In Praise of Bancha

[murrius]

I love bancha - it is so forgiving. You can become distracted and let the water get too hot; bancha doesn't care. You can steep it for too long; bancha is fine with that. It still tastes great. I love sencha as well but it is fussy. Brew it too long and it gets a headache. Let the water get too hot and it is like some cheap red wine at a bad party. Pay attention and pamper it and sencha is like heaven. Bancha, however, is always there for you with very few expectations. Long live bancha!

[greenisgood]

here here!

[Wesli]

Bancha also cleans off the palate very well.

[olivierco]

I drink bancha (houjicha, karigane or yanagi) quite every day with my lunch. Easy to brew, nice light taste.

[Chip]

BANCHAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!

Bancha gets little respect, but there is good bancha and bad bancha. I have had some evil bancha over the years as well.

Like Olivier has already mentioned, houjicha, houji kukicha, and some yanagi can be very good with meals. Inexpensive, often lower in caffeine, and easy brewers.

[Sydney]

I've had some fine bancha in my day.

[Pentox]

I actually have not had any good experiences with bancha. It just feels so harsh to me. The flavor lacks the nuance of a sencha.

[Sydney]

For me, it's not always about nuance. Some times I want tea!

[Pentox]

For me, it's not always about nuance. Some times I want tea!

that's what genmaicha and hojicha are for!

[Chip]

Genmaicha and hojicha are more often than not ... made with bancha.

[Pentox]

Genmaicha and hojicha are more often than not ... made with bancha.

Depends on where you're buying them from. For some reason whenever I say hojicha I tend to mean a hoji kukicha.

[greenisgood]

i really like the rishi organic, its expensive online but i can get it at the grocery store

[murrius]

sencha is cherry blossoms.... bancha is autumn leaves
sencha is poetry ........ bancha is a good read
sencha is a new love ..... bancha is a dear old friend
sencha is fine wine ...... bancha is a cold beer on a hot day

You get the idea...

[Ritva]

sencha is cherry blossoms.... bancha is autumn leaves
sencha is poetry ........ bancha is a good read
sencha is a new love ..... bancha is a dear old friend
sencha is fine wine ...... bancha is a cold beer on a hot day

You get the idea...

What a lovely way to describe it!

[Beidao]

sencha is cherry blossoms.... bancha is autumn leaves
sencha is poetry ........ bancha is a good read
sencha is a new love ..... bancha is a dear old friend
sencha is fine wine ...... bancha is a cold beer on a hot day

You get the idea...

Poetry!