Tea from the last harvest of the season. Considered a somewhat lower grade of green tea than sencha, bancha has a milder flavour and the lowest level of caffeine of any standard Japanese green tea. Like any green tea it has a vegetative flavour coupled with a mild astringency, and is a rich source of antioxidants.

Bancha leaves are roasted to make Hojicha, which has a much richer, cooked sort of flavour and less caffeine; the stems are roasted to make kukicha, sometimes known as twig tea, which has a slightly sweeter flavour and even less caffeine.