The Nihoncha Dictionary

Nihoncha means Japanese Tea in Japanese. Here we'll cover the terminology pertaining to Japanese tea.

A

• Akibancha
  Tea picked during the Autumn
  
  
• Aracha
  Crude tea made from steaming the leaves.

B

• Bancha
  Name for a normal quality Japanese tea. Usually made from leaves not suited for higher grade Japanese tea such as Sencha.

C

• Chasen (Bamboo whisk)
  A bamboo whisk used to mix the Matcha powder with hot water.
  
  
• Chasen-tate
  A holder for the Chasen, or the Bamboo whisk.
  
  
• Chashaku (Bamboo scoop)
  A scoop used to measure Matcha powder.
  
  
• Chawan (Tea cup)
  A cup used for drinking Japanese Tea.
  
  
• Chazutsu (Tea caddie)
  A tea caddie used for storing tea leaves.

D

• Dobin (Large Teapot)
  A Japanese Teapot. Usually a large one for brewing tea in volume.
  
  
• Doroko
  Tea made from even smaller particles than Konacha.

F

• Fukamushi-cha
  Any type of Japanese tea steamed for a longer period of time than usual to stop oxidation.
  
  
• Fukamushi-sencha
  A Sencha which made by steaming for 60-100 sec instead of the typical 30 seconds.
  
  
• Futatsuki-chawan
  A tea cup with a lid - used for special guests. 
  
  
• Futsumushi-sencha
  Another name for Sencha.
  
  
• Futsu-Zumi (Normal Plucking)
  Normal plucking methodology of the tea leaves.

G

• Genmaicha
  A type of Japanese green tea that is mixed with roasted brown rice kernels.
  (buy Genmaicha)
  
  
• Gokoh cultivar
  Cultivar used mainly for Gyokuro with a fantastic classy aroma. Made from indigenous species of Uji (Kyoto).
  
  
• Gyokuro
  A premium type of Japanese green tea cultivated by shading of the leaves to lessen the astringency of the tea.
  
  
• Gyokuro-Genmaicha
  Genmaicha made from Gyokuro leaves.
  
  
• Gyokuro-konacha
  Konacha, or powder tea, made from Gyokuro leaves.
  
  
• Gyokuro-mecha
  Mecha, or bud tea, made from Gyokuro leaves.

H

• Hachijyu-Hachiya (Eighty-Eighth Night Tea)
  Tea leaves picked on the 88th day counting from the first day of Spring.
  
  
• Houjicha
  Japanese green tea which is roasted until it turns brown.
  
  
• Houshun Cultivar
  Cultivar mainly used for Gyokuro. From Samidori cultivar. An Uji cultivar.

I

• Ichibancha
  Tea leaves harvested from the first harvesting period of the year. Same meaning as Shincha.
  
  
• Isshin-niyou (Two Leaf Plucking)
  Tea leaf plucking methodology which only plucks 2 leaves and a bud.
  
  
• Isshin-sanyou (Three Leaf Plucking)
  Tea leaf plucking methodology which only plucks 3 leaves and a bud.
  
  
• Isshin-goyou (Five Leaf Plucking / Normal Plucking)
  Normal plucking methodology of the tea leaves.

K

• Kabuse-cha
  A premium type of Japanese green tea cultivated by shading of the leaves to lessen the astringency of the tea.
  
  
• Kamairi-cha
  A rare type of Japanese tea made from roasting instead of steaming to stop oxidation.
  
  
• Karigane
  A name for high quality twig tea.
  
  
• Kukicha (Twig tea)
  Twig tea. Made from the twigs and stems left over from the manufacturing process of usual green tea.
  
  
• Karigane Genmaicha
  A Japanese tea made from mixing twig tea and brown rice kernels.
  
  
• Koicha (Thick tea)
  A special way Matcha is prepared - only used for premium quality Matcha powder.
  
  
• Konacha (Powder tea)
  A tea made from the small particles detached from the leaves during the manufacturing process.
  
  
• Kumidashi-Chawan
  A type of tea cup used for serving Sencha or Gyokuro.
  
  
• Kyusu (Teapot)
  A Japanese Teapot - usually a smaller sized one.

M

• Matcha
  Powdered green tea made from Tencha - which is a tea leaf cultivated by shading of the leaves to lessen the astringency of the tea.
  
  
• Matcha-Chawan / Matchawan (Tea cup)
  A Tea cup used for drinking Matcha.
  
  
• Mecha (Bud tea)
  Tea made from buds of the tea leaf.

N

• Nibancha
  Tea made from leaves taken from the second harvesting session of the year.
  
  
• Niyou-Zumi (Two Leaf Plucking)
  Tea leaf plucking methodology which only plucks 2 leaves and a bud.

O

• Okumidori Cultivar
  Relatively late-flushing cultivar used to spread the picking timing out.
  
  
• Okuyutaka Cultivar
  Cultivar used for Gyokuro and Sencha. 

S

• Saemidori Cultivar
  Cultivar used for Sencha and Fukamushi Sencha. Very small to no astringency in the tea.
  
  
• Samidori Cultivar
  Cultivar mainly used for Matcha. (An Uji cultivar)
  
  
• Sanbancha
  Tea made from leaves taken from the third harvesting session of the year.
  
  
• Sanyou-Zumi (Three Leaf Plucking)
  Tea leaf plucking methodology which only plucks 3 leaves and a bud.
  
  
• Sencha
  The typical Japanese green tea of high quality, usually made of leaves from the first or second harvesting period of the year.
  
  
• Shincha
  Tea leaves from the first harvesting period of the year. Same as Ichiban-cha.

T

• Tencha
  Crude Tea for making Matcha. The leaves for Tencha are shaded from the sun.
  
  
• Tokumushi-sencha
  A type of Sencha steamed for an extremely long time to stop the oxidation.
  
  
• Tsutsu-chawan
  A type of tea cup used for drinking hot tea such as Genmaicha, Houjicha, or Bancha.

U

• Usucha (Thin tea)
  The typical way Matcha is prepared.

Y

• Yabukita Cultivar
  Cultivar used for Sencha. The most widely used cultivar in Japan.