Ingredients
Usucha (thin matcha)
- 1 tsp matcha (green tea powder) (12 g or 1 ½ heaping tea scoops/chashaku)
- 2 oz boiling water (70 ml)
Koicha (thick matcha)
- 2 tsp matcha (green tea powder) (4 g or 3 heaping tea scoops/chashaku)
- 1.4 oz boiling water (40 ml)
Instructions
To Prepare Equipment
- Prepare matcha and tea set.
- Pour boiling water into the bowl.
- Gently whisk the tip of the Chasen in the hot water. This warms up the bowl and softens the bamboo tines, making the chasen flexible and springy for effective whisking action.
- Discard the hot water from the bowl and dry the inside of the bowl with a clean dry cloth.
To Prepare Matcha
- For Usucha, scoop 1 tsp (or 1 ½ heaping tea scoops) matcha into a fine-mesh strainer over a tea bowl. For Koicha, scoop 2 tsp (or 3 heaping tea scoops) matcha into a fine-mesh strainer over a tea bowl. If you use a tea scoop or chashaku, the scoop should be rounded, reaching just the point where the chashaku starts to bend.
- Sift your matcha into your dry empty bowl. This will ensure there are no clumps and your tea will be smooth.
- Pour boiling water into a teacup and let it cools down for a minute (to 185 ºF / 85 ºC).
- Gently add a very small amount of hot water into the bowl with matcha.
- Take the whisk in one hand and hold the rim of the tea bowl with your other hand. Combine the matcha and hot water till it blends well.
- Gently pour hot water into the bowl until it’s ⅓ full (2 oz or 70 ml) for Usucha, and 1.4 oz or 40 ml for Koicha.
To Make Usucha (thin matcha)
- Whisk the matcha and hot water briskly in a quick, back-and-forth stroking “W”(or “M”) motion using your wrist (not arm). When the tea has small bubbles, start whisking the surface of the tea, and continue until matcha has a thick froth with many tine bubbles on the surface.
- At the end, draw one circle and pick up the whisk in the center of the matcha tea. This will create a slightly higher fluffy foam at the center.
To Make Koicha (thick matcha)
-
You’re not making a frothy consistency with a fast whisking action. Instead, a slow kneading action from left to right, up and down, and a gentle 360 degree rotating action to make a thick, smooth, and even consistency without froth.
To Serve Matcha
-
Serve matcha immediately with wagashi (Japanese sweets). Since matcha is a powdered leaf, it does not actually “dissolve” The fine particles become suspended in the hot water during whisking. Therefore please enjoy the matcha before particles settle to the bottom of the bowl.
-
Rinse the chasen thoroughly in warm water after each use and stand it on its base so the tines are sticking up in the air. Rinse and dry your bowl.