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Short answer: Genmaicha is a Japanese green tea blended with roasted rice. Japan's official food composition tables describe a typical blend as about half sencha green tea and half roasted rice, though recipes vary widely. The rice gives it a toasty, nutty flavor. Because half the blend is rice, a cup of genmaicha has less caffeine than plain sencha: about 10 mg per 100 mL brewed, or very roughly 25 mg in an 8-ounce cup.
Genmaicha (玄米茶) is green tea mixed with roasted rice, a comforting, toasty cup that is lighter in caffeine than most green teas. Here is what genmaicha is made of, what it tastes like, how much caffeine it has compared with sencha, hojicha and matcha, what is known about its benefits, and how to brew it.
What you'll learn
- What genmaicha is made of
- What genmaicha tastes like
- How much caffeine genmaicha has, compared with other teas
- What the research says, and how to brew it
What is genmaicha?
Genmaicha is green tea blended with roasted rice. Japan's Standard Tables of Food Composition describe a reference blend of 50% sencha green tea, 10% roasted glutinous (mochi) rice and 40% white rice that has been steamed, dried and roasted, and note that blends vary a lot from brand to brand (MEXT Japan).
The name means "brown rice tea," but the rice in that reference blend is polished white rice, not brown rice (MEXT Japan). The tea half is usually sencha, a green tea made from sun-grown leaves that are steamed, rolled and dried (Unno et al., 2026). As with all green tea, the leaves are heated right after picking to stop oxidation and keep their green color (MEXT Japan). For more on the tea itself, see what is sencha?
You may see the roasted rice grains as golden-brown kernels mixed in with the green leaves. A few grains sometimes puff up during roasting, which is why genmaicha is nicknamed "popcorn tea."
What does genmaicha taste like?
Genmaicha tastes toasty and nutty from the roasted rice, with a light, grassy green tea note underneath. The cup is usually pale yellow-green to golden. Because the rice softens the tea's edge, many people find it mellower and less astringent than plain sencha. That fits the numbers: brewed genmaicha has about 10 mg of tannins per 100 mL, compared with about 70 mg for sencha, in Japan's food tables (MEXT Japan). Tannins are the tea polyphenols, including catechins, that give green tea its astringent bite.
How much caffeine is in genmaicha?
Japan's food composition tables list brewed genmaicha at 0.01 g of caffeine per 100 g, or about 10 mg per 100 mL. It was brewed with 15 g of tea in 650 mL of water at 90°C for 30 seconds (MEXT Japan). That works out to very roughly 25 mg in an 8-ounce cup brewed the same way, by our conversion. The tables round to the nearest 0.01 g, so treat this as approximate.
Why less than sencha? Brewed sencha is listed at about 20 mg per 100 mL, with almost the same amount of tea per cup of water (MEXT Japan). In genmaicha, about half of what you measure out is rice, which has no caffeine, and it was steeped for a shorter time. A longer steep, hotter water or a blend with more tea will raise the caffeine.
| Drink | Caffeine | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Genmaicha, brewed | About 10 mg per 100 mL | MEXT Japan |
| Bancha, brewed | About 10 mg per 100 mL | MEXT Japan |
| Sencha, brewed | About 20 mg per 100 mL | MEXT Japan |
| Hojicha, brewed | About 20 mg per 100 mL | MEXT Japan |
| Matcha (2 g of powder) | About 28 to 70 mg per serving | Meyer et al., 2023; Koláčková et al., 2022 |
| Brewed coffee | About 95 mg per 8 oz | USDA FoodData Central |
So genmaicha is a lower-caffeine choice, but it is not caffeine-free. For more comparisons, see how much caffeine is in tea? and what is hojicha?
Genmaicha vs sencha, hojicha and matcha
All four are Japanese teas from the same plant, but they are made and taste quite differently:
| Tea | What it is | Flavor |
|---|---|---|
| Genmaicha | Green tea (usually sencha) blended with roasted rice (MEXT Japan) | Toasty, nutty, mellow |
| Sencha | Sun-grown leaves, steamed, rolled and dried (Unno et al., 2026) | Fresh, grassy, light astringency and umami (Unno et al., 2026) |
| Hojicha | Roasted tea leaves, made from bancha and sencha (MEXT Japan) | Roasted, smooth; see what is hojicha? |
| Matcha | Shaded leaves dried flat and ground into a powder you drink whole (Unno et al., 2026) | Rich and savory; see what is matcha? |
Genmaicha and hojicha both taste toasty, but for different reasons: in genmaicha the rice is roasted and the tea leaves stay green, while in hojicha the tea leaves themselves are roasted.
Genmaicha benefits: what the research shows
There is very little research on genmaicha itself, so most of what is known comes from studies of green tea in general. The U.S. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health says definite conclusions cannot yet be reached on whether green tea helps for most of the purposes people use it for (NCCIH). With that in mind:
- It is a gentle, lower-caffeine green tea. At about 10 mg of caffeine per 100 mL (MEXT Japan), it is an easy afternoon or evening option if you are cutting back.
- It contains some green tea compounds, but less of them. The tea half brings catechins and theanine. Sencha leaves have about 10 mg of theanine per gram (Unno et al., 2026), and since a typical blend is about half tea (MEXT Japan), genmaicha has roughly half as much per gram, by our estimate. Brewed genmaicha also has far fewer tannins than sencha (MEXT Japan). For more on theanine, see what is L-theanine?
- It is essentially calorie-free. Brewed plain, genmaicha is listed at 0 calories per 100 mL (MEXT Japan), so it is an easy swap for sugary drinks. The rice adds flavor, not calories, because you strain it out with the leaves.
- A possible small effect on body weight is linked to green tea in general. The catechins and caffeine in green tea may have a modest effect on body weight (NCCIH), but genmaicha has less of both than plain green tea, so do not expect much from it.
How to brew genmaicha
- Measure the tea. Japan's food tables brew genmaicha with 15 g of tea per 650 mL of water (MEXT Japan), or about 5 grams for an 8-ounce cup. Use a little more if you want a stronger tea flavor.
- Use hot water. The food tables use 90°C (194°F) water (MEXT Japan).
- Steep briefly. The food tables steep it for just 30 seconds (MEXT Japan). Taste at 30 seconds to 1 minute; longer steeps pull out more caffeine and bitterness from the tea leaves.
- Strain and re-steep. Pour out every drop, then you can brew the same leaves again for a lighter second cup.
Soft water is a good choice for green tea: hard water lowers the amount of catechins and caffeine that end up in the cup (Unno et al., 2026). Genmaicha also makes a good iced tea: brew it a little stronger and pour it over ice. For another roasted Japanese tea to try, see our hojicha latte.
Who should be careful with genmaicha?
No safety concerns have been reported for green tea drunk as a beverage by adults, but it does contain caffeine (NCCIH). For most healthy adults, the FDA says up to 400 mg of caffeine a day is not generally associated with negative effects (FDA), so count genmaicha toward your daily total.
Green tea extract supplements are a different matter: liver injury has been reported in rare cases, mostly with extracts in pill form, and green tea can interact with some medicines (NCCIH). If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, take medication, or have a heart condition, anxiety or sleep problems, ask your health care provider how much caffeine is right for you.
Common myths (quick reality check)
Myth: Genmaicha is caffeine-free. Reality: Genmaicha contains caffeine from its green tea. Japan's food tables list about 10 mg per 100 mL, about half of plain sencha.
Myth: Genmaicha is made with brown rice. Reality: The name means "brown rice tea," but the reference blend in Japan's food tables uses roasted white rice and mochi rice.
Myth: Genmaicha has the same benefits as matcha. Reality: Genmaicha is about half rice and is steeped, so a cup has much less caffeine, theanine and catechins than matcha, where you drink the whole leaf.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
What is genmaicha?
Genmaicha is a Japanese green tea blended with roasted rice. Japan's food tables describe a typical blend as about half sencha and half roasted rice, though blends vary.
What does genmaicha taste like?
Genmaicha tastes toasty and nutty from the roasted rice, with a light green tea note. It is usually mellower and less astringent than plain sencha.
Does genmaicha have caffeine?
Yes. Brewed genmaicha has about 10 mg of caffeine per 100 mL, or very roughly 25 mg in an 8-ounce cup, according to Japan's food composition tables. That is about half of sencha and far less than coffee.
Is genmaicha good for you?
Genmaicha is a nearly calorie-free, lower-caffeine green tea. It contains some catechins and theanine from the tea leaves, but less than plain green tea because about half of the blend is rice.
Can you drink genmaicha at night?
It has less caffeine than most green teas, but it is not caffeine-free. If caffeine affects your sleep, keep it earlier in the day or brew it lightly.
What is the difference between genmaicha and hojicha?
In genmaicha, green tea leaves are mixed with roasted rice. In hojicha, the tea leaves themselves are roasted. Both taste toasty.
How do you brew genmaicha?
Steep about 5 grams of genmaicha in 8 ounces of water at about 90°C (194°F) for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then strain. You can re-steep the same leaves.
Related guides
- What is sencha? Sencha vs matcha
- What is hojicha? Hojicha vs matcha
- How much caffeine is in tea?
- What is matcha? What it's made of and matcha vs green tea
- Does matcha have caffeine?
- What is L-theanine?
Disclaimer and when to seek help
This article is for general education and is not medical advice. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Our products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Talk to your health care provider about caffeine if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a heart condition, anxiety or sleep problems, or take medication.
References
- Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), Japan. Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan 2020 (Eighth Revised Edition). Chapter 2 data: tea infusions (genmaicha 16041, sencha 16037, bancha 16039, hojicha 16040); chapter 3 notes on teas.
- Unno K, Kameoka Y, Nakamura Y. "Compositional Diversity and Functional Interactions of Bioactive Compounds in Japanese Green Tea: Focus on Matcha, Sencha, and Gyokuro." Molecules, 2026;31(16):2934. doi:10.3390/molecules31162934
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. "Green Tea: Usefulness and Safety." Last updated February 2025.
- Meyer BR, et al. "Catechin composition, phenolic content, and antioxidant properties of commercially-available bagged, gunpowder, and matcha green teas." Plant Foods for Human Nutrition, 2023;78(4):662-669. doi:10.1007/s11130-023-01121-2
- Koláčková T, et al. "The effect of in vitro digestion on matcha tea (Camellia sinensis) active components and antioxidant activity." Antioxidants, 2022;11(5):889. doi:10.3390/antiox11050889
- U.S. Department of Agriculture. FoodData Central (SR Legacy: coffee, brewed).
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. "Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine Is Too Much?"
