More than straight green tea, genmaicha is what I reach for after eating something heavy. I’m not sure if it aids digestion, but it certainly makes me feel better. This here is Uji no Tsuyu Tokuyo Genmaicha.

The tea is a blend of green tea and roasted rice, with the ratio tipped more in favour of the former.

Steeping 5 g of looseleaf in 200 mL of water at 82°C for 3 minutes, the infusion was a cloudy golden straw colour with the aroma of roasted rice. Served hot, the green tea came through light grassy with well balanced brothy notes – not so strong as to dominate as in gyokuro but just pleasantly present – with enjoyable notes of roasted rice coming through in the background that enhances the savoury qualities of the tea.

The brothy here are not present in the Dong Suh Brown Rice Green Tea, likely due to the higher percentage of tea to rice ratio here. The higher tea content means that steeping times should be observed for optimum flavour, whereas the Dong Suh tea bag can be left in the cup without the tea developing bitterness or astringency.

This Uji no Tsuyu Toyuko Genmaicha contained 400 g. It was produced in Japan and purchased in Sydney, Australia in 2017.