The organic green tea Bancha consists of the third crop of leaves from the same camellias from which Shincha and Sencha were previously made. The word Bancha can be translated to "tea that was harvested outside of the main harvest season," and, in fact, this tea is usually harvested in the summer or, depending on plant development, in the fall.
Although Bancha is derived from a late harvest, one can still expect a flavorful brew from these leaves and, moreover, very light in caffeine compared to Shincha and Sencha. In fact, it has been proven that this third harvest contains less excitatory substances than the previous ones and is therefore perfect even for green tea lovers who are more sensitive to caffeine.
The liquor obtained from this Bancha will have a delicate vegetal flavor with fresh notes and will finally leave a refreshing effect in the mouth: excellent therefore to be consumed even in warmer seasons!
Tasting - Sight and Smell
This Bancha Organic Green Tea has small to medium-sized leaves, some broken, some whole, flattened shape and military green and forest green colors. The presence of a few twigs is noticeable, and the dry aroma is fresh and herbaceous on the nose. Once infused, the leaves give off herbal notes of spinach and chard, with a delicate umami and a fresh hint of freshly cut grass. In the cup, the liqueur is a very deep golden yellow tending to green, with highlights reminiscent of the color of olive oil.
Tasting Notes
TO THE WEST
The opening of this Organic Bancha Green Tea is vegetal and rather herbaceous, with a good freshness and a slight citrus acidity perceived on the sides of the tongue. The middle notes are still vegetal but softer and sweeter: reminiscent of spinach and steamed zucchini. The umami is not excessive; the tea's savoriness recalls a good vegetable broth on the palate. On the palate, the body is oily and smooth, without bitterness and with only a slight hint of astringency on the finish. The persistence is medium, characterized by vegetal notes and herbaceous freshness.
Location of origin
Japan
Production
This organic Bancha green tea is brewed in the classic Japanese style, thus, freshly picked leaves are allowed to wither for a short time and then flooded with very hot steam, which within 15 to 20 seconds accomplishes the process of "killing the green" by deactivating the enzymes that would lead the leaf to oxidize. After this important step, the leaves are rolled to enhance their flavors and dried by hot air jets to be ready for use.
Infusion method
Put 4 grams of leaves (about two teaspoons) in a Japanese Kyusu-type teapot or, in its absence, in a teapot possibly with a wide, flat bottom. Pour 100 ml water at a temperature of 70°C over the leaves, and after 40 seconds you can start pouring the infusion into cups. To make the most of the leaves and continue the taste experience with this tea we also recommend making two more infusions of the same leaves with the same parameters of quantity and temperature but varying the infusion time. For the second one we suggest 50 seconds of time and for the third one 1 minute.
The tea can be filtered for easier tasting time and also the infusion times here above are meant to be purely indicative so you can also adjust according to your personal taste.
Since we are talking about a Japanese green tea we remember that it is also possible to make a delicious infusion in cold water before proceeding with hot water. For the latter we recommend, with the same grams of leaves per amount of water an infusion time of about 10 minutes.
We recommend storing organic Bancha tea in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.
