Genmaicha

The arrival of the cherry blossoms reminds me of my aunt, Taeko, who is a practitioner of Chado - the way of tea.

She has devoted almost three decades of her life to practicing the art, and I’m often reminded of her when the seasons change as it inspires her to adapt her practice. Tea ceremony is founded on four key principles - harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility, and through tea ceremony the practitioner and the guests are encouraged to reflect.

This month, I’m enjoying genmaicha, one of the teas I mention in Japonisme. Often referred to as ‘popcorn’ tea, genmaicha is a blend of bancha (a lower-grade sencha, or Japanese green tea) with roasted rice (or genmai).

It has a slight nutty flavour, and the tea itself is almost a pale yellow - comforting and filling. My partner, a fan of the carbohydrate, was more forthcoming about his enjoyment of it than he usually is of green teas. This fact I attribute to the roasted rice within the brew.

For those in London, I recommend popping by Katsute 100 - a Japanese tearoom in Islington, where I got my latest batch. The venue holds a special place in my heart as it’s where I hosted the official book launch for Japonisme.

For those further afield, I’ve seen that Selfridges stock a few varieties (I’ll pop some links below).

All tea is best served slowly, with appreciation, savoured with respect.