Could Rice Be the Future of Coffee Alternatives?

As Japanese rice farmers are challenged with decreased rice consumption throughout the country, one company has come up with a solution: Genmai Decaf, or “rice coffee.”

BY BHAVI PATEL
BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE

Featured photo by Andhika Y. Wiguna. All other photos courtesy of Neohiro Ozawa

What to know:

As coffee production becomes increasingly difficult and expensive, some industry leaders are initiating conversations about “coffee alternatives” like yaupon, baobab seeds, and now, rice
In Japan, rice farmers are under pressure as rice consumption in the country has gone down significantly over the past several decades
To address the issue, MNH Inc., a company based in Shonai, Yamagata Prefecture, has created Genmai Decaf (GDC) or “rice coffee”: a caffeine-free beverage made from 100% Japanese brown rice
The rice coffee is available in single-drip, ground, and tea-bag formats and has a deep, rich flavor reminiscent of dark roast coffee

As climate challenges, trade disruptions, and soaring production costs are making coffee increasingly difficult (and expensive) to access, the conversation surrounding “coffee alternatives” is gradually moving to the forefront of the industry. A new caffeine-free drink rooted in Japanese agricultural heritage is quietly challenging the global beverage hierarchy—and it tastes nothing like what you’d expect. Genmai Decaf (GDC), or “rice coffee,” is the creation of MNH Inc., a company based in Shonai, Yamagata Prefecture: one of Japan‘s premier rice-producing regions on its northwestern coast.

Today, we’ll learn all about Genmai Decaf and hear from Neohiro Ozawa, Managing Director of MNH Inc., to learn more about the beverage and what it means for both Japan’s producers and the global coffee world as a whole.

Pouring milk into MNH Inc.'s rice coffee — Made from 100% Japanese brown rice, MNH Inc.’s rice coffee has a flavor that’s surprisingly complex, with a robust, savory aroma reminiscent of dark roast coffee. Neohiro Ozawa, Managing Director at MNH Inc., says that the beverage tastes best with plant-based milks.

What is rice coffee?

“Rice coffee is a completely new caffeine-free beverage that we are introducing to the world as the ‘fourth enjoyable beverage,’ following coffee, tea, and green tea,” says Neohiro. “It is made from 100% Japanese brown rice (genmai), grown in the rich natural environment of Japan. Without using any chemicals or additives, our proprietary roasting technology maximizes the natural umami, subtle sweetness, and profound aroma inherent in the rice.”

Currently, the product is available in single-drip, ground, and tea-bag formats. And for a beverage made entirely from rice, the flavor profile is surprisingly complex.

Pouring a cup of "rice coffee," made with Japanese brown rice. — Pouring a cup of Genmai Decaf, or rice coffee.

“Upon the first sip, it fills the palate with a deep, rich flavor and a robust, savory aroma reminiscent of a fine dark roast coffee,” Neohiro says. “However, its most defining characteristic is the clean, crisp finish, accompanied by the gentle, natural sweetness unique to rice.”

He adds that it pairs particularly well with plant-based milks (i.e. oat or almond), which “further unlocks its unique flavor profile,” making it a natural candidate for specialty café menus already leaning toward dairy-free offerings.

Addressing a crisis in Japan’s rice fields

The origin of the rice coffee created by MNH Inc. is grounded in current structural challenges facing Japanese agriculture. Per capita, rice consumption in Japan has fallen dramatically (from 118 kilograms per year in 1962 to just 50.8 kilograms in 2022), creating persistent pressure on farming communities. MNH’s response was one of innovation, rather than resignation.

Rice coffee: A rice farmer in Japan — As rice consumption in Japan has dropped significantly over the past few decades, the East Asian country is facing a “rice surplus,” creating pressure on Japan’s rice farmers. The rice coffee created by MNH Inc. seeks to address this issue, presenting a new way for consumers to utilize the crop.

“The development was born out of a critical social challenge facing Japan: (the) ‘rice surplus,’” Neohiro says. “Recognizing the urgent need for a radical ‘value transformation’ for our traditional rice, we set out to reinvent it as a beverage. Through endless trial and error with rice experts, we established a meticulous roasting process controlled down to the second. By slowly roasting the rice to its very core rather than simply scorching it, we successfully brought this new beverage to life.”

The company collaborates closely with local artisans in Shonai, a region celebrated for both its centuries-long farming tradition and recent agricultural innovations.

More than an alternative: The case for single-origin rice

The most intellectually compelling aspect of GDC isn’t what it lacks (caffeine, acidity) but what it uniquely offers. Neohiro draws a deliberate distinction from other alternative beverages on the market: “While most alternative coffees are blends of multiple grains or chicory roots, our rice coffee is a ‘single-ingredient’ beverage made solely from rice. This allows us to offer single-origin lineups, where the flavor profile distinctly shifts depending on the specific rice variety, the region, and the passion of the individual farmer, just like fine wine or specialty coffee.”

Rice coffee: Three piles showing three different varieties of rice — Neohiro explains that different varieties of rice can be used to brew different “rice coffees,” presenting just as much variation in flavor profiles as specialty coffee, tea, or wine.

That specificity opens a connoisseurship dimension rarely seen outside of coffee or tea. “It is a unique, premium beverage that speaks directly to a professional’s curiosity: ‘Which Japanese rice variety should I brew today, and how?’” Neohiro adds.

A sustainable cup with cultural stakes

Beyond the sensory experience, GDC carries environmental and cultural weight. “By producing rice coffee, we are protecting Japan’s paddy fields and supporting sustainable agriculture,” says Neohiro—a meaningful claim, given that Japan’s food self-sufficiency rate fell to just 38% in 2025, underscoring the urgency of finding new, high-value uses for domestically grown crops.

Rice coffee is not trying to replace the morning espresso. It is positioning itself as something the global beverage industry has not yet seen: a caffeine-free, stomach-gentle, terroir-driven drink with the cultural infrastructure of specialty coffee already built in. Whether the world’s baristas are ready to ask “Which rice today?” remains to be seen, but the question is now genuinely on the table.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bhavi Patel is a food writer focusing on coffee and tea, and a brand-building specialist with a background in dairy technology and an interest in culinary history and sensory perception of food.