Varieties Of Green Tea - Bancha
Bancha means ‘common tea’ and is possibly a reference to the coarser grades and heavier, late season crop from which this full-flavoured tea is made. Bancha are a class of sencha harvested as a second flush tea between summer and autumn. Bancha is made from larger leaves than are usually available for sencha grades. However, it should be made clear that bancha are generally seen as other kinds of sencha which are harvested as a second flush tea between summer and autumn. It should be said that bancha usually lacks the delicate sweetness of quality sencha. Nevertheless, bancha is respected because of the tea’s well-defined character, vivid yellow colours and refreshing and deep flavours. The strength of flavour held by many bancha means that they go well with food. Bancha are now becoming more widely available in the West owing to the lower price of these special Japanese green teas.
Bancha -the most common green tea in Japan (Bancha is an everyday Japanese green tea drank regularly in Japan). It is considered to be a somewhat lower grade of sencha - yet it has its own unique taste. This tea is harvested in late season. The Bancha has a vegetative taste and an unrefined appearance with some stalks and stems. It is considered to be a milder tea compare to Gyokuru or Sencha. Bancha is a good tea to drink with meals. Its flavor goes well with any food as it is rather indistinctive and does not overwhelm any dish.
This tea contains high concentration of polyphenols that have powerful antioxidant properties. A growing body of scientific evidence suggests that polyphenols may help prevent cancers, lower the risk of heart disease, and strengthen our immune system
Sources: sencha.com, en.wikipedia.org, bodyofmine.com, enjoyingtea.com, frontiercoop.com