Loose Leaf Tea with Puffed Rice

Yes, you read that correctly. The list of ingredients in our teas would not be complete if we did not also mention puffed rice. However, this is an exception that is only used in very rare cases - more precisely in one single tea: the so-called Genmaicha.

Genmaicha is Japanese and consists of the words genmai (brown rice) and cha (tea) and literally means natural rice tea. It is a green tea, either the tart Bancha, or the milder Sencha, which has brown, roasted and puffed brown rice mixed in. The result is a fresh, aromatic tea with a malty note, slightly reminiscent of coffee and roasted grain. What sounds like a crazy mixture at first, however, has a long tradition in Japan. Legend has it that Genmaicha was created by an accident of a servant who accidentally dropped rice into the green tea and it popped during the roasting process, but the result has become a real evergreen among teas. Genmaicha tastes slightly sweet and is milder than conventional green tea. It also contains less caffeine by itself, which is further reduced by using Bancha. The tea is therefore ideal for an enjoyable cup in the evening or for children. Our recommendation: Make sure you try this unique tea variety. Cheers.