Mimasaka-bancha is one of those traditional regional Japanese teas drunk by the common folk and produced using a very wide range of techniques. It is one of the rare ones that is still produced today, and comes from Mimasaka in Okayama Prefecture. Its origin seems to date back to the Muromachi Period (1333-1573).

This bancha is made from sufficiently large summer leaves that are first boiled and then spread on straw mats to dry in the sun. At certain points in the drying process, the leaves are sprayed with the water from the broth made from the fresh leaves. This produces the shininess characteristic of mimasaka-bancha. Lastly, the leaves are roasted.

When it is infused, the fragrances of this bancha are very close to those of a hôji-cha, but rounder and more mellow, since this tea is made from unrolled leaves. A peppery note appears in addition to the sweet scents of roasting. In the mouth, it is again very sweet, fluid and light, but nonetheless delicious, with rich, warm aromas that are expressed essentially in retro-olfaction. This is a very accessible tea, which can be drunk all day long in large quantities. It warms you up in the winter and refreshes you in the summer. On average, mimasaka-bancha has half the caffeine of a sencha. An extremely pleasant tea, and a brilliant alternative to hôji-cha.

Type of tea : bancha
Origin : Kaita, Mimasaka Town, Okayama Prefecture
Cultivar : Yabukita, others