In Japan, genmaicha is the everyday tea: a green tea mixed with toasted puffed rice, whose scent of toasted grain warms the cup. Mariage Frères combines it with the intensity of matcha, the green tea ground to a fine powder, and names the whole Genmaicha Matcha Émeraude, after the colour of its liquor; a combination the house describes as original.

The declared ingredients are tea and toasted puffed rice; the blend may contain traces of nuts. The matcha coats the leaf and the rice grains with a fine green powder, which disperses on infusion and gives the cup its colour and body.

The cup is emerald green, lasting and rich, says the house, with a thousand gourmand, velvety nuances. The toasted rice opens warmly, with a hint of hazelnut and toast; the green tea brings its vegetal freshness; the matcha rounds it all with a silky texture and a full umami that coats the palate. Dense without being bitter, the finish is long and gentle, provided the temperature is respected.

It is a tea for the day, and even for meals: it goes with rice, grilled fish and vegetables, as in Japan, as well as for an afternoon break. Drink it plain; it suits those who find green teas too delicate, the toasted rice giving it body. Poured over ice after infusion, it is also enjoyed cold.

Allow 2.5 g per 200 ml of water at 80 °C, or one cotton muslin tea sachet, and three minutes’ steeping: hotter water would make the matcha harsh. Stir the teapot gently before serving to distribute the powder. It is available in our shops in Bordeaux and Nice in a box of 30 round cotton muslin tea sachets (75 g net) and in an airtight black metal tin of 100 g, presented in its gift box; reseal them well, away from light and moisture.