Genmaicha substitutes

Toast plain brown or short-grain white rice in a dry pan over medium heat, stirring, for 5 to 8 minutes until it is golden and smells nutty, then brew it with the tea and strain.

Best for

hot and iced genmaicha, tea-steamed rice and fish, broths and light savoury infusions, matching the real thing as closely as possible

This is genmaicha, made at home, and it is the answer if you care about the flavour rather than convenience. Brown rice tastes nuttier and more authentic, white rice reads sweeter and more popcorn-like. Do not skip the toasting: untoasted rice makes the brew cloudy and starchy with none of the aroma. Toasted rice keeps in a jar for weeks.

Green tea roasted until reddish brown. It comes at genmaicha's toastiness from the leaf side rather than the rice side.

Best for

hot drinking, iced tea and cold brew, lattes and desserts, lower caffeine

Toasty and caramel-like rather than popcorn-and-rice, browner in the cup, sweeter and completely without astringency, so a mug of hojicha tastes cosier and less green and savoury than genmaicha. It also has far less caffeine and cannot be made bitter, which makes it the more forgiving choice. In a savoury application such as a tea broth, hojicha reads slightly sweeter than you may want.

Roasted barley, brewed like tea, caffeine-free and widely available.

Best for

caffeine-free drinking, iced tea for the whole table, long steeping and cold brew

The toasted grain character is very close to the rice in genmaicha, arguably closer than hojicha, but there is no green tea underneath at all, so the cup tastes purely roasted, mellow and a little sweet with no vegetal freshness or astringency. It is the best pick if genmaicha was the evening drink and caffeine is the reason you are looking for a swap.

The base of genmaicha without the rice, and the majority of what is in the bag anyway.

Best for

any recipe where genmaicha is the liquid, steaming rice or fish, hot drinking

Grassier, brisker and more astringent, because the toasted rice in genmaicha both softens the green edge and dilutes the leaf. Expect a slightly sharper cup with more caffeine per spoon. Since the rice is doing the mellowing, a pinch of salt or a shorter steep helps a plain green tea taste rounder and more genmaicha-like.

A common variant with matcha dusted through the blend, or a home approximation with a pinch of matcha stirred into brewed green tea.

Best for

a fuller, greener, more savoury cup, when the brew has to hold up against food

Deeper green in colour, thicker in the mouth and more umami-savoury, which suits genmaicha's savoury side well. It does add caffeine and a slight cloudiness. Use a small pinch, since matcha is powerful and can quickly make the cup taste bitter and dominate the toasted note you were trying to keep.