Bancha (番茶) is a Japanese green tea. It is harvested from the second flush of sencha between summer and autumn. (The first flush is harvested for shincha.)
Bancha is the common green tea in Japan. It is harvested from the same tree as sencha grade, but it is plucked later than sencha is, giving it a lower market grade. It is considered to be the lowest grade of green tea. There are 22 grades of bancha. Its flavour is unique, it has a stronger organic straw smell.
