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.

Hojicha:

It is the same as Bancha, except that the higher the Hojicha quality, the lower the water temperature. The tea is more brownish in color.

Genmaicha:

For 3 teaspoons of tea leaves (per cup serving) in a teapot with 80 (premium quality) to 100 (low-grade quality) degrees Celcius water, brew for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

CAFFEINE CONTENT AND BENEFITS OF BANCHA TEA

Despite being a low-grade tea with less calming effect, Bancha’s leaves are tougher and less likely to be eaten by pests. Bancha has almost half the caffeine level of Sencha (12 to 75mg per cup), making it ideal for drinking late at night or in the evening. It contains lots of Calcium and potassium than Sencha and Gyokuro.

In terms of positive benefits, it significantly impacts 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 Calcium and Iron, which makes it suitable for children, vegans, and pregnant women.
• Tea contains rare traces of elements that your body needs, and you can fulfill it by drinking it after your meal.
• It works miracles when you drink it after a meal The tannins present in it and its anti-acidic properties help in digestion and soothe your stomach Because of its positive effects, you should drink it when suffering from a stomach problem.
• Bancha tea contains more fluoride, which will help you against tooth decay and halitosis.
• Bancha has been linked to lowering the risk of Diabetes by lowering blood glucose levels, although more studies are needed to include this as one of the Bancha benefits. Drinking Bancha is an excellent way to spend leisurely having a drink, chatting with friends, watching TV, or reading a book. Try drinking Bancha for your health. Overall, Bancha is appreciated for its simplicity and affordability, making it an everyday classic staple in Japan.

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