ARIEL Chinese Bancha

Chinese Bancha is a mellow, everyday green tea – mild, smooth and easy to drink, with none of the sharpness that puts some people off green tea. It's made from the larger, more mature leaves of the tea plant, picked in autumn, which gives it a soft, slightly earthy character and naturally less caffeine than most green teas.

Tasting Notes

The cup pours a clear, pale gold and drinks soft and smooth. Bancha is gently grassy and lightly earthy, with a mellow sweetness and a subtle roasted note that sets it apart from brighter green teas. There's very little astringency and no bitterness, so it stays easy and refreshing cup after cup. Good hot, and pleasant cooled down.

What Makes It Bancha

Bancha comes from the same plant as every green tea, Camellia sinensis, but from its larger, later-picked leaves – here harvested in October. Those mature leaves are what give bancha its milder, rounder flavour, its gentle roasted edge and its naturally lower caffeine. It's long been the everyday tea of the table, the one you drink all day without a second thought.

Brewing

Heat fresh water to 70–85 °C and steep 2.5 g (about one teaspoon) for 3 to 4 minutes. Keep the water gentle so the tea stays smooth; the same leaves give a good second cup.

Additional Information

• Ingredients: Whole leaf green tea.
• Formats: 100 g loose leaf, 1 kg loose leaf
• Certifications: Kosher
• Foundation: Humaniterra Foundation