Character: Light toasty flavor, tending sweet. This is a specialty Japanese green tea with a good grade Japan sencha blended with the fire-toasted rice. The fresh vegetative character of the green tea is imparted on the cup but it is tempered with the bakey-like character of the rice. There is a natural sweetness and almost chewy character to the finish of this tea. During the firing of the rice, it is not uncommon for rice to 'pop' not unlike popcorn, hence the pet name 'popcorn-tea'. Legend has it the tea is named in honor of an unfortunate servant named Genamai in the 1400's who accidently dropped rice in his warlord master's tea. Genmia paid with his head, but The resulting flavor was so unique that the warlord pronounced this rice and tea be served every morning and be called Genmaicha (cha being 'tea' in Japanese). Produced under ISO 14001 Certified Environmental Management Standards.
Country of Origin: Japan
Region: Shizuoka Prefecture
Grade: Genmaicha
Altitude: 500' - 1500' ft. above sea level
Manuf. Type: Steamed green tea
Infusion: Tending bright brown-yellow liquor
Ingredients: Luxury green tea, Roasted rice
Hot Tea: This tea is best enjoyed by pouring 180F/90C water over the leaves (1 tsp per cup) for 3 minutes (longer=stronger). Don't remove the leaves. Can be infused repeatedly 2-3 times using higher temperatures & shorter infusions until flavor is exhausted.
Iced Tea: Pour 1 1/4 cups of hot water over 6 teaspoons of tea and steep for 5 minutes. Pour into pitcher while straining leaves, add ice and top up with cold water to make a quart of iced tea. Garnish and sweeten to taste.