Japan Genmaicha Green Tea

Japanese Genmaicha green tea is an incredible example of the art of tea. Legend has it that sometime during the 1400s, a servant named Genmai leaned too far forward when serving hot tea to his Samurai warlord; the rice snack in Genmai's pocket fell into the samurai's tea. To their surprise, popping commenced upon the rice falling into the near boiling tea. Intrigued, the samurai tasted the tea and was overwhelmed with delight! He then named the tea after Genmai, and he requested that it be served every day thereafter. Harvested while still young, the tea leaves are then dried and mixed with puffs of roasted, hulled rice to give it the appearance of "popcorn tea." Each cup of Japanese Genmaicha is sweet with a delicious toasty finish.