Genmaicha has many different tales and legends about how the tea was invented, the story that has the most intrigue and consensus dates back to 15th century Japan, where genmaicha was created by a samurai and his servant. The story goes as such; a servant was preparing tea for his master, which was a very expensive luxury at the time; as the servant poured the tea, a few grains of rice fell from his sleeve into the tea creating the first cup of genmaicha. Traditionally made using bancha, genmaicha uses the second or third harvest leaves making the tea more affordable than higher grade tea like sencha, gyokuro, and matcha, which contributed to its reputation of being a commoner tea. Today genmaicha is produced using higher quality tea like sencha, gyokuro, hōjica, and matcha to enhance the flavor of the tea.
The uniqueness of gemaicha makes it stand out from the crowd, given the fact that it uses leaves from multiple harvests, and brown rice, which can sometimes turns into popcorn rice, gives the tea a unique and complex flavor profile that varies greatly depending on what leaves are used to make the tea. Traditional genmaicha has a roasted grassy aroma, which is carried into the flavor, and perfectly complemented by the signature umami and sweetness of the green tea.
The uniqueness of gemaicha makes it stand out from the crowd, given the fact that it uses leaves from multiple harvests, and brown rice, which can sometimes turns into popcorn rice, gives the tea a unique and complex flavor profile that varies greatly depending on what leaves are used to make the tea. Traditional genmaicha has a roasted grassy aroma, which is carried into the flavor, and perfectly complemented by the signature umami and sweetness of the green tea.
Caffeine Content in Genmaicha:
- Low to moderate levels of caffeine, usually ranging from 20-60mg, a typical cup of coffee has 80-200mg. At most the caffeine in a cup of genmaicha can reach 180mg after 1 session which is brewing the leaves 3 times.
Brew like a pro:
- Heat soft water (not distilled) within the range of 175°-195°F. Soft water creates the best tea experience, the extra minerals in hard water will clash with the contents of the tea creating an undesirable film on top of the tea.
- The great thing about high-quality genmaicha is that you can steep it up to 3 times. In order to make the most out of the 3 steepings I recommend starting with around 185°F for the first steep, then around 175°F for the second steeping, and 190°F for the third infusion.
- Timing is the other important area to keep in mind when making genmaicha. During the first steeping, keep the time around 20 to 25 seconds (time range suggestions will be on the package of genmaicha), followed by dropping the time slightly for the second steeping, and then raising the time to around 30 seconds for the third steeping.
- Infusing (steeping) genmaicha for too long and/or at too high of a temperature will result in a bitter and undesirable flavor. Timing and temperature are something of personal preference, so play around with them until you find what works best for you.
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