The Matcha Genmaicha Shizuoka Green Tea is an unique green tea made by combining matcha powder, tea leaves and roasted rice producing a great flavor
Taste
Observing the Appearance
The leaves of the genmaicha matcha tea are olive green, the rice is brown orange and everything is coated with a green powder.
Assessing the Aroma
The aroma coming off the dry leaves of the matcha genmaicha are citrusy and toasty, like freshly baked bread
Tasting the Tea
This matcha genmaicha begins with a nice smooth flavor with hints of steamed vegetables. Later, the toasted, nutty and popcorn flavors begin to enter the frame in the mid palate. The warmer tasting notes soon transition into a
Evaluating the sensation on the palate
The structure of this matcha genmaicha is very interesting, beginning with the smooth vegetal taste of a matcha, then later the roasted flavor profiles begin to come into focus and finally the palate is cleansed with these slightly more citrusy flavor profiles from the tea leaves.
This genmaicha matcha is 100% Organically grown
At Nio, we take pride in our partnerships with tea farmers who share our commitment to organic and pesticide-free cultivation practices. Through our extensive experience, we have witnessed how this approach not only results in teas with exceptional taste, but also promotes healthier tea fields.
These environmentally-conscious farms act as sanctuaries for local wildlife, fostering a thriving ecosystem. By sourcing teas from these farms, we are dedicated to promoting sustainability, safeguarding the environment, and advocating for a healthier approach to tea farming. We are honored to collaborate with farmers who align with our values and share our vision for a more sustainable and eco-friendly future in tea production.
Nio Teas Unique Organically grown sourcing process
- We take great care in the tasting process to identify the perfect flavor profile for each tea.
- We are in constant communication with our tea farmers to understand their cultivation practices and ensure they adhere to pesticide-free and chemical-free methods.
- We like to conduct on-site visits to the tea fields and production facilities to make sure the tea is being produced with care
- We also like to make sure the fields are providing a healthy environment for local wildlife to thrive, promoting a balanced and thriving ecosystem.
JAS Tea
When you browse our tea packs, you may notice the JAS (Japanese Agricultural Standard) certification, which is regulated by the Japanese government. As part of our partnership with larger tea farms, we require them to obtain JAS certification through thorough soil testing and sampling to ensure the highest quality standards.
Moreover, we also take pride in working with smaller farms that may face resource limitations for extensive testing. In such cases, we accept their tea under the "pesticide-free" label, providing them with opportunities to sell their exceptional quality tea. This allows us to support smaller farmers while also upholding our commitment to quality. We are dedicated to promoting transparency and fostering positive partnerships with tea farms of all sizes.
Why You Should go for organic Japanese Matcha Genmaicha Tea
While it is always important to go for an organically grown tea, it is particularly important when it comes to organic Japanese matcha genmaicha tea. As mentioned before, when you drink genmaicha with matcha, you are consuming more of the leaf, so if there are any pesticides or chemicals on the tea, you will be getting a heavier dose of that.
We make sure that all the teas on our website are grown without the use of pesticides or chemicals, and the matcha genmaicha is no exception. When we visit these tea fields that have not been treated with pesticides, we notice that there is a diverse array of plant an animal life thriving in between the rows of tea plants. This allows us to drink tea with peace of mind, knowing that it was grown in a gentler, more sustainable way.
How to prepare the tea
Traditional brewing
For brewing genmaicha with matcha, we recommend using a slightly higher temperature and a shorter brewing time. When it comes to genmaicha matcha tea, the flavor is released quickly, but the higher temperatures can push through some of the warmer notes of the tea!
1st brew
Step 1: Heat the water up to a temperature of 80°C (175°F), which is the ideal temperature for the matcha genmaicha.
Step 2: Add 5 grams of the matcha genmaicha to your teapot and pour in 150ml of the heated water.
Step 3: Let the genmaicha matcha brew in the water for 1 minute without disturbing the leaves. This allows the rice and the tea leaves to release a nice roasted flavor and aroma into the water.
Step 4: After the brewing time is up, pour out the brewed matcha genmaicha from the teapot. The teapot will automatically filter out the leaves and the stems so they don't end up in your cup.
Enjoy your delicious cup of matcha genmaicha green tea!
2nd brew
Don't let your matcha genmaicha green tea go to waste after the first brew! You can make more cups of tea from the same leaves. Just add the same temperature water to the teapot again and let the leaves steep for a quick 20 seconds for subsequent infusions. In each infusion, you get a slightly different flavor profile, which allows you to enjoy three different cups of tea from the same batch of leaves. It's a great way to get to know the complexity and versatility of this exquisite tea!
Necessary teaware
To elevate your matcha genmaicha brewing to the next level, we recommend using a kyusu teapot for the best possible experience. This traditional Japanese teapot is designed to allow ample space for the tea leaves to unfurl and release their warm, roasted flavors into the water.
The kyusu also features a built-in sifter that automatically filters out the tea leaves as you pour, ensuring a smooth and enjoyable tea-drinking experience without any getting any leaves in the tea cup. Investing in a kyusu teapot will enhance your Shizuoka Hojicha brewing ritual and help you fully appreciate the exceptional taste of this unique tea.
Alternative without teaware
If you don’t have a kyusu teapot at home, the next best alternative when it comes to preparing the genmaicha matcha is the tea strainer. This may not get you as rich of a flavor compared to the kyusu, but at least it will keep the tea leaves from getting into your cup! You can always upgrade to a teapot later.
Location of production and farmer
Where Does the Gyokuro Genmaicha Come from?
The matcha genmaicha is grown in Shizuoka, Japan’s largest tea growing region. Shizuoka is located just a few hundred miles from Tokyo, and it has a diverse landscape with both flat lands and small mountains. It is perhaps best known for its iconic views of Mt. Fuji, and teas like the genmaicha brown rice green tea with matcha are grown just a short distance from this iconic peak.
This matcha genmaicha green tea was grown on a small plantation in the hills of Shizuoka. Because the tea plants are nestled into these hills, they receive partial shading throughout the day, which can improve the taste of the green tea. This is because when the tea plant is exposed to direct sunlight, it will begin to produce more catechins, which create the bitter flavors in the tea. Anytime the tea plant is cut off from sunlight, whether it be directly or indirectly, it will reduce the amount of catechins in the leaves.
Who Makes the Gyokuro Genmaicha?
The matcha genmaicha tea is made by the farmers at Zenkouen. We had the privilege of meeting with the farmers of Zenkouen and sitting down with them for a few cups of tea. The genmaicha in particular made a good impression on us, as it was a nice balance between the nutty flavors of the rice and the sweet vegetal flavors of the leaves.
We also toured the facility of Zenkouen and got to take a look at some of his organic fertilizers. The farmers use a blend of shells, organic materials and charcoal to nourish the plants without using pesticides or chemicals. It is important to create not only a healthy environment for the tea, but also for other animals as well.
When we first arrived at the tea fields, we interrupted 2 grazing serow in the middle of their dinner. They were feasting on the vegetation growing between the tea fields, and it was a good sign to see that other plants could grow on the field besides just tea.
Cultivar and tea plant variety
This matcha genmaicha is made from the Yabukita cultivar, the most popular tea cultivar in Japan.
Yabukita
Yabukitais now the most popular tea cultivar in Japan, making up 75% of the total tea production. One of the reasons is that the tea plants are resistant to frost, which prepares them for the comparatively cold winters of central Japan. Another reason it’s so popular is the bold savory and steamed vegetable flavors it produces.
Benefits of Mixing Genmaicha with Matcha Tea
The matcha genmaicha green tea comes with many different benefits. The easiest one to notice is the fact that the matcha imparts a very strong flavor into the tea.
If you’ve ever had matcha before, you’ll know that the flavor is far more intense compared to a regular green tea. The same is true for matcha genmaicha tea, which has the rich and full-bodied flavor of a matcha combined with the pleasant warm cereal notes of a genmaicha.
In addition to getting a stronger flavor, you’ll also get more caffeine when you drink genmaicha with matcha. This is because the matcha powder will be mixed directly into your cup of tea, allowing you to essentially drink more of the tea leaf.
When you drink a typical green tea, you are only drinking the compounds within the leaf that have been dissolved into water. Because matcha is a powder tea mixed directly into water, you are consuming the entire leaf, which is why genmaicha matcha has a higher caffeine and nutrient content compared with a typical genmai cha.
Matcha genmaicha vs regular toasted rice tea
You may find yourself trying to decide between matcha genmaicha and regular genmaicha. When you get your genmaicha with matcha, you end up with much more of that green tea flavor to balance out the toasted rice. One of the complaints about normal genmaicha is that it doesn’t taste enough like a green tea and instead all you really get is the taste of toasted rice.
The matcha genmaicha is the perfect fix for this, giving you plenty of that classic green tea flavor. You’ll also notice a vibrant jade green color and more of an energy boost with this tea. Because it is genmaicha with matcha powder, you will end up with a much higher caffeine content compared to a normal genmaicha tea. Depending on what you’re looking for, this could be the perfect tea to enjoy in the afternoon!
FAQ
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