Departments
茶
CHA
tea
Tea is the national drink of Japan. The Japanese word for tea, cha, was originally a Chinese loanword; and the modern Chinese word for tea uses the same character and almost the same pronunciation.
A variety of teas are consumed in Japan. The major types are:
- Gyokuro / 玉露, sencha / 煎茶, and bancha / 番茶 are all common Japanese green teas. These teas are prepared from powder.
- Matcha / 抹茶 is a very bitter green tea prepared from powder. This is the tea used in the cha no yu / 茶の湯 (“tea ceremony”).
- Kōcha / 紅茶 is black (European-style) tea.
- Ūron-cha / ウーロン茶 is oolong, or Chinese-style tea.