Green Tea with Roasted Rice

Japanese Genmaicha

 

Every tea lover seems to have multiple types of green tea in their stash. This is because green tea has such a smooth flavor, it can blend well with almost any flavor combination. Whether the green tea leaves are paired with something spicy like cinnamon or a sweet berry, it never disappoints. Tea drinkers never get bored of trying new flavors. There will always be the staple flavors that will always stay close to our hearts, but trying a fun twist on a classic is always exciting for the taste buds. When green tea lovers are looking for something new to try, they shouldn’t pass by Japanese Genmaicha from The Dollar Tea Club. This Japanese green tea with roasted rice is one of a kind and it’s sweet flavor is one that doesn’t miss the mark.

 

What Is Japanese Genmaicha?

Organic genmaicha tea is a treat for the taste buds. In a nutshell, Japanese Genmaicha is a green tea with roasted rice. While this may sound a little peculiar it is actually one of the freshest tasting green tea blends. The toasted rice adds a hint of mellow sweetness that makes this unique organic genmaicha loose leaf blend one to remember. 

Many people refer to genmaicha as popcorn tea because some of the rice pieces pop during the roasting process and look like little pieces of popcorn. These roasted pieces of rice add such a sweet and almost baked flavor to this tea. It’s the perfect green tea to pair with any dessert. 

 

The Story Behind Loose Leaf Genmaicha Tea

Every tea has a background story, and the one surrounding genmaicha green tea with roasted rice is quite a unique one, just like the tea. This tea goes all the way back to the 1400s when people used to meet for tea and discuss battle strategies. Over in the village of Hakone in the Izu Peninsula, a very important warlord was discussing his strategies with patrol leaders one morning. He had a servant named Genmai who was dishing out tea for everyone. 

Genmai didn’t have much, so he pocketed some rice to have for a morning snack when nobody was watching. Unfortunately for him, when he bent over to pour this samurai warlord a new cup of tea, some of the stolen rice fell out of his pocket. Some of the rice pieces started popping as soon as they fell into the hot cup of tea. Unfortunately, this didn’t go over well for Genmai because the warlord was furious by the incident and immediately beheaded Genmai with his samurai sword in one swing. 

The most ironic part about this whole scenario is that when the warlord sat down to finish his meeting, he decided to drink the tainted tea anyways and actually liked it. The sweet and unique flavor was one of the tastiest beverages this warlord ever tried. Feeling bad about murdering his servant over the whole mixup, this warlord declared the name of Japanese green tea with roasted rice would be Genmaicha. Cha is the Japanese word for tea, so the late servant will always be remembered for a mistake that ended up being a blessing in disguise.

In honor of Genmai, the warlord enjoyed organic genmaicha tea every morning with breakfast. Who would have thought that roasted rice and green tea would go together so perfectly?

 

What To Know About Japanese Genmaicha

If you’re interested in trying loose leaf genmaicha tea, there are a few things to know so it can be enjoyed at it’s finest. When it comes to caffeine levels, loose leaf genmaicha is medium. It’s definitely best when enjoyed in the morning or as a midafternoon pick me up. The nice light but sweet flavor of this tea makes it just as enjoyable served over ice as it is when it’s steaming hot. We love a tea that can do both.

The wonderful thing about Japanese rice tea is that the flavor is enough on its own. You don’t need any additives to make this tea taste good. Leave the milk and honey for the next type of tea you try, because they will only spoil the delicacy of Japanese genmaicha tea. Even a lemon wedge could offset the beautiful balance of flavors that this tea has. The green tea leaves and roasted rice pieces have the perfect amount of flavor.

 

Final Thoughts: Japanese Genmaicha

Japanese Genmaicha is the perfect toasty tea to have with your morning piece of toast. It has just the right amount of caffeine to give you that boost of energy needed first thing in the morning. If you’re not a fan of stronger teas, this organic genmaicha tea has a light flavor that pops in your mouth. 

When making this type of tea, make sure you use water that has reached 176F (80C) to get the best flavor. If you use water that is hotter than that, it could burn the tea leaves and ruin the beautiful flavor of the loose leaf genmaicha. While this tea was originally discovered as a big mistake, it ended up being one of the best drinks our mugs have ever seen. Get your kettles ready because this is one toasty treat you won’t want to miss out on.