I had high hopes for this one, because it smells so good, but experience tells me (at least with the old 52Teas genmaicha blends with the new rice…) that it won’t quite live up to its promise. In any case, it’s a great idea for a tea. Inspired, even.
I used 1 tsp of leaf for my cup, and gave it 2.5 minutes in water cooled to around 175 degrees. I’m pleased to discover that there is strawberry, although it’s quite an artificial-tasting, candy-strawberry – it reminds me of Nesquik strawberry milkshake powder! There was quite a lot of marshmallow root in my cup, and its contributed a delicious creaminess. When paired with the light toastiness of the rice, it really does replicate the “marshmallow treat” flavour pretty well.
One of my main complaints with “sweet” genmaicha blends is usually that the green tea base is too prominent and grassy, which makes the whole experience rather odd. Not the case here – the green tea is very subtle, and actually quite difficult to pick out. The genmaicha isn’t too toasty or burnt-tasting, either.
I think this means that I’ve found a 52Teas genmaicha that agrees with me, which is all the more delightful because I didn’t expect to find it here. I would have liked a more natural tasting strawberry, but I’m mostly just pleased that I can taste it and it’s there. This one’s definitely a tea that lives up to its name! I’m going to enjoy this one.
