How to whisk matcha

Matcha is green tea ground to a fine powder. You don’t steep it; you whisk it into water and drink the whole leaf. The everyday bowl is usucha, thin tea: light, frothy and sweet.

Matcha starts as tencha: leaves shaded for several weeks before picking, which makes them deep green and rich in savoury flavour, then steamed, dried, de-veined and slowly ground between stones.

What you need

• Matcha, ideally a ceremonial grade for drinking with water alone.
• A chasen, the bamboo whisk. It is the one tool you can’t really replace.
• A chawan, or any wide bowl with room for the whisk to move.
• A small sieve and a kettle you can set to 75–80 °C.

Usucha, step by step

1. Soak the whisk. Stand the chasen in a little hot water for a minute. Soft prongs whisk better and don’t snap.
2. Warm the bowl. Swirl the hot water round the bowl, pour it out and wipe the bowl dry.
3. Sift 2 g of matcha (about two bamboo scoops, or a level teaspoon) into the bowl. Sifting is what stops lumps.
4. Add 60 to 70 ml of water at 75 to 80 °C. Boiling water makes matcha bitter.
5. Whisk. Hold the bowl steady, keep the whisk upright just off the bottom, and move it quickly from the wrist in an M or W shape, not in circles. About 15 seconds.
6. Finish. When there is a fine, even foam, slow down and skim the surface to pop the big bubbles. Lift the whisk from the centre.
7. Drink it right away, before the powder settles.

Koicha, thick tea

For koicha use about 4 g of ceremonial matcha with 30 to 40 ml of water. Don’t whisk for foam; knead it slowly with the whisk until it is glossy and smooth. Use only your best matcha: every flaw shows.

Looking after matcha and the chasen

• Once opened, keep the tin sealed in the fridge and use it within about a month. Let it come to room temperature before opening, so no moisture gets in.
• Rinse the chasen in warm water only, no soap, and dry it on a whisk holder so the prongs keep their shape.