The Kensington Tea Company: Genmai Cha With Rice

If you ask some ladies what their idea of bliss is, some may say it's a weekend pampering session at a spa, or a shopping trip with friends. For me, it's the chance to brew loose tea in a pot, and drink it from a fine bone china cup and saucer. Sometimes, it feels increasingly hard to find the time to do just that, so, it's taken me some time to review the final tea that The Kensington Tea Company sent me to sample.

This evening, I sat down and opened up the final packet, which is Genmai Cha with Rice.

Genmai Cha with Rice is a Japanese tea. Genmai is a variety of brown rice, which is lightly roasted, then roasted again. So, not surprisingly, when I opened the packet, the first thing I thought of was popcorn. Not the syrupy sweet stuff, but the lovely salted popcorn you can get at the cinema. In the picture below you can see the grains of rice. It's really interesting to look at and really caught my attention as I waited for the pot to warm.

Genmai Cha with Rice is made up of green tea, and the leaves in this tea are large. I couldn't resist a peek of the tea as it was brewing. I left the tea to brew for just around three minutes. The photo below isn't very good, but you can see what a light, delicate tea it is. The actual colour of the tea is a pale yellow, but perhaps would of been darker if I had brewed it for a little longer.

As this (as well as all the other green teas of course) is completely and utterly new to me, I sat down in peace and quiet and took my first sip. I didn't really know what to expect, I have to say. Rice in a tea! I didn't even know something like this existed!

The main taste you get from this tea is rice, so it's a savoury tea, not at all like a citrus or spiced based brew. The flavour is very distinctive, unlike any other tea I've tasted before. In fact, if it contained sweet elements to it, it would rather remind me of sugar puffs! But joking aside, despite the strength of the taste of rice, it's a mellow tea, and actually has a slight nutty element to it, which brings to mind one of my favourite blends of black tea - Yunnan.

I still wasn't sure of it halfway through the first cup. That isn't always a bad thing, though. When you drink a blend of tea, that is many miles different to what you think a tea should be, it can leave you undecided for several cups. In fact, with Earl Grey, instantly I took a dislike to it, then, as I drunk it more often, I started to realise that I actually really liked it. You just have to open your mind, expect that it will be different, and really taste it.

When I poured the second cup, which was slightly stronger then the first, it had a slightly different taste. It was far more mellow, and the taste far richer.

So do I like this tea? Yes, I do. (And I'd be sure to write the truth and tell you if I didn't). But I honestly think that this tea needs a bit of getting used to. It's certainly not unpleasant (and believe me I've tasted some awful blends, and some lovely blends brewed badly!) but it's certainly unique, and has to be tasted to be believed. I believe this tea is an acquired tasted, and some people may think it not nice at all. But, this evening I brewed a second pot and am drinking it as I write, and, already my taste buds are enjoying this, and enjoying the difference in taste. It's not a sweet tea, so perfect for those who enjoy more savoury taste.

I would recommend you try this tea, just for the experience if nothing else. According to The Kensington Tea Company you get a free sample whenever you place an order, so perhaps you could request this for your sample and give it a go.

Summary of Genmai Cha With Rice

- Available from The Kensington Tea Company's Online Shop.
- Brew for three to four minutes. Should be taken black and unsweetened.
- Prices: 50g £4.10, 125g £9.90, 250g £18.75 500g £32.60