Genmaicha

玄米茶

Vaughn and I went to the Farmacy today to pick up some spices. While perusing the aisles I spotted my favorite tea...Genmaicha! I was super excited to find it because there is no place else in this town that sells it.

I'm usually not much of a tea person. I prefer a black cup of coffee in the morning. But, my mom turned me on to this type of tea after her stay in Japan.

Genmaicha is a Japanese brown rice tea. The tea is a combination of toasted brown rice (genmai) and green tea (cha). The type of green tea used is usually Bancha, but sometimes Sencha which is a higher quality roasted tea. Genmaicha has a delightful roasty flavor and aroma. Some of the grains of rice pop when toasted, giving it the nickname "popcorn tea". I love to watch the twisted tea leaves unfurl in my little press.