Awa bancha

Awa bancha is fermented bancha. Awa bancha is made only in a couple of places in Japan where the climates is suitable for cultivating lactose bacteria (for the fermentation). Tokushima prefecture is one of this places. The process is basically done like sauerkraut. The tea is first boiled, mashed, pressed and then dried. The fermentation process takes place while the leaves are pressed over a period of three weeks.