A young monk asked the wise tea master Lao Cha:
– Sensei, what happens when you blend wonderful, fresh Spring sencha with delicious, aromatic, and nutritious rice?
– You will get Genmaicha, a tea that is most admired and cherished in Japan.
This Genmaicha is made by first soaking, then roasting brown rice, and blending it with sencha (a Japanese green tea). With a bright, yellowish-green liquid and a sweet, nutty flavor, this tea combines the freshness of green tea with the fragrance of fried rice.
Brown rice is rich in vitamins C, B2, and B6 and low in calories. It is rich in fiber, which can benefit gastrointestinal flora. That makes it vastly different than sencha, which is rich in tannins. Genmaicha, combining the benefits of green tea and roasted brown rice, makes a great everyday beverage and is a staple exponent of Japanese culture.
Our Genmaicha Green Tea combines 50% tea leaves and 50% rice. The leaves are of the Yabukita cultivar, growing on a family farm in the Kakegawa region of southwestern Shizuoka, Japan. The fragrant rice is also local, from Japan.
Our Genmaicha Brown Rice Green Tea has a dark lime color. The fragrant rice gives it a warm, nutty taste and a full, comforting mouthfeel. Thanks to the high starch and fiber content, it has a soothing effect on the stomach. The fresh, grassy feeling of green tea blends well with the sweet, satisfying flavor of the baked rice.
Shizuoka is Japan's largest tea-producing region. It accounts for roughly a third of Japan's total tea production. Shizuoka has a rich tea history, with a tradition of growing tea that dates back over 800 years. It is one of the original places where tea seeds were brought from China by the Zen Buddhist monk Eisai. Many mountainous areas dot Shizuoka's landscape. The volcanic soil is rich in nutritional substances and trace minerals. They get sucked in by the roots of the tea plant and create the unique flavor profile of this specialty tea.
Initially starting as a drink for the poorer class, today, Genmaicha is a preferred drink for people from all walks of life. According to history, Genmaicha was born from Buddhist monks mixing tea with the burned rice on the bottom of their bowls. Before long, tea sellers adopted this practice, blending tea with rice and selling it as a daily beverage.
Unlike other green teas, Genmaicha is well-tolerated in the morning. You can equally enjoy its fuller, thicker mouthfeel throughout the day.
Brewing guidelines:
175℉ / 80℃ for the first infusion; Keep raising water temperature for subsequent infusions
1g per 60ml
2min for the first infusion; then 30sec; +15 for each subsequent infusion