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“Backlog from a few days ago. I’m generally a green tea person, but I’m still figuring out what green teas I like, and why. This is the first bancha I’ve tried (unless I’ve had it before and it...” Read full tasting note
Japanese Bancha is known as the perfect starter tea for an aspiring green drinker. Bancha tea is a close runner-up and cheaper alternative to Japan’s most popular green tea, Sencha. Bancha tea uses a nearly identical cultivation process but is harvested using larger and more coarse leaves which result in a light aroma and strong astringency. There is a low amount of caffeine in this blend for those who prefer a lighter flavor with just a slight surge of energy. Bancha is the perfect tea to keep you going throughout the day while giving you the flowery balm and intense green crispness you expect from a green tea.
Ingredients: Green Tea
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Backlog from a few days ago.
I’m generally a green tea person, but I’m still figuring out what green teas I like, and why. This is the first bancha I’ve tried (unless I’ve had it before and it wasn’t labeled as such), but I didn’t like it that much.
It tasted musty and smoky, like some senchas and mao fengs I’ve had in the past. Generally, smokiness/mustiness is a flavour I try to avoid in greens. Perhaps my sample got contaminated by other strong-smelling teas? Perhaps I just messed up the steeping?
What do others think of bancha teas?
I’ve only tried one. It was from Harney & Sons and it was very grassy.
Hmmm… It was a sample with RiverTea instead of a full-sized package, so I guess the contamination/smell hypothesis still holds true. One of the other samples I had from them was Granny Cake, which is a very fragrant tea.
I love bancha, but it’s an acquired taste. To me the dried leaves smell like oil paint. I know, that sounds repulsive, but somehow I love it. Did you do a short steep in cooler water? 2-3 minutes tops at about 73F is what I usually do.
73C
That might explain it. I used 80C water.