Genmai-cha Two Step

I met an old friend for taco Tuesday at a local Mexican restaurant. The conversation meandered from life in general to corporate America to politics with a few detours along the way. When he handed me two warm, slightly crumpled but sealed bags of Genmai-cha from his pocket, the conversation turned to tea.

Genmai-cha (or Genmaicha) is composed of green tea and roasted brown rice. The rice kernels puff up to a somewhat edible, corn-nut like snack should you ever come across a loose leaf version of this tea. But these were tea bags from two tea manufacturers, Yamamotoyama and Takaokaya. I used boiling water for both teas and steeped for approximately two and a half minutes.

Yamamotoyama Genmai-cha

The Yamamotoyama was the milder of the two teas. It exhibited the typical greenish-yellow hue of Japanese green tea. As for the aroma, the roasted rice eclipsed all but the slightest hint of vegetal green tea notes. This flavor profile continues as the tea enters the mouth. It’s mostly a savory, toasty rice brew.

Takaokaya Genmai-cha with Matcha Powder

The matcha powder makes this one the better (and more opaque) of the two teas. It adds a welcome complexity to both the aroma and flavor and leaves you with a bright, pleasing feeling in your mouth after each sip. The green tea and roasted rice seem to be represented equally.

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Not typically one for ‘fusion’ teas (roasted rice being the infusion in this case), I imagine Genmai-cha would make for an acceptable soup or beverage substitute when fighting a cold or flu. Perhaps mom’s not around to make you her soul-lifting chicken noodle soup, and you’re too tired and weak to crack open a can from the cupboard (but still have the strength to boil water). Or maybe you can’t hold anything down because your stomach’s too queasy and you’re tired of sipping sweet sodas and need something else to pair with saltine crackers. Savory Genmai-cha to the hydration rescue!