Japan Genmaicha

I want to not like this tea. Firstly, its green. I don’t like green teas. Secondly, it has mouse turds in it. Ok, its really toasted rice, but I looked first, and read second. But on a cold, rainy afternoon, slaving away for my own portion of bread, it strikes a note with me. Toasted starchy cereal grains with the green vegetable underlying just works. Thumbs up for trying something new and having my expectations blown away (in a good sense, since I expected to hate it).

Roasty toasty goodness. Anyone who has roasted nuts in the oven, this tea has that taste. I got this iced at my local TG shop. A little sencha astringency. I think this is as good as SpecialTea’s genmaicha, but not as good as Den’s, which I think is truly the best.

Very nice strong flavored tea.

One of the worst Genmaichas I tried. Very grassy and vegetal, with little to no rice flavor. Increased water temperature / steep time only brings out more grassiness and does nothing to improve the rice taste. I like my Genmaicha on the sweeter side and full of roasted rice goodness, this one definitely falls short on both counts.

This is my first time having the Genmaicha. After having many Japanese teas, I finally decided to give it a try. The story of how it started reminds me a lot of the legend of the Lapsang Souchong and its origins (they both were never intended to become the worldwide success they are). This is a mild tea with a light body, lingering little on the palate. It’s light enough that the lingering is very hard to tell and dissipates quickly (as it spreads across the palate). The sencha is concealed by the toasted rice; however, not to the point that it’s gone. You miss out on some of the less popular subtleties of the fine Sencha—e.g., briskness—and are able to enjoy a little extra something alongside the roasted rice. At first sip, I thought it was like a toasted piece of thinly sliced whole grain toast. After further savoring, it’s easily distinguishable from that. The Sencha provides a “green” flavor to it, giving you a simple, flat vegetal flavor to round out with the starch. I recommend this tea. It’s a good afternoon snack for sure!

smells toasty and has a nice nutty flavor.

I’m a big fan of the roasted, toasted, nutty teas. It was pleasantly surprising how the brown rice brought out such grainy flavors. The fact that it’s also known as the “peoples tea” definitely gives me something to think about while sipping. It’s good for about 3 steeping’s. Toasted cereal + sencha= a toasty cup of tea without the floral and grassy notes. An absolute pleasure. First steeping was kept at 2 minutes at lower temp. Further steeping’s at 3 min slightly higher temp.

With a steep time of only 1 minute. This is a blend that can be enjoyed multiple times. The dried rice complements this potent green rather well. A break of fresh air amongst a sea of green teas that feel almost identical at times. This tea will never be absent in my cupboard.

this is an excellent starter for the early morning. most ppl may think “what, its RICE in there?” and you can answer “indeed, and it tastes brilliant!”. the flavor is complex. yes, it tastes like its toasted, but its also a lil creamy with similarities to butter. the sencha then again gives the tea his body, a bit sweet, a bit grassy, with a touch of bitter substances which btw. are just right for a green tea like a sencha!

you can drink the japan genmaicha with sugar, if you like to. but because its a sencha i personally would discourage you from that idea. even if you like your toast with jam, honey or peanut butter, give this toasted beverage a pure try! ;-)

oh, yes, another thing…
when you use a gaiwan or yixing dishes just try to infuse the genmaicha 2 or even 3 times, it’s worth it!

A wonderful cup of toasted rice aroma and pleasant earthy taste.

Udon noddles for lunch, spicy and starchy. Bring on the genmaicha! And I didn’t brew it too long, so it was finally evenly balanced, not too toasty, not too astringent. Goldilocks, just right. Take that, Tuesday!