What is popcorn green tea?
Genmaicha is green tea which has been combined with roasted brown rice. The name means “brown rice tea” in Japanese, which is where the tea comes from. You may also hear it referred to as “Popcorn tea” - thanks to the popping sound that some of the rice grains make while they're roasting, which sounds just like popcorn!
This variety of green tea originated out of necessity, when poorer Japanese peasants weren't able to afford tea. They took to mixing it with toasted rice to make their meager rations go further, with the rice acting as a filler and lowering the price of the tea consumed. Today, it is often called the “people's tea” because of its origins. It is now, however, a popular drink in its own right, enjoyed by people in all segments of Japanese society, as well as being exported throughout the world.
Green tea is important to the people of Japan, so genmaicha or “popcorn tea” was initially a good way of ensuring that everyone could drink it no matter what their budget. It has a wide variety of health benefits, from regulating blood sugar levels and food cravings to buring fat and increasing mental clarity and memory abilities. Although it comes from the same plant as regular tea (or “black” tea), the difference is in how the leaves are treated after being picked. Green tea leaves are not fermented, or “oxidized”, and so they remain much closer to their original state – that is to say, they're full of powerful antioxidants, and packed with beneficial nutrients like calcium, iron and Vitamin A. Although genmaicha contains additional ingredients (the roasted rice), the nutritional benefits of its green tea component are still there – they just come with a different flavor, great for those who like something more than the pure, somewhat vegetal taste of ordinary green tea!
As with all varieties of tea, it's much better to purchase whole leaf tea rather than teabags. A good quality genmaicha will have a delicious blend of flavors, combining the grassy, fresh taste of green tea with the toasty flavor and aroma of the roasted rice. The flavor is quite mild and very pleasant, and the beverage is a light, golden color. Beware of oversteeping the leaves! This will detract from the unique genmaicha flavors, and make the tea taste somewhat bitter. You should ensure that your water is at the right temperature (around 80-85°C), and that you don't steep the leaves for more than 3 minutes – in fact, some would recommend a much shorter steeping time, perhaps closer to one minute.
You may also stumble across an interesting product named “matcha-iri genmaicha”. This is actually genmaicha that has been pre-mixed with matcha. Matcha is a specialist powdered green tea that is often used in culturally important Japanese tea ceremonies – on its own, it's quite bitter, and usually served with a traditional sweet to counter this. Mixed with genmaicha, however, it simply serves to add a rather stronger flavor similar to ordinary genmaicha, and also has the effect of making the color more green than golden.
Useful Links:
http://www.davidhayden.com/blog/dave/archive/2005/04/26/991.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genmaicha
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