Wondering what are some of the benefits of drinking bancha tea? Let us dive right into its history, symbolism, and benefits.
Bancha tea, a popular type of Japanese green tea, reminds everyone that there is beauty in simplicity. Usually, the price of a certain item is thought to be directly proportional to its quality.
The majority of consumers have experienced trusting and buying a product just because it has a high price. It’s not unlikely that you have fallen into this perception once in your life.
Bancha tea is an example that there are still products that offer quality albeit their low prices. Bancha tea is translated as “ordinary tea”. It got its name for being the everyday tea served in oriental households.
Due to its abundance and affordable price, it became the “go-to” tea of the common folks and is considered less refined than other types of teas.
What is Bancha tea?
The tea leaves of Bancha also come from the same tree as Sencha. However, the leaves are plucked at a later season. As a result, the tea leaves to brew Bancha are much older and larger than that of the more refined Sencha.
Exploring its history and varieties
Due to its vast availability and the wide region Bancha tea is used, it developed two sub-varieties. These are called the Kukicha and Hojicha varieties.
The Kukicha tea variety is also known as the “twig tea”. As its name suggests, this tea is made up of stems, twigs, and stalks. Because of this unique composition, it gives a distinct taste. It is usually described as nutty and creamy mainly because of the parts of the tea plant that are usually not included in other tea blends.
Meanwhile, the Hojicha tea variety is differentiated by its preparation. Green tea leaves are roasted over a porcelain pot usually at a temperature of 150° C. This produces a light gold color that is infused with a toasty taste.
Benefits of Bancha tea
Despite being known as common and ordinary, Bancha tea brings several benefits to its drinkers. Aside from emitting a sense of wellness, it provides positive effects. This widely available and more affordable type of tea is proven to deliver improvements in the digestive, healing, and circulatory processes of the human body.
Aids in digestion and cleansing
Have you ever had that bloated feeling from indulging too much in a certain meal? Slowly sipping a cup of Bancha tea is known to eliminate this uncomfortable sensation. In Japanese homes, tea is usually served a few minutes after dessert. It helps quicken the digestive process and gives you the light feeling to prepare you for your next activity.
It is also reported to eliminate toxins and sediments that lurk in our abdomen. People who practice intermittent fasting usually include a cup of Bancha tea in their breakfast. It maximizes the effect of fasting by effectively getting rid of the unwanted residue in our bodies.
Actively heals dead cells
Bancha is also known to carry healing properties. This is most prevalent in the skin. Our skin has a natural process of producing new cells to replace old and dead ones. However, this process slows down as we age. Bancha tea is said to trigger this healing process. Hence, Bancha aficionados have radiant and young-looking skin.
Helps promote steady blood stream
The heart provides our body with life-sustaining oxygenated blood. It flows through our veins and into our muscles and various organs. However, this flow is impeded by bad cholesterol. Luckily, good cholesterol combats these impediments and promotes a steady flow of blood in our system.
Bancha tea is known to stimulate the production of good cholesterol. The amino acids found in this green tea variety give our blood the fighting capability to combat bad cholesterol.
This goes to show how something called “ordinary” can bring pleasant surprises at times. Bancha tea has passed the test of time by being simple yet extremely useful.
Want to find out more about other teas? Check out the following guide below!