Genmaicha for the win!

So, for quite awhile now (years, probably) there's been a bag of tea sitting in my grandmother's cupboard. I knew from asking about it that it had been a gift, either to her or my mother, and we could all tell that it contained green tea. The package was all in Japanese, some of which I probably could have puzzled out, but I didn't try too terribly hard because the distinctive green package and picture of a chasen (a whisk used to make matcha, or powdered green tea) led me to believe that it was, in fact, matcha. So tonight before dinner I decided to give it a try and cut open the vacuum sealed package.

Instead of bright green powder, there were leaves. And these little pale brown lumps.

Then I got a whiff of it.

Yummy, lovely, wonderful toasted rice.

::blink::

Lo and behold, the package did *not* contain matcha - it was genmaicha! Genmaicha is green tea mixed with toasted rice - it makes a lovely, deep and rich toasty-flavored tea, and is one of my favorite types of tea. I'd been contemplating ordering some - but now I have more than enough to last me a long, long time. :)