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Not just a chichi fad
Appears in
By Nisha Katona
Published 2017
The rice is no mere ornament in this tea. The fasting culture of Japan means this carb-by-stealth tea was stomach-lining sustenance. Known as ‘the people’s tea’, the rice provided a two-pronged benefit. It added substance to tea, and reduced the need for expensive tea leaves. See, it’s not just a chichi Soho Teahouse fad. It was bread and butter to the workers of Japan.
A bloodier and much more satisfying genesis for this drink tells of an ancient Japanese legend. A servant named Genmai was serving his master, a samurai warrior, some tea when a few grains of rice accidentally fell out of his pocket and into the pot. The warrior was so infuriated that his servant had ruined a perfectly good cup of tea that he chopped off his head. He decided to drink the cup of tea anyway and was swept away by the wonderful flavours. In honour of his poor servant, he insisted that this combination of tea and rice be served every morning and named it genmaicha (cha means tea in Japanese).