Maruyama: Matcha Genmaicha
Two Japanese classics become one. If you don’t have the patience or “tools” to whisk-up a bowl of matcha, you can still enjoy it in this mix. The matcha works well as a compliment to the distinct flavors of genmaicha. Matcha is a Japanese green tea know as tencha in a powdered form. A growing process often used for Japanese green tea involves shading the tea from sunlight before it is picked. Shading the tea bushes causes photosynthesis to slow. This process increases the chlorophyll in the plant (tea) leaves - making it extra-green. In the case of matcha, after the shaded tea is picked, steamed, rolled, dried, de-stemmed, and de-veined it is then stone ground into a fine light green powder. It is known to contain a high level of antioxidants due to the simple fact that nearly the entire leaf is used to infuse a cup of tea. Matcha reminds me of the tea equivalent to Cacoa’s cocoa powder. Genmaicha is a blend of green tea leaves with roasted brown rice and popcorn. The roasted brown rice typically dominates the flavor of this blend. That’s where the matcha really helps out. The matcha coats the ingredients of the traditional Genmaicha; which, creates a delicious green tea. It’s like three Japanese teas in one. As I take a sip, I detect the traditional Genmaicha, Sencha, and Matcha flavors all in one cup.
I highly recommend this tea to the green tea lover. It’s very green with a strong vegetal accent. The scent of the toasted rice rises from the water with every drink. I like this both cold and hot. If this tea tastes bitter to you, you are most likely not correctly steeping the tea. Try letting your boiled water cool for a few minutes and shorten your steeping time. Many claim the tea is good after a meal to help the digestion process. This green tea is low in caffeine.
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Tags: Genmaicha, Green Tea, Japanese Green Tea, Maruyama, Matcha, Sencha