Amacha

Amacha (甘茶, [amat͡ɕa]) is a Japanese herbal tea made from fermented leaves of Hydrangea macrophylla var.

The name derives from the characters for sweet (甘い, [amai]) and tea (茶, [t͡ɕa]).

This tea contains tannin and phyllodulcin, a sweetener 400–800 times sweeter than table sugar (sucrose)[1] or 2 times sweeter than saccharin.

This tea is often used in ceremonies celebrating Buddha's Birthday, in Japanese Buddhism on April 8.

At that occasion, Japanese people pour amacha on small Buddha statues decorated with flowers, as if bathing a newborn baby.