Ingredients
Tea
- 2 gceremonial grade matcha, about 1 heaped chashaku scoop
- 70 mlwater at 70 to 80°C
Equipment
- a chawan, tea bowl
- a chasen, bamboo whisk
- a chashaku, bamboo scoop
- a fine sieve
For koicha, thick tea
- 4 gmatcha
- 30 mlwater
Directions
- Keep it sealed in the fridge and use it within a few weeks, because stale matcha turns dull olive and tastes flat and bitter. Warm the bowl with hot water, then pour it away and dry the bowl.
- Soak the bamboo whisk in the warm water for a minute while the bowl heats. Soaking the chasen softens the fine tines so they flex rather than snap, and a dry whisk loses prongs into the tea.
- Sift the matcha into the bowl through a fine sieve. Sifting is the step people skip and it is the difference between a smooth bowl and a lumpy one.
- Heat the water and let it cool to 70 to 80°C (160 to 175°F). If you have no thermometer, boil the water and let it stand three minutes. Pour a small splash of the water in first and work it into a smooth paste with the whisk. It takes ten seconds and it is worth it every time.
- Add the rest of the water and whisk briskly in a W or M motion, not a circle. Whisk in a zigzag rather than stirring round. Keep the whisk near the surface and move from the wrist rather than the arm.
- Whisk 15 to 20 seconds until a fine, even layer of pale foam covers the surface with no large bubbles.
- Finish by drawing the whisk slowly through the centre and lifting it straight out, which pops the larger bubbles. Drink it straight away, from the bowl, in about three mouthfuls.
Technique
- A cheap electric milk frother works and is not shameful, though it gives a coarser foam.
- The colour is the quickest quality test: vivid jade green is good, dull yellow-green is old or low grade.
- Rinse the chasen in warm water only, never with soap, and stand it to dry on its stand.
Substitutions
- A small hand whisk or a frother in place of a chasen.
- Any wide bowl in place of a chawan.
Variations
- Koicha, the thick ceremonial tea.
- Matcha latte, with steamed milk.
- Iced, whisked with cold water over ice.
History
Zen monk Eisai brought powdered tea and seeds from China in 1191; Murata Juko and Sen no Rikyu shaped the tea ceremony around it.
Frequently asked questions
What is Matcha?
Matcha is a drink from Japan: whisked powdered green tea, heart of the tea ceremony. Zen monk Eisai brought powdered tea and seeds from China in 1191; Murata Juko and Sen no Rikyu shaped the tea ceremony around it.
How long does Matcha take to make?
Matcha takes 5 min of preparation and no cooking at all. The recipe makes 1 bowl. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Matcha?
Yes, within limits. A small hand whisk or a frother in place of a chasen. Any wide bowl in place of a chawan.
What is the most important thing to get right in Matcha?
Soak the bamboo whisk in the warm water for a minute while the bowl heats. Soaking the chasen softens the fine tines so they flex rather than snap, and a dry whisk loses prongs into the tea.
