Gyokuro genmaicha is quite a rare tea, but it can be delicious nonetheless!
In this article, we are going to be discussing what gyokuro genmaicha tea is, how it’s made, and the gyokuro genmaicha health benefits.
Without further ado, let’s get brewing! 🍃🍵🍚🌾
What is gyokuro genmaicha green tea
Before we talk about what gyokuro genmaicha green tea is, we have to first talk about two different green teas: gyokuro and genmaicha. Once you understand these two teas, you will easily be able to see what gyokuro genmaicha tea is.
What is Gyokuro
Gyokuro is considered to be the most sought after leaf tea in Japan. It’s made from gyokuro plants that have been shaded for 3 weeks or more before the harvest. During this shading process, the tea plant produces less bitterness and maintains more of this sweet and savory flavor.
What is Genmaicha
Genmaicha is made by combining tea leaves with roasted rice. Most of the time, this is done with either sencha or bancha. In the case of gyokuro genmaicha green tea, the toasted rice is combined with premium gyokuro tea leaves.
Gyokuro genmaicha vs regular genmaicha
The reason gyokuro genmaicha tea is so rare is because normally genmaicha is made with cheaper tea leaves. Gyokuro is the most labor-intensive tea in Japan, so the leaves are highly coveted. Because this tea is so expensive and so flavorful, it is usually reserved for plain drinking.
How normal genmaicha is made
Genmaicha is considered to be a “leftover tea” made from leaves that didn’t quite make the cut. Bancha is a popular choice for genmaicha because the leaves can’t be used for premium sencha. They are either from later harvests or more mature leaves.
These leaves are lower in caffeine and higher in minerals. They have a mild and earthy flavor profile with a hint of citrus. Because bancha is not shaded, the tea is also lower in theanine.
Health benefits
There is a whole list of gyokuro genmaicha green tea benefits, but for the sake of this article we’ll only cover some of the key ones.
Theanine
One of the gyokuro genmaicha green tea health benefits is that it is higher in theanine compared to a normal genmaicha. When the tea plant is cut off from sunlight, it produces less catechins and maintains more of its theanine.
Theanine is an amino acid in green tea that is thought to buffer some of the negative side effects of caffeine and induce a calming effect on the brain. This is why green tea drinkers report having a long-lasting, calm-alert energy throughout the day without the crash or jitters associated with coffee.
Chlorophyll
Another one of the gyokuro genmaicha green tea health benefits is the higher presence of chlorophyll. When the tea plant is cut off from sunlight, it needs to produce more chlorophyll in order to compensate.
This not only creates a greener color in the leaves, but it can also have some health benefits. Chlorophyll is thought to support the liver, and therefore it can be beneficial when it comes to detoxifying the body.
Caffeine
There are a few gyokuro genmaicha green tea health benefits. Because the tea is made using gyokuro, you will get more gyokuro caffeine and L-theanine. While the caffeine is higher than a normal genmaicha, it is lower than a gyokuro because the additional rice dilutes the caffeine content.
Gyokuro genmaicha green tea benefits besides health
Gyokuro genmaicha tea takes advantage of the 11 Gyokuro Tea Benefits. But let’s focus our attention on the two main advantages of this rare tea besides the health aspects.
Price
Genmaicha gyokuro is much cheaper compared to a normal gyokuro. The reason is that toasted rice is far cheaper than tea leaves, so this brings down the average price per gram. If you want to experience the taste of a premium shaded tea without the price tag, gyokuro genmaicha could be a good option.
Taste
In addition to the gyokuro genmaicha health benefits, you also get a benefit when it comes to taste. It’s because you’ll get the gyokuro taste. The gyokuro leaves will provide more of this sweet and umami flavor to the green tea, which is sought after by a lot of tea drinkers.
Why gyokuro genmaicha is more expensive
There are certain benefits to a genmaicha tea that was not produced using gyokuro. A genmaicha made from a bancha, like the Genmaicha Hagiricha for example, is lower in caffeine and higher in minerals. It is also much more affordable. Instead of being made from the most expensive gyokuro, it’s made from one of the least expensive. This can be a great way to experience the gyokuro genmaicha green tea health benefits without the price tag.
Gyokuro does seem to command the highest price in the world of Japanese green tea, and because so many people are willing to pay top dollar for it, the taste must be well loved. To learn why Gyokuro is so expensive, we advise you to read the article 👉 Why is the Gyokuro Tea Price so High?
How to brew gyokuro genmaicha
Brewing gyokuro genmaicha is easy: add 5 grams of tea leaves to your teapot, pour in 150 ml of water at 95 °C, and brew for 30 seconds. This flash brewing technique brings out more of the toasted rice flavor, and creates a genmaicha gyokuro that is a balance between mellow toasted rice and steamed tea leaves.
