Bancha (Common Tea) — Steeped Knowledge & Education

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Bancha (Common Tea)

Bancha green tea loose leaves

Bancha (Common Tea)

Bancha (literal meaning: common tea) is a style of Japanese green tea. It is harvested from the second flush of Sencha between summer and autumn. Compared to Sencha, it is a lower quality and simpler tea for everyday drinking.

Characteristics

Green tea is a very lowly oxidized type of tea, unlike oolong and black teas which go through an oxidation process. Leaves of Camellia sinensis var. Sinensis are better suited for producing green tea than those from Camellia sinensis var. Assamica which are usually used to make black tea. Originating in China, production spread out into other areas of Eastern Asia. There are many styles of green tea that differ substantially in flavor, leaf look, and production process. Green tea is a type of tea with the highest antioxidant properties. There are many research studies on its health effects, but there is little evidence showing any effects on people's health.

Characteristics

Green tea is a very lowly oxidized type of tea, unlike oolong and black teas which go through an oxidation process. Leaves of Camellia sinensis var. Sinensis are better suited for producing green tea than those from Camellia sinensis var. Assamica which are usually used to make black tea. Originating in China, production spread out into other areas of Eastern Asia. There are many styles of green tea that differ substantially in flavor, leaf look, and production process. Green tea is a type of tea with the highest antioxidant properties. There are many research studies on its health effects, but there is little evidence showing any effects on people's health.

Table of Contents

Bancha green tea loose leaves

Characteristics

Green tea is a very lowly oxidized type of tea, unlike oolong and black teas which go through an oxidation process. Leaves of Camellia sinensis var. Sinensis are better suited for producing green tea than those from Camellia sinensis var. Assamica which are usually used to make black tea. Originating in China, production spread out into other areas of Eastern Asia. There are many styles of green tea that differ substantially in flavor, leaf look, and production process. Green tea is a type of tea with the highest antioxidant properties. There are many research studies on its health effects, but there is little evidence showing any effects on people's health.

Characteristics

Green tea is a very lowly oxidized type of tea, unlike oolong and black teas which go through an oxidation process. Leaves of Camellia sinensis var. Sinensis are better suited for producing green tea than those from Camellia sinensis var. Assamica which are usually used to make black tea. Originating in China, production spread out into other areas of Eastern Asia. There are many styles of green tea that differ substantially in flavor, leaf look, and production process. Green tea is a type of tea with the highest antioxidant properties. There are many research studies on its health effects, but there is little evidence showing any effects on people's health.

Characteristics

Green tea is a very lowly oxidized type of tea, unlike oolong and black teas which go through an oxidation process. Leaves of Camellia sinensis var. Sinensis are better suited for producing green tea than those from Camellia sinensis var. Assamica which are usually used to make black tea. Originating in China, production spread out into other areas of Eastern Asia. There are many styles of green tea that differ substantially in flavor, leaf look, and production process. Green tea is a type of tea with the highest antioxidant properties. There are many research studies on its health effects, but there is little evidence showing any effects on people's health.

Further Reading

Continue learning with related articles

Loose leaves of green tea.

Green tea is a very lowly oxidized type of tea, unlike oolong and black teas which go through an oxidation process. Leaves of Camellia sinensis var. Sinensis are better suited for producing green tea than those from Camellia sinensis var. Assamica which are usually used to make black tea. Originating in China, production spread out into other areas of Eastern Asia. There are many styles of green tea that differ substantially in flavor, leaf look, and production process. Green tea is a type of tea with the highest antioxidant properties. There are many research studies on its health effects, but there is little evidence showing any effects on people's health.

Jasmine tea pearls or balls.

Jasmine tea is a scented green tea style that involves either firing the jasmine blossoms or blending the blossoms into green tea to bind the sweet, floral scent to the leaves. It is a staple in Chinese culture and is one of the most enjoyed green tea styles in the genre. While green tea is the usual base for this tea, black and white tea styles exist as well.

Ling jing dragon well tea leaves in a tea cup on a cotton table runner.

Long Jing (Dragon Well)

Long Jing tea is a pan-roasted style of green tea. It is mostly produced by hand in the Longjing Village in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China. The taste is described as gentle and sweet with notes of baked mung beans and chestnut. The appearance is pistachio-colored, flat in shape and with a toasted fluffy texture. Longjing is a high-quality tea holding the “China Famous Tea” title.

Gyokuro green tea loose leaves in clay jar

Gyokuro (Jade Dew)

Gyokuro is a style of Japanese green tea. It grows shaded for approx. three to four weeks instead of under the full sun. Gyokuro is often made from specialized cultivars like Asahi, Okumidori, Yamakai, and Saemidori and considered one of the highest grades of Japanese green tea. The name translates to “jade dew” because of the pale green color.

Matcha green tea powder, chasen whisk and bowl

Matcha (Powdered Tea)

Matcha is a style of finely ground Japanese green tea. The tea plants used to create the powder are grown shaded for three to four weeks. During processing, the stems and veins are removed and the leaves are ground using granite stone mills. While loose leaf tea is infused in water and not directly consumed, matcha powder on the other hand is blended into water or milk and therefore directly consumed.