Certified organic bancha green tea harvested in the summer by the Takeo family. Compared to sencha, tea leaves of bancha is larger with less caffeine and more catechin. Bancha is known under different names depending on the region, and is sometimes referred to as senryu 川柳. In Mie prefecture spring and summer harvested bancha is often referred to as yanagi-cha 柳茶 and autumn harvest as bancha 番茶. We have named our product 'Aoyanagi in May' for spring harvest, 'Aoyanagi' for summer harvest, and 'Bancha Organic' for autumn harvest. Note: Bag packed by Yunomi loses its organic certification. 1kg bag from Takeo Tea Farm is certified organic. Steeping Notes The amounts below are guidelines. Adjust to preference.Tea Leaves: 4 gramsWater Amount: 100 ml (1/2 cup, 3.4 fl oz)Water Temperature: 80˚C / 176˚F degreesSteeping Time: 1 minute Product Info Ingredients: Green tea Harvest: May (not the first flush harvest, but a second trimming of late flushing leaves from the first flush, but prior to the second flush). Region: Tsu City, Mie Prefecture Producer Info Name: Takeo Tea Farm Type: Tea farm, family business Farmer: Hiroyuki Takeo Established: 1925, all fields converted to organic cultivation in 1993, certified as organic in 2000 Certification: JAS certified organic (legally equivalent to USDA, EU, French, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand organic certifications)