The different types of Japanese tea can be rather confusing at first. It’s not really that complicated though, once you get into it. In fact the names are usually pretty descriptive and simple. “Cha” means tea. “Bancha” means ordinary tea. “Sencha” means roasted tea. And so on.

Sencha (Roasted tea)
This is the most popular tea in Japan today. The name means “roasted tea” and refers to the drying that the tea undergoes. Sencha varies widely in both quality and price, mostly depending upon when it was harvested – the earlier-harvested teas are considered better. The ordinary qualities are used at home and in the office as everyday drinking tea.

The tea plants begin growing in April and the leaves are ready for plucking for Sencha in May. As soon as the leaves are plucked, they are steamed to prevent oxidisation (fermentation). Then they are rolled and dried to produce green needles.

The finished tea has a subtle sweetness mixed with bitterness and a fresh, vegetal, grassy aroma. The liquor is a light green colour in the cup

All About Tea’s Sencha is Fukujyu – delicious and refreshing. We also have a decaffeinated Sencha.

Gyokuro (Jewel Dew)
Gyokuro is the best tea of Japan and is served to special guests on important occasions. The Gyokuro tea bushes are shaded from the sun for the last couple of weeks before the leaves are plucked and this gives the tea its special character. It is similar to a very good Sencha, but the leaves are darker, sometimes almost black, and thicker.

Gyokuro has a stronger flavour than Sencha, but also smoother and less bitter.

Bancha (Ordinary tea)
Bancha is the lowest grade of Sencha. It comes from the same tea bushes, but is plucked late in the year when the leaves are older. The size of the finished leaf is also larger than Sencha, but, when brewed, the liquor is the same colour.

Bancha is not much drunk in Japan, except among the mountain farmers, but it still has qualities of its own and some people prefer it to Sencha as it has a more robust flavour. It is also the basis for Genmaicha. It has a strong, robust, twiggy flavour like autumn leaves. Some people are very fond of it and it is certainly very different from Sencha and the other better quality teas.

At All About Tea we are pleased to be able to offer an Organic Bancha which we think is really exceptional. Though technically a lower grade tea it is actually one of our favourite teas.

Kukicha
Kukicha is plucked at the same time as Bancha, but where Bancha is the leaves, Kukicha is the stems. This means that Kukicha is extremely low in caffeine (the vast majority of the caffeine is in the leaves, not the stems). The tea is not highly regarded in Japan and is used as a low-grade tea, but in fact it does have some excellent qualities and a full, interesting flavour.

Kariganecha
Where Kukicha is the stems of Bancha, Kariganecha is the stems of Gyokuro. Again, it has very little caffeine. The liquor is a yellow-green colour with very little bitterness.

Houjicha
Houjicha is roasted Bancha. It is brown in colour with a unique roasted, toasted aroma. When brewed, the liquor is a light golden colour, like beer. There is hardly any caffeine in Houjicha as it destroyed by the roasting.

Genmaicha (Brown rice tea)
Genmaicha is Bancha mixed with toasted brown rice which gives the tea a nutty, savoury flavour.

Matcha
The powdered tea used in the famous Japanese tea ceremony. The very best leaves are dried in wind tunnels and then ground into a fine powder. To brew Matcha, the tea powder is mixed with hot water and whisked briskly with a bamboo whisk. This helps dissolve the tea and produces a froth which is believed by many to improve the flavour of the tea.