Introduction to Chashaku

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A Chashaku is a traditional Japanese tea scoop, used for measuring and pouring Matcha powder into the Chawan (or the teacup). The material used is usually bamboo.

The Chashaku is narrow and quite small, and is only about half a teaspoon.

If you’re just enjoying Matcha for fun and not practicing Japanese tea ceremony, don’t be too bothered to buy one. A teaspoon can function just as effectively.

There are more essential tools such as the Chasen (bamboo whisk), or a Kyusu (teapot) that which you should prioritize to look for if you don’t have one.

That being said, Matcha is an art. It certainly adds to your Matcha experience if you have all the proper tools, and the Chashaku is definitely one of them.

Furthermore, a quality Chashaku will come with a very pleasant, elegant scent of a young bamboo. This also definitely compliments the Matcha experience.

Chashaku is a very delicate item and moisture alone can stain the bamboo. When you clean the tool, wipe the remaining Matcha powder with a tissue or a cloth, and as much as possible don’t wash it with water.

Similar to a Chasen, avoid heat, high humidity, and sunlight when storing. Sudden changes in temperature and heat will crack the bamboo, so avoid dishwashers and dryers.

We'll go through the recommended step-by-step use of Chashaku and Chasen here.

Using the Chashaku is pretty much straightforward. One scoop of Matcha powder using a Chashaku amounts to roughly one gram. Therefore, for an Usucha preparation, you would want 2 scoops of Matcha powder for 70 ml of water. For a Koicha preparation, you would want 4 scoops of Matcha powder for 30 ml of water.

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