Matcha Tutorial
See below for a written description of tips to make your best matcha, and a video beneath that.
1) Soak your Chasen (whisk) in hot water while you prepare the matcha. This allows the fine bamboo tines to soften and become more flexible which will produce a better foam but also extends the life of your chasen.
2) High grade Matcha is ground into a very fine powder, however it is also easy for static electricity to build up and for matcha to clump. In order to improve the taste and avoid lumps, we highly recommend that you sift the Matcha before whisking for a smooth texture, using the back of the scoop to push the matcha through (we offer hand and canister sifters for this purpose). Be generous with your matcha powder relative to the water volume which helps create a better foam. More matcha powder with less water will help you get a great foam. See beneath the video (below) to learn about usucha (thin tea) versus koicha (thick tea) preparation.
3) After adding water to the tea bowl and slowly moving the whisk to mix and suspend the powder in the water initially, then move the whisk quickly like writing the letter "W." Your whisk should be half-deep in the tea liquid, not scraping the bottom of the bowl. The motion should generally come from the wrist rather than the entire arm, and is not a circular stirring motion. Move your wrist back and forth very quickly in short jerks. This method creates a nice frothy lather (although, depending on what school of tea ceremony one follows, a lot of froth is not always necessary).
4) Once the foam has formed, slow your whisking down and lift the chasen to slowly continue whisking the surface of the tea to break large bubbles into finer bubbles. Finish with a half-moon clockwise turn and lift the whisk out. Rinse the whisk out under running water, give it a few flicks to dry, and leave upside-down to air-dry thoroughly. If you have a chasenaoshi (whisk keeper / whisk shaper), use this to retain the proper curvature of the whisk and for storing it.
There are two ways to prepare Matcha: Usucha (thin frothy matcha, the standard way) and Koicha (strong syrupy Matcha, the special way for tea ceremony). While most Matcha consumed on a daily basis is Usucha, the Matcha enthusiast cannot resist an occasional bowl of Koicha! Traditionally, Koicha is for tea ceremony and other special events but very high quality matcha must be used, or tea made this way will be very bitter with poor quality tea. For those who are new to Matcha, we recommend starting with Usucha.
Preparation of Usucha (thin and weak Matcha, the standard way)
Sift the Matcha for a more mellow flavor and to remove any lumps.
Place 2 heaping Chashaku or 1 teaspoon of Matcha (2g) into the Chawan bowl.
Pour 70ml (2.46fl oz) of hot water into the Chawan. The water temperature should be 176F (80C).
Using the bamboo Chasen, gently whisk the Matcha to suspend it first, then whisk more vigorously until it has a rich foam on top.
For the best flavor, drink the Usucha within approximately 3 minutes. If you wait too long, the rich foam will vanish and Matcha powder can collect at the bottom. The key is to whisk and then drink it right away, when it is fresh and covered in foam.
Preparation of Koicha (thick and strong Matcha, the special way in tea ceremony)
Sift the Matcha for a more mellow flavor and to remove any lumps.
Place 4 heaping Chashaku or 2 teaspoons of Matcha (4g) into the Chawan bowl.
Pour 50ml (1.76fl oz) of hot water into the Chawan. Using the bamboo Chasen, gently stir or “knead” the Matcha into the water. Unlike Usucha, Koicha will not get a rich foam on top.
Only high quality Matcha is suitable for Koicha, such as our Sanriku Reserve matcha, otherwise the very concentrated tea may taste quite bitter.
