Description
Buddha Amacha (あまちゃ, "sweet tea") is a rare Japanese infusion that plays an important role in the annual Hanamatsuri — the Buddhist spring festival celebrating Buddha's birth. During this festival, Amacha is ritually poured over small Buddha statues and then drunk by visitors as a symbol of purity and renewal.
This special drink is not made from tea leaves, but from the leaves of a specific type of hydrangea: Hydrangea macrophylla var. thunbergii. After picking, the leaves are steamed, fermented and then dried. During this process, the sweetener phyllodulcine is naturally produced, giving Ama Cha its mild, characteristic sweet taste — without any added sugar or flavourings.
Amacha is a rarity outside Japan and a fine example of the refined Japanese tea culture, in which even non-tea plants can have a special meaning.
