Kyobancha（京番茶）

Kyobancha (京番茶), also sold as Iribancha, is Kyoto’s own style of roasted green tea: large, unrolled leaves with an intensely smoky aroma, brewed into a surprisingly mellow, low-bitterness cup. It’s made from the coarse, mature leaves left over after a tea bush’s more delicate flushes have already gone toward sencha, gyokuro, or tencha. Producers steam, dry, and roast those leaves over direct heat until smoke works its way into the leaf. Outside Kyoto, this style of tea often goes by other regional names. At a glance, it’s sometimes grouped in with hōjicha, but it isn’t quite the same as either. Kyobancha skips a step that most other Japanese teas go through. That single difference gives it shaggy, oversized leaves and an unusually strong smoky character. This guide covers what makes Kyobancha distinct, how it’s made, and how it compares with hōjicha. It also covers how to brew and buy it. For the broader category it belongs to, see the complete Bancha guide. For the roasting process it’s sometimes confused with, see the Hōjicha guide. TOCWhat Is Kyobancha? Where the Leaves Come From Kyobancha uses the large, tough leaves a tea bush grows after farmers pick its prized flushes. Produ...