Strongest Genmaicha?
Hey all,
Love the community here!
I recently discovered my love for genmaicha tea, and after trying several different brands (high end and low end alike) I realized I’m always looking for a stronger roasted rice flavor. I almost like the rice flavor more than the tea itself.
So I’d like to pose my question to all you happy tea experts: who makes the strongest genmaicha? Again, not the tea itself, but the rice. Alternately, would it be realistic/recommended to just roast the rice myself so I can add to taste? Or is the process too involved for an amateur?
Thanks all!
Have you tried brewing genmaicha at higher temperatures? I find that tends to bring out more of the toasted rice flavor.
I’ll have to try this! I brew all my tea at the default temperature that comes out of my water dispenser, which is very hot but below boiling. I’m afraid any hotter would burn the tea and cause it to taste bitter?
One of my favourite vendors gave me the best Genmaicha brewing recommendations I’ve ever received to get that beautiful, toasty rice flavour: boiling hot water, one minute steep time. It gets nice and roasty, but doesn’t give the tea time to get noticeably bitter.
It might also be worth looking into buying something like Soba Cha (Harney & Sons carries one I like a lot – but depending on where you live that might not be the most cost effective option) and adding that to your Genmaicha to boost the roasty elements.
Yunomi sells just the genmai (toasted rice) separate from the tea, which you could, feasibly, steep by itself, or add to your liking to any bancha/sencha you like until you get the blend that you like.
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