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Shae drank Yunomi: Hojicha Genmaicha by Zenkouen Tea Garden

2172 tasting notes

2021 Homemade Advent Calendar Swap – Day 23
From Skysamurai.

I’ve let myself get behind on my Advent teas, so here I am at Day 23 on Christmas Day. I’ve had this one ready to go on the counter for the last two days trying to figure out how to steep it. I’m not too familiar with genmaicha and since this was a mix with hojicha I wasn’t sure about temperature or water:leaf ratio. I finally just went for it today and decided to steep strong and make a latte out of it, since I’ve been enjoying the hojicha lattes lately. I was immediately worried after steeping though because this may be the most savory tea I’ve ever experienced. No exaggeration. It’s so incredibly roasty and has a strong aroma of cooked dark leafy greens. It brings to mind a brothy vegetable soup. I’d already frothed my milk though and decided to just go for it, unsweetened and without any other additions. I was pretty hesitant to take that first sip, but it turned out just fine! I don’t know if the milk tempers it or if the aroma is just stronger than the taste, but it’s much better than I expected. It’s still not something I would purchase for myself, but it’s definitely an interesting mix.

Flavors: Toasted Rice, Vegetable Broth

Preparation

185 °F / 85 °C 4 min, 0 sec 7 g 6 OZ / 177 ML

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Bio

Lifetime student. Lover of books and paper and ink. Kitchen dweller. Aspiring herbalist, excessively proud cat lady, and tea fanatic. Thirty-something elder millennial. She/her.

I love flavored black teas most of all, always with cream and honey. I enjoy floral and fruity teas, as well as flavored or scented ones. I’m not overly fond of green or white teas, but I’ve found a few that I enjoy.

I’m open to tea swaps and/or just sharing what’s in my tea cabinet! Please reach out if you see something I have that you’d like to try. I do my best to update my cupboard regularly.

Favorites
Any and all black teas, smoky teas, raspberry, strawberry, red fruits, bergamot, chai spices, floral teas, caramel/toffee, jasmine, rose, vanilla, peaches, plums, valerian root, cinnamon, cardamom

Not a huge fan
White teas, green teas, artificial sweeteners, sarsaparilla, licorice, lemongrass, lavender, hot hibiscus, hibiscus in black tea blends

Rating Scale

1-20: By far, one of the worst teas I’ve tasted. I most certainly will not finish my cup and will likely “gift” the rest to my sweet husband, James, who almost always enjoys the teas I dislike (and vice versa).

21-49: This tea is not good, but if I mix it with another tea or find another steeping method I might be able to finish it.

50-69: This one is just okay. I might drink it again if someone were to give it to me, but I probably won’t be buying more for myself.

70-79: This is a consistently good tea. It’s reliable but not necessarily special.

80-90: This one is a notch above the rest and I would gladly enjoy a cup of it any day of the week. I’ll likely be keeping this in my cupboard, but it isn’t one of my all-time favorites.

91-95: One small change and this tea would be perfect. I’ll definitely have a stash of this in my kitchen if you come over for tea.

96-100: No words can describe this tea. It’s an experience, an aha moment. Closed eyes, wide smile, encompassing warmth. Absolutely incredible. Perfect.

Updated May 2022.

Location

Alabaster, Alabama

Website

https://www.goodreads.com/sha...

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