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The original type of genmaicha was developed hundreds of years ago by Zen monks who mixed green tea with the browned rice stuck to the bottom of their cauldrons. Soon after, roasted rice was blended with sencha or bancha by tea vendors throughout Japan where it became a popular household green. Genmaicha is smooth and mild with a warming and toasty aroma.
One of if not the best genmaicha teas on the Planet. It tasted like roasted sesame seeds.
The first time i tasted it was during three days of a Japan Festival last year; I bought it because I didn’t know if I loved it or not, and now Genmaicha is one of my favourite flavours ever! It gives me energy and concentration every time I taste it.
I should start out by saying that the Rishi Tea Genmaicha I have is very old and probably stale. Sometime in 2004, a friend gave this to me as a gift after overhearing me rave about how much I like genmaicha. It was a wonderful, delicious gift, and I managed to use up about half of it before I had to move. Eight moves and later, I finally unpacked it and have been drinking it again.
Even when stale, this tea is amazing. It’s the only genmaicha I’ve seen where some of the rice has been popped. (You can see what look like miniature pieces of popcorn in the blend.) The scent out of the bag is grassy and nutty. The first few seconds of brewing it bring out an intensely nutty scent (yes, like sesame or peanut). After that, the toasted rice and green tea even out, and you’re left with an intensely flavorful and balanced cup of genmaicha.
I’m especially happy with this tea because it is so forgiving of brewing mistakes or bad brewing practice. If I accidentally over-steep this tea, which sometimes happens, it develops the taste similar to green tea blended with mugicha (roasted barley tea). It’s also pretty forgiving of steeping with water that’s too hot.
This is a very good everyday drinking tea. Make this for people who aren’t fond of the grassy notes of green tea because the roasted rice gives the tea a very nutty flavor instead. I do agree with the previous comment about Rishi having good tea, but there are better versions of this. I think http://www.teatrekker.com has a better tasting genmaicha.
Mmm, nice and toasty. Hearty flavor for first thing in the morning, like a bowl of oatmeal. Today I shook up my leaves with a pinch of matcha powder I bought from the bulk section of Whole Foods last night (I’m so lucky that Austin is home to the flagship store!) to give them a nice dusting. The matcha powder enhanced the sweetness of the rice, but got rinsed off by the second steep. A comforting tea for sure.
My tongue has been continually graced by the excellent flavours of Genmaicha as frequently as humanly and inhumanly possible. Almost savoury, nearly a light broth, with the light roasted flavour of rice mixed with the incredible green tea, this infusion, though originated as a brew for commoners in Japan, is, to me, a gift from heaven. It is also enjoyable to eat the popped kernels of roasted corn while drinking. Enjoy.
Very interesting flavors. But certainly not everyones cup of tea…
Seems to me that the rice grains truly develop there aroma not earlier than during the third brew…thats why I steep it in a small tea pot and combine 4 brews in one big pot. That allows me to enjoy all aspects of this versatile blend within one cup.
I prefer Genmaicha in the afternoons…standing alone, not necessarily in combination with food.
I cannot drink enough of this. I go through endless cups of it at work. As usual, Rishi seems to do it best.
