Genmaicha
Genmaicha is Japanese green tea, usually bancha or sencha, blended with roasted brown or white rice, giving a toasty, savory, popcorn-like cup.
Definition
Genmaicha, "brown rice tea", combines green tea with roasted rice, often in roughly equal parts by volume. Despite the name, most commercial genmaicha uses polished white rice, frequently glutinous mochi rice, that has been soaked, steamed, dried and roasted until golden. Some kernels pop during roasting and appear as small white puffs, which is why genmaicha is sometimes called "popcorn tea". The tea base is usually bancha, which keeps cost low and suits the robust rice flavor. Higher-grade genmaicha uses sencha, and matcha-iri genmaicha is dusted with matcha, giving a green color and a richer, more vegetal cup. Popular accounts say genmaicha began as a way to stretch expensive tea with cheaper rice, and it became widespread in Japan in the early 20th century. The cup is pale yellow (green with added matcha) with flavors of toasted grain, popcorn, light seaweed and sweetness. Bitterness is low because rice dilutes the tea.
In Depth
Brew at 80-90°C (176-194°F): about 5 g per 200 ml for 30-60 seconds in a kyusu, or 3-4 g per 250 ml for 2-3 minutes in a Western pot. Boiling water is tolerable because the rice softens bitterness, but lower temperatures keep more of the green tea flavor. Second infusions are usually weaker because the rice gives most of its flavor in the first steep.
Caffeine per cup is lower than plain sencha, roughly 10-30 mg per 240 ml, because rice replaces part of the tea and the base is often lower-caffeine bancha.
The rice goes stale and loses its toasty aroma faster than the tea. Buy small packs and keep them sealed. A rancid or cardboard smell means the rice has oxidized.
See Also
- Japanese Blended Tea
- Low-Caffeine Tea