FRENCH NAME  GENMAI CHA JAPONAIS
BLEND NO.  5002
This famous Japanese tea is known as "popcorn tea" or "brown rice tea". During the roasting process, a few grains of the rice pop, resembling popcorn.  The nutty taste of the rice and barley goes well with the fresh flavor of our top-grade, blended Sencha (first flush or 'shincha' new tea), resulting in a savory infusion that is a perfect complement to Japanese cuisine.

We are blending genmaicha to be light on barley and rice - to ensure the underlying palate of the sencha green tea dominates with only top notes of barley to complement the green character.  Lower quality versions of genmaicha will tend to use low-quality sencha (or bancha) and high proportion of barley and rice. 

Infuse at 2 minutes at 80 to 82 Celcius (higher temperature will bruise the spring sencha leaves and result in high astringency). 

LOOSE TEALEAVES
AROMA: Toasty and refreshing
PALATE: Sweet with a nutty finish, mild with slightly grassy vegetal flavor
LIQUOR:  light yellow hue

This famous Japanese tea is known as "popcorn tea", even though it does not actually contain popcorn. A blend of toasted rice, roasted barley and green tealeaves, Genmai Cha is a good example of the ancient method of flavoring tea.

TEA SCENTED FRESH GOAT'S CHEESE

Karen Barnaby – Executive Chef The Fish House Restaurant 

4 oz./115g a slice or a whole soft fresh goat's cheese  
2 Tbsp/30ml. Genmai Cha   
cheesecloth

1) Wrap the cheese in a single layer of the cheesecloth, with very little overlap.

2) On a piece of plastic wrap that is large enough to wrap the cheese in, spread 1 TBSP (15ml) of the tea in a band lengthways down the middle of the cellophane. Place the curved edge of the cheese in the tea at one end of the wrap and tightly roll the cheese in the wrap, making sure that the tea is covering the side of the cheese all the way around.

3) Place the cheese with one of the flat sides up, and sprinkle half the remaining tea over the cheese. Close the end tightly. Repeat on the remaining side. What you should end up with is a piece of cheese that is almost completely covered in tea, tightly wrapped in plastic.

4) Refrigerate for 24 hours.

5) Remove the plastic wrap and cheesecloth from the cheese. Serve.

6) Keep in mind that the longer the cheese is marinated the stronger the flavour of the tea.

 *The nutty flavour of Genmai Cha would be good in a salad.