Japanese Genmai Cha

Genmai Cha, or “brown rice tea”,  is Japanese green tea mixed with toasted rice.  You either love it or you hate it.  The flavour is extraordinary, very toasty and nutty, and the toasted rice and the fresh grassy Bancha tea complement one another well.

Originally Genmai Cha was drunk by Japan’s poor and the toasted rice was a means of bulking out the more expensive green tea.  Now it is drunk by all sections of society as a delicious and unique drink in its own right.

Bancha tea provides the base for the Genmai Cha.  When Japanese tea is harvested, the main first flush plucking is known as Sencha.  Bancha is a later, second flush or autumnal plucking, and much larger leaves are plucked.  In fact this is sometimes known as “3-year tea” as leaves up to 3 years old are plucked.  This is in marked contrast to virtually all other teas, where only “2 leaves and a bud” are allowed into the basket.  (Kukicha is harvested at the same time as Bancha, but consists of the twigs and stems whereas Bancha is the leaves).

Bancha simply means “ordinary tea” in Japanese and it is perhaps looked down on slightly in comparison with Sencha and other teas.  I think this is missing the point a little.  It is certainly cheaper, which has enabled it to reach a market outside Japan at reasonable cost, but whilst it is technically inferior it has qualities of its own which make it very useful.

It is woody, earthy and wholesome, and because it is much fuller-flavoured than Sencha it is perfect for drinking with food, as it has the strength of flavour to stand up to the food, and in the case of Genmaicha to the rather strong flavour of the toasted rice.

The health benefits of Green tea are gradually becoming more widely-known.  Studies have shown that it increases the rate at which the body burns fat, helps weight loss, enhances performance and has strong antioxidant properties.  Bancha has an additional advantage – it contains very large quantities of Vitamin P, a flavonoid, which strengthens the walls of small blood vessels.  Bancha is very low in caffeine so is a good evening drink.  Genmai Cha is reputed to be excellent for the digestion – another reason to drink it after dinner.

To enjoy Genmai Cha at its best put one teaspoon of tea per person in a pot.  Pour on fresh water just off the boil and brew for perhaps 60 seconds.  Genmaicha is best used only once.  Experiment with different temperatures, quantities and steeping times.

If you love Genmai Cha why not try Japanese Bancha on its own, without the toasted rice?