Genmai Cha, with bancha green tea and toasted and hulled rice kernels, is a Japanese tea with buttery, nutty tones. Sometimes called “popcorn tea” because of the popped rice kernels. Sipping this tea conjures images of fragrant Japanese tea houses. With a toasty, velvety aroma, the taste is balanced. Because it’s blended with rice, Genmai Cha has less caffeine. This tea and rice combination arose from a period in Japan when many couldn’t afford green tea. Rather, they drank roasted rice, or the “people’s tea“, or a blend of green tea and roasted rice. This practice evolved into what we now know as the nutty tasting green blend, Genmai Cha (or Genmaicha).