Genmaicha Zairai

Imagine a green tea that feels both rustic and coastal, weaving together the clean snap of sencha with the warm comfort of roasted grains. In this version of genmaicha, the cup opens with the earthy depth of roasted pecans—unsweetened and quietly smoky—before drifting into a soft, shoreline note reminiscent of sun-dried seaweed. A subtle breath of clove trails behind, adding a gentle spice that settles on the palate like the lingering warmth of a slow ember.

This tea comes from the same pesticide-free garden as our Sencha Zairai, crafted from plants nearly a century old. At our request, the farmer produced a Genmaicha using this very Sencha Zairai, giving you the opportunity to compare it directly with our Genmaicha Yabukita.

All three teas are made with care by the same farmer in Kochi, enabling a controlled, like-for-like comparison. The Sencha offers a rustic interpretation of a classic Japanese green tea, while the Genmaicha Zairai adjusts—and in some respects deepens—its distinctive character.

Both genmaicha use the same type of roasted rice, providing a clean basis for evaluating how different cultivars shape the taste profile of genmaicha.

Written by Dominik

Sourcing this tea in Japan

In the video, our visit to the pesticide-free garden during which we sourced the three teas, including the part in which Gabriele proposes a deal to the farmer: oolong in exchange of rice!