Matcha iri Genmaicha (2025)

General

Genmaicha or brown rice tea is a Japanese specialty that consists of roasted whole grain rice and green tea. Some of the rice grains pop like popcorn during the roasting process, and these grains appear bright white in the tea. This tea was originally a folk tea, as adding roasted rice made the tea cheaper. The taste of Genmaicha combines the fresh taste of green tea with the roasted fullness and aroma of rice.

This tea

This genmaicha is produced in the Yame region on the island of Kyushu. The tea is from the 2025 harvest. The matcha used here is of high quality, which gives it a bright green color. The green tea used in genmaicha is also better than usual.

Taste

In the dry tea, the top aroma is the velvety freshness of matcha. In the background there is the popcorn-like roastiness of the rice. In the cup, the aroma is elegant and fresh compared to the average genmaicha, thanks to the matcha. The taste has a layer of shades of matcha through which one can find the traditional popcorn-like fresh taste of genmaicha.

Infusion

80-degree water works well for brewing this tea. You can also try cooler water, but higher temperatures are unlikely to bring better results. You need a generous teaspoon of tea leaves per person. Brewing tea is easier if the brewing container has a small-hole strainer and the straining surface is as large as possible. It is okay if the leaf powder or leaf pieces end up in the cup. Brew the tea for about 2-3 minutes. Normally, you can make several infusions from the same leaves.