Tea Type Β· ηŽ„η±³θŒΆ

Genmaicha

Green tea blended with roasted brown rice. Some of the rice pops during roasting, which is why genmaicha is sometimes called "popcorn tea".

Home β€Ί Tea Types β€Ί Genmaicha

What is genmaicha?

Genmaicha (ηŽ„η±³θŒΆ) is a 50/50 blend of green tea leaves β€” usually bancha or lower-grade sencha β€” with roasted, occasionally popped, brown rice. It was originally a way to stretch tea during lean times; now it's one of Japan's most beloved everyday brews.

How it tastes

The rice softens and sweetens everything. You still get a clean green-tea backbone, but overlaid with popcorn, toasted grain, and a little miso-like savoury note. Low in astringency, comforting, deeply easy to drink.

Matcha-iri genmaicha

Many supermarket genmaichas in Japan now add a pinch of matcha powder (matcha-iri genmaicha, 抹茢ε…₯γ‚ŠηŽ„η±³θŒΆ). The cup comes out bright green, with a fuller body and a faint bitter edge. It's a good introduction to matcha's flavour if you find straight matcha too intense.

How to brew genmaicha

Quick recipe β€” 3 g of leaf, 150 ml of water at 90 Β°C, 30 seconds. Drink fresh β€” the rice goes flat if it sits.

Caffeine

Roughly half the caffeine of a regular sencha, because half the weight is rice. A friendly evening tea.

Recommended genmaicha

Ito En β€” GenmaichaThe classic supermarket bag. Reliable, widely available outside Japan.
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Ippodo β€” Kukicha GenmaichaStem tea + roasted rice version from Kyoto. Softer and nuttier.
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Yamamotoyama β€” Matcha-iri GenmaichaWith added matcha. Bright green, richer, easy starter.
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An easy first Japanese tea

Genmaicha is one of the kindest introductions to Japanese tea β€” hard to brew badly, hard not to like.

Buy genmaicha on Amazon β†’

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