I bought Genmai Hojicha the other day when I asked the guy working at Davids Tea to give me a few teas which I probably wouldn’t buy otherwise. This was one of them. Green tea, with rice? Definitely something I wouldn’t have tried otherwise, but I’m glad that I asked for the guys suggestions!
The rice surprisingly adds a lot to the taste of this tea. The roasted green tea leaves are interesting enough, but the the roasted rice adds a really unique flavour. The tea is naturally a bit bitter, so it’s not for you if you like sweet teas. The rice balances it out a little bit, but the bitterness of the green tea is more pronounced. The toasty taste and smell of Genmai Hojicha makes for a very satisfying experience, it seems like the perfect tea to drink next to a wood stove fire.