Bancha is a Japanese green tea. It is harvested from the second flush of the same trees that yield sencha. The time of harvest is between summer and autumn. Other sources say that it is made from the coarser, larger leaves that are trimmed from the tea trees at the end of the season. Both descriptions may be correct since bancha is considered a very common tea. It is given a lower grade than sencha. There are 22 different grades of bancha

It is a considered to be a good tea to serve to children because it is inexpensive and has lower caffeine than many other green teas. It is also rich in vitamin A, niacin, calcium, and iron.

The liquor is said to have a mellow flavor and a yellow-brown color. Though it is a low grade tea, many people enjoy it for the strong, woodsy flavor. It is the base ingredient for hojicha and genmaicha.