I regret that I don't have my own photo for this review. I should! Heaven knows I have sipped my fair share of this tea. (I brew at ~190 degrees for about 2 minutes.) But I don't have any on had at this moment...and I want to move along in the book, so here's a shot from wikipedia.
In my opinion, this tea is a fun one, and a great one for new green tea drinkers. I say that because of the inclusion of toasted brown rice, which gives the tea a nutty, gentle flavor that balances the stronger bancha (or sometimes sencha) green.
From Harney's website: "Once considered a cheap peasant beverage, Genmaicha has recently come into vogue among Japanese urban elite and in the United States as a health drink."
If you drink this tea, what do you like about it?
I think the toastiness helps the green tea not come across as vegetable tasting. It was the first green tea that I liked.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Marilyn that for a lot of people, the popped rice makes the green tea more palatable. It also makes the tea much more filling...great for losing weight!
ReplyDeleteI love genmaicha! Its flavor and aroma are two of my favorite things in the tea world- it is just such a comforting tea.
ReplyDeleteI read once that children in Japan drink a "tea" made of just the toasted rice as their first "tea". :-)
I think it's the only Japanese green I like and some do have popcorn in them. It's a really comforting sort of tea.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the review. After reading it and the comments, I think I'll give Genmaicha another try.
ReplyDeleteI used to be a huge fan of genmaicha, and while I didn't stop liking it, I haven't tried it recently (except for one from Maeda-En that I had some time ago and was less-than-thrilled with: all popped rice aroma and little tea!). I am thinking of ordering some from one of the tea companies that I tend to like.
ReplyDelete=) I really do like genmaicha. I love teas and blends that have a toasty quality to them.