Genmaicha was a type of tea that I came to later in my tea-drinking life. I didn’t yet understand the toasty magic of having puffed rice brewed alongside a nutty green tea. Since then I’ve been on the genmaicha train and I don’t plan to leave. 52Teas has a great variety of genmaicha teas, like banana marshmallow or rice pudding. This time I’m trying Pumpkin Spice Latte Genmaicha from 52Teas.
In addition to the expected green tea and puffed rice, this blend contains pumpkin pieces, allspice, cinnamon, and nutmeg. The peppery allspice and herbal nutmeg make this tea smell specifically like autumn and not just your everyday chai spices.
Brewed, this blend is exceptionally well-balanced. There are the sweet flavors of a pumpkin spice latte, and a little warmth and depth from the spices, but they don’t drown out the toasty comfort of the original genmaicha.
As much as I love pumpkin spice everything, this might be one of my favorite takes on the flavor. The brew is creamy without being cloying, spicy without feeling generic, and the genmaicha base makes me feel so cozy and easygoing.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ll still be ordering those PSL coffee lattes when they come back on the menu, but I’ll also be rooting for 52Teas to reblend this genmaicha beauty just in time for pumpkin season.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Daryl Dixon Fandom Blend from Adagio Teas
This is a fandom blend from the wild west of build-your-own blends on Adagio Teas. I couldn’t find an exact match on tea flavors and fandom styling on the website, so I am going by look and taste for this tea. (Don’t worry there are a few other Daryl Dixon blends on the site if you need to get your fandom fix).
The character of Daryl Dixon kicks plenty of zombie butt on the Walking Dead, so it is only appropriate that his tea blend is driven by high-caffeine yerba mate. This mate is the green (unroasted) variety, and brings a little fresh citrus note into the brew alongside all its usual earthiness.
I believe this blend also contains a flavored green tea that helps brighten up the lemon undertones even further. As is appropriate for any gory zombie show, this tea also features a dose of Blood Orange herbal tea. The proportion of blood orange is small, so it adds a bit of juicy orange flavor without taking over the blend. The brewed tea is green-yellow in color, with only the tiniest hint of pink from the powerful hibiscus.
This is a blend that packs a punch without being too bold or bitter. When you need an unconventional pick-me-up, try brewing a cup like this yerba mate Daryl Dixon blend.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Mate
Where to Buy: Adagio
Description: This blend is no longer available but click below for blends that are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Nakamura-en Tea Shop Kyoto Karigane Hojicha from Nakamura-En Tea Shop (available at Yunomi)
Nakamura-en Tea Shop Kyoto Karigane Hojicha is a premium green tea that is made of roasted stems filtered from kabusecha which is a shaded green tea.
The tea shop itself is a quaint, 100+ year old shop near Ryogoku station on the JR Sobu line. The owner is Mr. Nakamura who speaks a bit of English, and selects some amazing teas from around Japan….including this one. The promoter of this wonderful tea is Yunomi Life and it’s available for purchase on their website.
The harvest is spring and the region is Kyoto Pref, Japan which contributes to the overall experience of this tea. The aroma is intense – right out of the bag! The flavor on the tongue is smoky and roasted up front with a sweet end sip.
The layers of flavor have you craving more. This is certainly a tea that you will take your time with. One to contemplate and appreciate. One that you will remember long after the cup is finished. A mighty fine roasted and toasted green!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Yunomi
Description
Roasted leaf stems filtered from the production of gyokuro (the most premium form of leaf green tea with lowest level of catechin) in Kyoto, Japan.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
White Chocolate Tiramisu from Fava Tea. . .
I accidentally left this in the steeper far too long — which you aren’t supposed to do with green — but it’s still really tasty, so that’s a sublimely positive thing for us scatterbrained tea enthusiasts.
This tea tastes like white chocolate, nuts, and caramel. It’s supposed to taste like Tiramisu, but I’m not sure I’m getting that. Tiramisu, to me, mostly has coffee notes. That said, who cares, a tasty tea is a tasty tea. This is SO creamy and delicious and sweet. It’s a slick mouth-feel (ew, the phrase “mouth-feel” is horrible) that really coats the inside of the mouth.
I feel like I’m in a French patisserie with this tea. Everything is Marie Antoinette pastel. I have a tiny purebred dog upon my lap. My pinky is up. I’m with all of my friends. We’re wearing blush and having a scintillating conversation that focuses on fine arts and gossip.
We might enjoy ourselves so much that we oversteep the tea. But that’s okay. This tea doesn’t mind.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black/Green
Where to Buy: Fava Tea
Description
This is a green and black tea blend with almonds, coconut, and cocoa pieces. If you like the darker, creamy, savory teas, this is one for you! A popular dessert tea. Blends well with rock sugar. Try Vanilla Rocks, Chocolate Cream Rocks, or Strawberry Rocks, for starters!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Turmeric Gold from Pukka. . . .
I love pukka teas.
Every single flavor I’ve tried has been amazing.
I also love turmeric and I try to incorporate it into my diet everyday. Turmeric tea is a great way to do that!This tea has turmeric root,green tea, licorice root,cardamom, lemon and verbana leaf. I taste a lot of lemon which is a great thing in my opinion! It helps cut the sharpness of the turmeric. I don’t really taste the licorice or cardamom, but I’m sure they’re working with the lemon to make this a really bright and delicious tea.
I’ve talked to several people who want to add turmeric tea to their diets but find the taste a little to sharp. This is the tea I will tell them to try from now on. It tastes more like a lovely lemon ginger tea. It is yellow so be careful when you pour it.
Turmeric’s color is pretty intense!
Turmeric has many, many health benefits and this tea is such a simple and delicious way to get some in your system. I am having mine warm because well fall, but I plan on trying it iced as well. I would imagine the lemon makes this a really refreshing iced drink as well. It does have green tea so there is a small amount of caffeine.
This probably wouldn’t be the best dessert tea anyway. But it is a wonderful way to start the day, and would probably be a great afternoon pick me up as well!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Pukka Teas
Description
Golden turmeric – the queen of protective herbs whose nourishing yellow sustains life’s majestic glow. This is a tea to celebrate life – lemon fruit, aromatic cardamom and whole leaf green tea expertly blended with one of nature’s most powerful herbs. The elegance will leave you feeling renewed as each cup lets you don turmeric’s shield.
A golden tea that will colour your life but not your teeth. Good news for bringing a golden glow to your day.
