Bodai-Sancha · 菩提酸茶 · Japanese lacto-fermented tea

bodhi

A lacto-fermented sparkling tea made from Bodai-Sancha — a Japanese fermented tea developed by the Bancha Research Group.
Dry. Unsweetened. 0.0% alcohol. Zero calories. Entirely its own.

Method Patented (JP 7085174)
Base Bodai-Sancha
Format 200 mL bottle
Shelf life 9 months
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Brand Film

Watch the bodhi story

One minute. Filmed for our overseas presentations — the philosophy, the place, the bottle.

Read

What is Bodai-Sancha?

A traditional Japanese lacto-fermented tea — not kombucha. The base ingredient behind bodhi, with its own origin, process, and place in the history of Japanese fermented tea.

What is Bodai-Sancha? →

By Takayuki Tatara, fifth-generation tea merchant · Nagamine Seicha

The Idea

A new category at the dining table.

There is a place at the dinner table for a beverage that is Japanese, that is alive with acidity and carbonation, that pairs with food the way a dry sparkling wine pairs with food — and that contains no alcohol and no added sugar. That place is empty. bodhi is our answer.

We did not set out to make a soft drink, a juice, or a health tonic. We set out to create a tea that could occupy the role of champagne at a serious table: lifted by fine bubbles, structured by natural acidity, capable of cutting through fat and echoing delicate proteins. It had to be dry. It had to be zero-sugar. And it had to earn its keep by being poured in a flute, not a water glass.

The result is bodhi — built from a lacto-fermented tea leaf our house has spent years developing with a single Shizuoka producer. Bottled, carbonated, and shipped from Yaizu. Designed to pour alongside oysters, roast beef, charcuterie, and aged cheese with equal authority.

bodhi is built on Bodai-Sancha, a rare lacto-fermented tea leaf produced in the Bodai district of Fukuroi, Shizuoka. While Japan has a long, regional history of post-fermented teas — awabancha, goishicha, ishizuchi-kurocha — bodhi is built on a contemporary anaerobic fermentation method developed at our house and protected under Japanese Patent No. 7085174. The result: a sparkling, dry, structured beverage that brings an ancient way of working with tea to the modern dining table.

Principle I

Zero sugar

No added sweetness. What you taste is the tea leaf, fermented, expressed — not syrup.

Principle II

0.0% alcohol

Nothing to declare, nothing to age-restrict. For the dinner table, any occasion, any guest.

Principle III

Wine-like acidity

Structured brightness and length. Not a novelty beverage — a drink designed to function alongside food.

The Process

Four weeks of natural fermentation.

bodhi begins not with tea, but with Bodai-Sancha — a lacto-fermented tea leaf we produce over roughly four weeks with lactic acid bacteria native to the leaf itself. No starter culture is added. No sugar is introduced. The bacteria are there already; our work is to let them do theirs.

Bodai-Sancha harvest at sunrise — mechanical harvester in tea field, Fukuroi, Shizuoka
Step 01

Harvest

Autumn or winter

Leaf grown and picked by Ikeda-en, our partner producer in the Bodai region of Fukuroi, Shizuoka.

Fresh tea leaves being steamed at Ikeda-en, halting oxidation before fermentation
Step 02

Steaming

30–60 seconds

At Ikeda-en, fresh leaf is steamed to halt oxidation and soften for the anaerobic phase to follow.

A fermented Bodai-Sancha leaf held against the sky — golden-amber color indicates completed lactic fermentation
Step 03

Fermentation

∼ 4 weeks · patented method

Anaerobic lacto-fermentation in a vacuum environment — the core of our patented process (JP Patent No. 7085174). Naturally present bacteria produce the bright acidity and citrus aroma unique to this leaf. No starter culture. No added sugar.

Fermented Bodai-Sancha leaves sun-drying — the finishing step, weather-dependent
Step 04

Sun drying

Weather-dependent

Sun-dried at Ikeda-en to finish. The leaf now is Bodai-Sancha — a raw material in its own right, sold separately for B2B partners.

Stainless steel extraction tanks at Nagamine Seicha, Yaizu — where Bodai-Sancha is brewed into the base liquor
Step 05

Brewing

At Yaizu

At Nagamine Seicha in Yaizu, Bodai-Sancha is extracted to produce the base liquor: wine-like acidity, clean finish, amber hue.

CO2 carbonation in line at Nagamine Seicha — fine mousse integrated into the Bodai-Sancha base liquor
Step 06

Carbonation

In-line CO2

CO2 is integrated into the base liquor in-line, producing a fine, persistent mousse to carry the wine-like acidity.

Freshly bottled bodhi with labels and neck collars reading TO YOUR HEALTH — 200ml crown-cap glass bottles at Nagamine Seicha, Yaizu
Step 07

Bottling

200 mL, crown cap

Bottled in 200 mL glass with a crown cap, finished with a neck collar reading To your health!, and shipped from Yaizu.

A single fermented Bodai-Sancha leaf — amber and translucent, held against the open sky
The Leaf

One leaf, four weeks.

This is what fermentation looks like when it’s finished. Amber. Translucent. Veined like a stained-glass panel held against the sky. Every bottle of bodhi begins here — one Bodai-Sancha leaf, four weeks of lactic acid bacteria doing their work, no shortcuts, no additives.

Photographed at Ikeda-en, Fukuroi, Shizuoka.

bodhi served with roast beef
The Taste

Served in a flute.

The liquor is amber-gold with a fine, persistent mousse. On the nose, citrus peel and a quiet lactic brightness. On the palate, dry structure and wine-like acidity carry through to a clean, lingering finish. No residual sugar, no artificial aroma.

Pour bodhi into a champagne flute, chilled to 5°C. It drinks the way a young brut champagne drinks — lifted, structural, capable of holding its own with food. Pair with what you would pair a dry sparkling wine with, and you are on the right road.

Serving temp 5°C — well chilled
Glassware Champagne flute
Color Amber gold
Character Dry, citrus lift, structural
At the Table

A universal pairing.

Unlike flavoured sparkling teas designed around a single cuisine, bodhi is structural rather than aromatic — which means it works the way a dry champagne works: broadly, confidently, with a wide range of foods. Below, the four categories our restaurant partners return to most often.

Red meat

Roast beef, carpaccio

The acidity cuts through rendered fat the way a brut champagne does. Ideal with cured beef, rare roasts, and carpaccio.

Seafood

Oysters, sashimi, sushi

Clean finish and mineral lift mirror the brininess of oysters and raw fish without overpowering delicate textures.

Charcuterie

Cured meats, aged cheese

Carbonation refreshes the palate between bites. Structured enough to handle blue cheese, fine enough for prosciutto.

Aperitif

Before the meal

A serious opening beverage for diners not drinking alcohol — offered in the same glassware, at the same temperature.

Not Kombucha

A different category, entirely.

bodhi is often asked about in the same breath as kombucha. They share a fermentation angle, but the products diverge at every level — process, sugar, alcohol, taste, and occasion. The table below is the one we send to beverage buyers evaluating both.

Kombucha
bodhi
Fermentation
SCOBY (yeast + bacteria symbiosis)
Natural lactic acid bacteria, native to leaf
Sugar
Required for fermentation
None — not required, not added
Alcohol
Trace alcohol often present (<0.5%)
0.0% — 0.0% alcohol in finished product
Taste profile
Sweet-tart, often residual sugar
Dry, wine-like acidity, no sweetness
Body
Sometimes thick, sometimes viscous
Light, lifted, carbonated — flute-style
Intended occasion
Refreshment, wellness beverage
Dining table — pairing beverage
Recognition

A patented process. Awarded at home and abroad.

Patent

Japanese Patent No. 7085174

Method for Producing Anaerobically Fermented Tea · Registered 2022

The core fermentation method behind bodhi — steaming the leaf before anaerobic lacto-fermentation in a vacuum environment — is protected under Japanese patent. Granted to Nagamine Seicha; inventor, Takayuki Tatara.

World Championship

Champion, Japan Plus Division

Undiscovered Gems of Japan World Championship 2023 · Singapore

bodhi was named Champion of the Japan Plus Division at the international final held in Singapore in August 2023, judged by chefs, restaurateurs, and beverage buyers from across Asia.

Base leaf

Special Award, World Green Tea Contest 2020

For Bodai-Sancha · Organised by World Green Tea Association

The lacto-fermented base leaf at the heart of bodhi — Bodai-Sancha — was recognised at the World Green Tea Contest 2020, an annual juried exhibition for new and innovative tea products.

Bodai-Sancha fermented tea leaf
The Origin

Toyosawa, Fukuroi — locally known as Bodai.

The word bodai is the local name for the Toyosawa district of Fukuroi City, in Shizuoka — an area with its own quiet history of lacto-fermented tea production. Our work on Bodai-Sancha has been carried out in partnership with Ikeda-en, a single grower in this district who supplies us both the tea we use to produce the raw fermented leaf and the leaf that becomes the base of this bottle.

Two harvest variants are produced: an autumn leaf with richer umami and deeper acidity, and a winter leaf with brighter, more delicate character. Both are sold separately as raw material for B2B partners developing their own fermented beverage programs.

Region
Toyosawa district (the Bodai region), Fukuroi City, Shizuoka
Producer
Ikeda-en — single grower partnership
Harvests
Autumn (October) & Winter (December)
Raw material
Available separately — see Ingredients
For Partners

Specifications for specialty importers, restaurants, and beverage programs.

bodhi is available to qualified B2B partners internationally. Typical partners include specialty beverage importers, fine-dining restaurants, hotel groups with non-alcoholic pairing programs, and boutique beverage retailers. Terms below are indicative — final specifications and pricing are confirmed per relationship.

Unit 200 mL Glass bottle, crown cap
Shelf life 9 months From production date
Storage Cool & dark Refrigerate after opening
Shipping FOB Yaizu CIF to major Asian ports available
MOQ Flexible Case by case, long-term preferred
Samples On request For qualified B2B partners
Request samples & pricing → Download bodhi brochure (PDF)
In the Field

bodhi at World Tea Expo 2026, Las Vegas.

In May 2026, Nagamine Seicha presented bodhi and Bodai-Sancha to North American buyers, sommeliers, and beverage program directors at the World Tea Expo in Las Vegas. The reception confirmed what we have heard from our existing partners in Japan: there is a place at the modern table for a beverage that is fermented, sparkling, dry, and entirely non-alcoholic.

Nagamine Seicha booth at World Tea Expo 2026 Las Vegas — three craft sparkling tea bottles, Bodai-Sancha Powder, and tea leaf samples displayed on a dark booth table reading CRAFT SPARKLING TEA & LACTO-FERMENTED TEA — FROM SHIZUOKA, JAPAN
Our booth display · three sparkling tea SKUs and Bodai-Sancha samples
A North American buyer in conversation with Nagamine Seicha’s representative in kimono, sampling bodhi at the booth
In conversation with North American buyers

World Tea Expo · Las Vegas Convention Center · May 2026

Frequently asked

Questions buyers ask first.

Is bodhi the same as kombucha?

No. Kombucha is brewed from a SCOBY culture with added sugar and typically carries trace alcohol. bodhi is fermented on the tea leaf itself, with no starter culture and no added sugar — the bacteria are already there. The two share a fermentation angle but diverge at every other level: process, sugar, alcohol, taste, and occasion.

What is Bodai-Sancha?

Bodai-Sancha (菩提酸茶) is the lacto-fermented tea leaf at the base of bodhi, produced in the Bodai district of Fukuroi, Shizuoka. The leaf received a Special Award at the World Green Tea Contest 2020. It is also sold separately as a raw material for B2B partners developing their own fermented beverage programs.

Is bodhi alcoholic?

No. bodhi contains 0.0% alcohol and zero added sugar. Lacto-fermentation produces no alcohol — nothing to declare, nothing to age-restrict.

Is bodhi part of a wider Japanese fermented tea tradition?

Yes. Japan has a regional history of post-fermented teas, including awabancha (Tokushima), goishicha (Kochi), and ishizuchi-kurocha (Ehime). bodhi sits within this lineage of Japanese lacto-fermented teas, but is built on a contemporary anaerobic fermentation method developed at Nagamine Seicha and protected under Japanese Patent No. 7085174.

Is the bodhi production process protected?

Yes. bodhi is built on a patented anaerobic fermentation process developed at Nagamine Seicha (Japanese Patent No. 7085174, registered 2022). The leaf is steamed before anaerobic fermentation in a vacuum environment — a method unique to our house.

Has bodhi received any international recognition?

Yes. In August 2023, bodhi was named Champion of the Japan Plus Division at the Undiscovered Gems of Japan World Championship in Singapore, judged by chefs, restaurateurs, and beverage buyers from across Asia.

Where can I order bodhi as a B2B buyer?

bodhi is wholesaled internationally by Nagamine Seicha (Yaizu, Shizuoka), the appointed B2B export partner of bodhi tea & culture LLC. Use the contact form to request samples, pricing, and Incoterms.

Who manufactures bodhi, and who owns the brand?

bodhi is a brand of bodhi tea & culture LLC, founded in Shizuoka by three tea houses: Ikeda-en (the grower), amma, and Nagamine Seicha. The bottled product is manufactured by Nagamine Seicha at our Yaizu facility, under our patented process. Nagamine Seicha is the appointed B2B export partner for sales worldwide.

Bodai-Sancha Powder · 菩提酸茶パウダー

For cafés & kitchens

The same Bodai-Sancha base — lacto-fermented, dried, and milled. A low-caffeine powder with lactic acidity and a gentle plum-like finish. No bitterness. Integrates cleanly into milk-based and frozen applications.

Application
Bodai Tea Latte

Steamed milk over Bodai-Sancha powder. The lactic acidity cuts through milk fat cleanly — no sugar needed. Also works cold.

Application
Yuzu Bodai Latte

Add a small measure of yuzu syrup. The citrus lifts the fermented note and adds brightness — a signature drink with minimal effort.

Recipe · 1 serving
Bodai-Sancha powder — 3–4 g (1 tsp)
Hot water — 50 ml (to dissolve)
Oat milk — 150 ml
Yuzu syrup — 7–8 ml (1½ tsp)
Dissolve powder in hot water, add syrup, pour oat milk. Works hot or iced.
Application
Soft Serve & Ice Cream

Blends into soft serve mix or ice cream base. The fermented sourness creates a complex, non-sweet profile that pairs with fruit toppings.

Product spec
Base Bodai-Sancha (菩提酸茶), lacto-fermented
Caffeine Low — autumn-picked, bancha level
Flavor profile Lactic acidity, plum-like finish, no bitterness
Price USD 90 / kg · FOB Japan
MOQ 1 kg
Stock Limited — contact for availability
Inquire about powder →
Try bodhi

Six bottles of bodhi, plus its companions, in your hands.

The Sparkling Tea Tasting Pack pairs six bottles of bodhi with three each of Yuzu Sencha and Apple Wakocha — USD 150 worldwide. Built for chef-and-sommelier evaluation against actual food.

Request a Tasting Kit → Ask for Pricing & Availability →