MASAMI
PREMIUM ORGANIC GENMAICHA
Origin
100% Japanese tea (tea origin: Kumamoto; rice origin: Fukuoka)
Quality and Type
Premium Organic Genmaicha
Yes
Cultivar
Yabukita
sweetness
UMAMI
Although there is no official translation of the word “umami”, some call it “savory taste”: it leaves a mild and lasting pleasant brothy after taste and is recognized as one of the five basic tastes (together with sweetness, sourness, bitterness, and saltiness). It also induces salivation and a furriness sensation on the tongue, stimulating the throat, the roof and the back of the mouth.
BITTERNESS
The natural bitterness of green tea comes from the way it is made. Unlike black and oolong teas, green teas are made from the unfermented leaves of the tea plant, which keeps the antioxidants intact, but also gives them the bitter taste. This bitterness can be regulated with the water temperature : the higher the more bitter and vice-versa.
CAFFEINE
Caffeine is a naturally-occurring stimulant, found in several plants. Caffeine is water soluble, and is extracted into the brewed cup when preparing tea. In most cases, tea has much less caffeine than coffee.
CATECHINS
Catechins are a type of polyphenol (EGCG) and are the main astringency component in green tea, long known as tannins. In order to release more catechins you will need higher brewing temperature at around 80 but this will also increase the astringency and bitterness of your tea because of the caffeine. Dont use such temperatures for Gyokuro.
THEANINE
L-theanine (here referred to as theanine) is an amino acid that has a relaxing, but not sedating, effect. It is renowned for its ability to put you in the ideal state of calm attentiveness. It can sharpen focus, while reducing stress and enhancing overall well-being. Theanine can interact with caffeine, allowing a smaller dose of caffeine to have a stronger effect in terms of boosting concentration and alertness.
FRAGRANCE
The fragrance of a cup of green tea can vary from a highly roasted aroma to a fresh one.
Tea for 2
6g /0.21oz
Water
200ml /6.76oz
Temperature
100C / 212F
Brewing
30s
Koga Kumiko san represents the fourth generation at her family business KOGACHA GYO in Yame, Fukuoka. Working alongside her mother, president of the company, and her father, director of operations, she is a tea instructor.
Dedicated to lead her company through the challenges of the green tea industry in the 21st century, she is in charge of overseas sales. She also travels around the world to give tea seminars to introduce Yame green tea to foreign tea lovers.
1 Year
6 weeks
Resealable vacuum bag, or aluminium bag with neutral gaz for best preservation.
Reviews
Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.
REGISTER TO OUR NEWSLETTER
Stay up to date on our new arrivals, promotions and Japanese culture
"Tea is nought but this: first you heat the water,
then you make the tea.
Then you drink it properly.
That is all you need to know."
Sen no Rikyu
REGISTER TO OUR NEWSLETTER
Stay up to date on our new arrivals, promotions and Japanese culture
"Tea is nought but this: first you heat the water,
then you make the tea.
Then you drink it properly.
That is all you need to know."
Sen no Rikyu
SHOP
COMPANY
HELP & FAQ
FOLLOW-US ON
Robert Kim (verified owner) –
(This tea’s brewing instruction on the bag is incomplete (no brewing time specified) and looked inaccurate. I followed the instruction on the Ikkyu website. )
The first brew was a bit strong in favor of green tea vs rice compare to other Genmaicha I was used to. Green tea flavor beat out the rice one in the second brew as well. I drink Genmaicha at night because it contains less caffeine. This tea may be just too strong if I follow the brewing instruction. The flavors are not bad. It is nutty, not too grassy, and has a long-lasting umami effect. I will be sure to experiment with brewing instructions to get more out of it.
Japanese Green Tea Drinker (verified owner) –
Using 70 degrees heated water gave me the perfect combination of green tea along side the popcorn taste of the rice. A very nice tea.
Khoi Huynh (verified owner) –
With hot water 100 degrees, tea lost many things. I use low water about 70-75 degrees, then I feel the balance of tea flavor and strong aroma of rice.
CHERRY (verified owner) –
This tea is very comforting to anybody anytime. It has nutty flavor and doesn’t lose out on the refreshing characteristic of green tea. The temperature of the water for brewing is very forgiving; either boiling or slightly cool—both works! On top of that it being organic is a huge plus.
Jared Ellerbrock (verified owner) –
I found this tea to be too light on flavor. I tried brewing at different temps, but in the end, I added additional sencha (Ikkyu’s REI sencha) to enhance the flavor. Now it’s delicious.