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Two Japanese Classic ingredients - Tea and Rice.
Toasted, summery, but green through and through, it's no surprise that Genmaicha is a current word-of-mouth favorite among Japanese professionals. But it wasn't always ...As the tale goes, the plain, hearty “Bancha” leaves that form this tea's base have long been a regular countryside tradition. Its use was widespread among rural Japanese families who saw tea as a way to celebrate the contemplative nature of change. Thus Bancha represented summer and the thoughts that came with the warm, wet season.
In times of scarcity, even Bancha became hard to obtain. Thus, to make the tea last longer, it was mixed with popped rice. The resulting flavor was so unique that Genmaicha continues to be blended today.
And so Genmaicha was born, a meeting of the two great sustaining sources of the Japanese table; representing the balance of luxury and survival in a toasted, vegetal, gardener's tea. Suitable for most occasions and adaptable to further blending, this tea is a true country-side-to-high-society transformation story. One who's appeal has no doubt not seen the end of its expansion.
Base leaf: Green tea
Health properties: Antioxidant qualities known.
Flavor strength: Moderate, toasted, vegetal. Primary collection is grass, summer. Fine notes of countryside citrus, unique “popped rice” toasted finish.
Caffeine: Medium.
Customer Reviews
We are long-time drinkers of genmaicha, but only brands you can purchase from the market. This version was definitely superior - far smoother with a deep flavor of toasted rice. Really excellent. We will be buying more!
Joan, I'm sure you have found that our genmaicha is perfect on a cold winter day. Toasty notes in a toasty cup of tea. What a treat!
Just like the tea I enjoyed in Japan.
Genmai is a Japanese treasure! Did you know it was created because at the end of WW2 there was not enough tea to satisfy the needs of the Japanese population? It was discovered that green tea could be 'stretched' by toasting it with abundant rice. The combination was delightful and remains to this day!
Years ago I purchased Genmaicha tea from a local vendor but had no idea what it was called. When I saw this tea on Good Life Tea I was extremely excited. The toasted rice along with the taste if green tea is like no other. Thank you for this wondeful tea and inspirational messages that are placed in each bag.
Thanks, Jacqueline, for your review. Genmaicha certainly isn't like any other tea. It was created out of necessity when there wasn't enough tea to satisfy the needs of the Japanese after WWII. 'Stretching' the scarce green tea with rice that was available resulted in this tasty tea. Sip on!