It's not the same, but I still remember the first time I was served genmai cha (roasted rice tea) at a sushi restaurant. I loved it and inquired, the server was kind enough to show me the actual tea bag — it was Yamamotoyama. Available lots of places in the US, but I used to buy it at a Japanese grocery store.
Tokyo has only two barley tea makers, we visited one to see how mugicha is made
11–20 of 54 posts
Re: Tokyo has only two barley tea makers, we visited one to see how mugicha is made
#12why not both?
Re: Tokyo has only two barley tea makers, we visited one to see how mugicha is made
#13For anyone looking to try this - while they sell pre-bottled mugicha [1], I highly recommend making your own from tea bags [2].
It's incredibly easy to make - just add cold water and let it sit in the fridge for a couple hours. It also tastes so much better (in my opinion), is much cheaper, and is more environmentally friendly.
A big 2L thermos filled with mugicha and ice is a great way to stay cool in the summer.
Re: Tokyo has only two barley tea makers, we visited one to see how mugicha is made
#14I really enjoyed that article. Documenting the entire process helps me understand what the final product should taste like. I love the smell of barley and had never considered roasting any. The fact that it apparently smells a bit like popcorn is pretty exciting.
I am growing buckwheat right now and have a small test plot of rice. I am hoping to be able to get meaningful yields after this first-year proof of concept dry run. I have already harvested enough buckwheat for a nice, steaming bowl of buckwheat. My rice is producing kernels now though I only have a few dozen plants. I am pretty excited about this.
I love how toasting something transforms the flavor profile and use that to enhance flavors of soups and other dishes. I toast pecans, walnuts, almonds, and some garden spices lightly and add them to spice mixes after grinding.
Thanks for this article.
There is also another article linked at the bottom about someone who drank a bottle of barley tea that had been left outside for months.
https://soranews24.com/2023/05/02/we-try-a-half-drunk-bottle...
I love stuff like that! Thanks!
Re: Tokyo has only two barley tea makers, we visited one to see how mugicha is made
#15I really enjoyed that article. Documenting the entire process helps me understand what the final product should taste like. I love the smell of barley and had never considered roasting any. The fact that it apparently smells a bit like popcorn is pretty exciting. I am growing buckwheat right now and have a small test plot of rice. I am hoping to be able to get meaningful yields after this first-year proof of concept…
Roasted barley is also appreciated in Italy prepared like an espresso (Caffe d'Orzo), and in Peru as a kind of cappuccino with brown sugar (Pinol).
Re: Tokyo has only two barley tea makers, we visited one to see how mugicha is made
#16[dead]
Re: Tokyo has only two barley tea makers, we visited one to see how mugicha is made
#17For anyone looking to try this - while they sell pre-bottled mugicha [1], I highly recommend making your own from tea bags [2]. It's incredibly easy to make - just add cold water and let it sit in the fridge for a couple hours. It also tastes so much better (in my opinion), is much cheaper, and is more environmentally friendly. A big 2L thermos filled with mugicha and ice is a great way to stay cool in the summer. [1…
It’s a well-known East Asian trope but I still reminisce about going to going to my grandmas house in summer and opening the fridge to drink some home made ice cold mugicha!
Re: Tokyo has only two barley tea makers, we visited one to see how mugicha is made
#18Koreans also say "tea" (차) to what supposed to be called infusion in English. Barley, brown rice, corn, Solomon's seal, and jack bean are common, but there are many more. I was confused when I was communicating about Korean tea at first in English. I introduced Korean teas, but for them they didn't have tea leaves thus not tea but infusion. If you don't know about brown rice green tea, I recommend it. It is literally a mix of green tea and brown rice. You should be able to find it in Japanese, Korean, or Chinese grocery stores.
Re: Tokyo has only two barley tea makers, we visited one to see how mugicha is made
#19I really enjoyed that article. Documenting the entire process helps me understand what the final product should taste like. I love the smell of barley and had never considered roasting any. The fact that it apparently smells a bit like popcorn is pretty exciting. I am growing buckwheat right now and have a small test plot of rice. I am hoping to be able to get meaningful yields after this first-year proof of concept…
Roasted barley is also appreciated in Italy prepared like an espresso (Caffe d'Orzo), and in Peru as a kind of cappuccino with brown sugar (Pinol).
Is it well regarded in either place?
I've somehow not come across these preparations. I like barley tea and have made it via other coffee methods. (cold brew/french press.) So I guess espresso makes some sense.
(Also thank you doodlebugging for the other link. I love sora news. I don't know if it's the cadence or playful sincerity or what.)
Re: Tokyo has only two barley tea makers, we visited one to see how mugicha is made
#20Koreans also say "tea" (차) to what supposed to be called infusion in English. Barley, brown rice, corn, Solomon's seal, and jack bean are common, but there are many more. I was confused when I was communicating about Korean tea at first in English. I introduced Korean teas, but for them they didn't have tea leaves thus not tea but infusion. If you don't know about brown rice green tea, I recommend it. It is literally…
I get high quality brown rice mix (genmaicha) in Japan directly from growers, which is packaged separately from the tea leaves. You can mix it as you use it and to the ratio that you like and which suits the tea. And adjust for less tea if wanting to avoid caffeine in the evening. (Try to avoid tea bag products, also - besides quality challenges, most tea bags have an enormous amount of microplastics.)