1.
powdered tea; tea dust
Fine tea particles left over from processing higher-grade tea leaves. An affordable, everyday tea commonly served at sushi restaurants and casual eateries. Not to be confused with matcha, which is stone-ground from specially cultivated leaves.
Composed of 粉 (powder) and 茶 (tea). This is the fine tea dust or small leaf fragments that result from processing sencha and other green teas. At sushi restaurants it is often called あがり, a traditional term for the tea served at the end of a meal.
Distinct from 抹茶, which is ceremonial-grade tea stone-ground from shade-grown tencha leaves. 粉茶 is a byproduct of regular tea processing and is much cheaper.