Batabatacha (バタバタ茶, Batabata-cha) is a Japanese post-fermented tea produced in Toyama Prefecture, in the north of the central part (chubu Region) of Honshu Island. Sometimes, it is called toyama-kurocha and asahi-kurocha, where Toyama and Asahi stand for the names of the prefecture and a small town in it, and the word kurocha, as was mentioned earlier, is used in Japanese to denote post-fermented (dark) tea. Whereas the beautiful word “batabata” is partially based on onomatopoeia designation of quick moves or actions (something like “helter-skelter”). In fact, the name of this tea can be interpreted as “tea that is prepared by quick moves”; we’ll speak about these moves later.
To make batabatacha, mature tea leaves are collected in July-August; then the leaves are boiled for fixation until they become yellowish. Then the wet leaves are left to dry in the shade on straw mats for several hours. After drying, the leaves are tightly stuffed (by means of human body weight) into large wooden boxes for aerobic fermentation involving fungi. In the process of fermentation, the temperature of the raw material should not rise above 60 degree Celsius, otherwise the important fungi may die. Every four days the tea leaves are stirred, the whole fermentation process lasts about a month. After fermentation, tea is dried for several hours in the shade and 2-3 days in the sun.
Batabatacha is brewed the following way. At least 6 grams of tea for minimum 10 minutes are boiled in a liter of water (boiling time can be increased up to several hours). The resulting broth (not a suspension, as is the case with matcha, but rather a decoction) is beaten with a special whisk (different from chasen for the matcha tea ceremony) with possible addition of salt. It is curious that historically batabatacha, as well as matcha, which is also whipped, is associated with the Buddhist tradition. And, since we’ve mentioned history here, it is worth to note that the first written mention of batabatacha refers to the year 1472. Rafael was not yet born, and Columbus, probably, was not even thinking about his strange India.
So. For the preparation and consumption of batabatacha, special bowls are used (it is better, of course, not to change vessels when preparing whisked tea, but drink right from the cup where it was whipped), and for its whipping, special whisks are used, which bear a beautiful name (batabatachasen), and look beautiful — they are twinned and remind big brushes. But, of course, it is possible to prepare batabatacha in any bowl and with any suitable tool, e.g. cappuccinatores and milk-frothers.
The taste of batabatach tea is noted to be slightly sweet with woody notes. Its pleasant aftertaste has mild hints of mint. And the froth — although you can brew this tea in the usual way just as well — comes out very good.
Here one can buy this tea and have a look at its beautiful pictures, and here — a whisk for it. Here is a description of batabatacha on My Japanese Green Tea and tasting notes from the same site. Here’s a video demonstrating how the tea is whisked, but here is a study which has found that batabatacha is rich in vitamin B12.
We’d also like to note that frothy tea with names formed according to a similar principle can be also found in other regions of Japan. In Okinawa, for example, there is bukubukucha (ブクブク茶) and a special ceremony of preparing and serving this drink. And in Shimane prefecture (west of Honshu), there’s botebotecha (ボテボテ茶). These drinks are different from batabatacha. The main ingredient is mostly different (the whisked drink is prepared from roasted rice and its froth is even richer), and the serving may differ — in Okinawa, for example, the froth is used as a topping which is placed on top of an unwhisked tea.
