Hi there Tea Friends,

November 1^st is Genmaicha Day in Japan. 

But what is Genmaicha and why is there a day in the year dedicated to appreciating it? 

Legend tells us that Genmai, the servant of a Samurai, was preparing tea for his master when a few kernels of rice accidently slipped from his sleeve into the bowl of green tea.  In a fit of rage, the Samurai beheaded his servant with his sword for contaminating his tea.  Nonetheless, the Samurai went on to drink the tea.  He felt instant remorse for his cruel injustice when he discovered that the rice had in fact added a superior flavour to the tea.  In honour of his servant Genami, he instructed that this new tea be served every morning.  He further honoured his servant by naming the tea after him: Genmaicha, which means “tea of Genmai”.

Sounds pretty gruesome.  I prefer another version of this legend which says that the Samurai warrior spared the life of his servant because the tea was so delicious. 

The first time I tried Genmaicha was on a drizzly, winter afternoon in early January.  While passing through Nanaimo, we headed straight for White Rabbit Coffee Co where I’d enjoyed a green tea on a previous occasion. 

I was just beginning my foray into the world of tea and was clueless when it came to anything tea related.  As Genmaicha was the only green tea offering they had, Genmaicha it was.

The moment that first sip splashed around my mouth, my taste buds were wide awake, “hello there, what’s this?”.

It was a flavour combination I hadn’t experienced before.  I had to have another sip.  And another. 

But what was it? 

Surely, this wasn’t green tea! 

Who knew green tea could be so delicious.

It tasted nutty and flavourful, rich but gentle with a delicate savoury aftertaste.  The fragrance was aromatic and reminiscent of warm, sweet cereal. 

I was pleasantly confused.

What would we do without technology? 

I had to Google Genmaicha straight away.

I discovered that Genmaicha is a Japanese green tea.  Genmai means brown rice and cha means tea.   Therefore, Genmaicha is green tea mixed with roasted brown rice.  It is also known as popcorn tea because of the popping sound the rice kernels make during roasting.

Now it all made sense.  The nourishing and wholesome flavour was as a result of the roasted brown rice combined with green tea.

Originally, it was known as the “people’s tea”.  Historically, tea was expensive, so by adding rice as a filler it made it more affordable for poorer families.   It was also an economical way to make the tea last longer.

The benefits of Genmaicha are numerous but two points in particular stand out for me:

Firstly, because it has this nourishing, appetizing component, I’ve enjoyed drinking Genmaicha between meals when I’ve felt a little peckish.

It’s also lower in caffeine which means I’ve been able to drink it much later in the day than other teas higher in caffeine.

Today, Genmaicha has travelled far and wide from its humble origins and is savoured by people all over the world.

In celebration of this tasty beverage, Genmaicha Day falls on November 1st, acknowledging the start of Japan’s rice trading season.

Wishing you happy Genmaicha Day!

Take time to sip and savour your tea. Ponder. Dream. Smile. Enjoy.