Amacha
/a.ma.tɕa/noun
A sweet herbal tea made from the leaves of a Japanese hydrangea, especially associated with Buddhist ceremonies.
Did you know?During Japan’s Hana Matsuri festival, amacha is traditionally poured over images of the infant Buddha, echoing the legend that heavenly beings bathed him in fragrant rain.
Etymological Timeline
Old Japanese
Japanese
ama-
“Sweet; the stem related to modern Japanese amai, “sweet.””
Ancient China
Chinese
茶
“Tea; the Chinese character and word later spread across Asia through trade and Buddhism.”
8th–12th Centuries
Japanese
cha
“Tea, borrowed into Japanese from a Chinese form of 茶.”
Medieval Japanese
Japanese
甘茶
“Amacha, literally “sweet tea,” referring to a naturally sweet herbal infusion rather than ordinary tea leaves.”
Modern Japanese
Japanese
あまちゃ
“A traditional infusion made from hydrangea leaves, strongly associated with Buddhist observances such as Hana Matsuri.”
Modern English
English
amacha
“An English loanword for the Japanese sweet herbal tea and the plant from which it is made.”