How To Make Delicious "Usucha" Matcha

Drinking infused loose-leaf Japanese green tea, such as Sencha or Houjicha, on a daily basis is lovely - however, why not mix it up occasionally with Matcha? It's not only an incredible health booster but also a great way to enjoy the taste of Japanese tradition.

The "Matcha" flavor is ubiquitous these days, with Matcha Latte in your local cafes and Matcha flavors being a common staple in your nearby ice cream shops. However, have you ever tried a frothy cup of delicious Matcha that was prepared by whisking with a bamboo whisk? If you haven't – well, you're in for a treat. This is the traditional style of preparing Matcha, and you'll find that it's a fantastic experience.

It may feel tedious and esoteric, but I hope you stay with us and try it out. I guarantee that if you already like the taste of Matcha, you'll start to love Matcha 10 times more! 

There are two ways to prepare traditional Matcha. One is the Usucha, also called the thin-tea preparation, and the other is the Koicha or the thick-tea preparation.

They are precisely what their name suggests. The Usucha is thin compared to the very thick Koicha. However, even this Usucha is a very strong type of tea - think of it more as an espresso rather than a blended coffee. The Koicha takes that and makes it one notch thicker!

The main difference lies in how much Matcha powder they use. This is how an Usucha looks like.

The Usucha, or the thin tea, is what you see in the picture above. The Koicha uses a lot more Matcha powder than the Usucha, ending up in a more muddy-looking tea.

In this article, we'll go over how to prepare Usucha, which is more suited for casual drinking. If you're unsure which you should try first, then go for the Usucha. As you come to like and appreciate the taste of Matcha and have quality Matcha powder on hand, you may occasionally want to try Koicha.

*Update

We recently published a video on how to make "no-fail Matcha!" This video introduces a great tip to consistently make delicous Matcha, which I have yet to update in this article at of yet. Make sure you check this out!

• Matcha powder (Make sure it's a Ceremonial Grade Matcha powder)
• Chasen, or a bamboo whisk
  
• Matcha-Bowl (Chawan for Matcha): If you don't have one, any cup with a broad base.
  
• Chashaku (Bamboo tea-powder scoop): A teaspoon will do if you don't have one.
  
• Yuzamashi (water cooler) or any bowl to cool the water. (This is optional.)
  
• Tea Strainer or sift. (This is optional.)
  
• A paper towel (or a clean cloth) to wipe the Matcha powder at the end.
  

Many of these traditional Japanese tea tools are replaceable with something you might already have in your kitchen.

If you don't have a Matcha bowl, you can look for something in your kitchen with a broad base so there's enough room inside the bowl to whisk the tea. It would also be better if the bowl had enough depth - a shallow bowl would cause the tea to spill, so you wouldn't be able to whisk as vigorously.

The Chashaku, or the tea scoop, is just a traditional tool to measure and scoop Matcha powder. You can use a teaspoon instead.

The Yuzamashi is just an additional bowl to reduce the water temperature after it's boiled. You want to hit the ideal temperature target of roughly 80 degrees Celsius, or 176 degrees Fahrenheit. It helps to pour the boiling water (which is 100 degrees Celsius) into the Yuzamashi so the bowl absorbs the temperature and reduces it.

So, you already have most of the items.

However, the Chasen, or the bamboo whisk, is a crucial Matcha tool required to make delicious Matcha and may not be easily replaceable. Try to buy a Chasen beforehand. You can find some in our online shop as well. (A disclaimer: Our bamboo whisks are often out of stock. We constantly order new ones, but due to the handcrafted nature of this Japanese traditional craft by a limited number of craftspeople, it's more common that we are out of stock. We apologize for the inconvenience)

You can find Chasens with different numbers of prongs. For Usucha, it's generally recommended to use the Chasen with 100 prongs. The high quantity of bristles helps generate the rich, creamy layer of bubbles, giving Matcha its frothy texture and releasing the aroma. The Chasen with fewer prongs, such as the 80-pronged Chasen, are used for Koicha. But having said that, honestly, you don't have to be too caught up in the number of prongs. There's more to whisking Matcha than the number of progs, such as the bamboo thickness and bamboo length. The more prongs, the more expensive the Chasen will become, so choose something that suits your taste and budget.

If you can't find a Chasen, there are alternatives you can resort to. You can read about 

different Chasen alternatives.

Last but not least, make sure you have Matcha powder, too! There are different grades of Matcha powder, so buy the "Ceremonial Grade" Matcha. The "Culinary Grade" is for cooking and is not suitable for making Usucha. 

The first step is to place the Chasen in water to moisten the prongs. This can be brief. However, if it's a new Chasen or one you haven't used in a while, keep it in the water for about 20 minutes. There are two reasons for this very important step.

• The Chasen is a very fragile tool. Mixing the Matcha involves a vigorous action of whisking the Matcha and water inside the bowl, which can cause the fragile prongs to break. Soaking it in water will help prevent the bristles from breaking when mixing the Matcha.
  
  
• When soaked in water, the Chasen will bend more easily. This will allow easier use when mixing the Matcha and generating the foam. If it's dry, the bamboo will be hard. It'll be more challenging to generate the rich foam.

Warming the bowl up is also an essential step in preparing delicious Matcha. There are two reasons for this as well.

• If the temperature of the Matcha becomes too low while mixing, it will not taste as good. This step is taken to ensure the Matcha stays warm and delicious.
  
  
• The moisture of the water will help prevent the color of the Matcha from staining the Chawan.

This is the most important step of Matcha preparation. Whisk to mix the Matcha with water and generate the rich, frothy texture of the Matcha.

The mixing is done by taking the bamboo whisk and whisking the Matcha back and forth in a quick, small motion.

The idea is to mix the tea so the Matcha powder completely blends with the water. Matcha powder is not that easy to dissolve, and it's easy to leave lumps of Matcha remaining in the tea. When this happens, it's not pleasant to drink, so this is the most important thing you want to avoid.

I recommend not to whisk in a circular motion – as it will not be enough force to generate the bubbles. The Chasen should be slightly above the bottom of the Chawan, and it should lightly touch the Chawan as you whisk.

Use the snap of your wrist and vigorously whisk the tea back and forth. Do not put too much strength in your arms or shoulders, as that will make it difficult to whisk as fast as required. Whisk as fast as possible and continue for 30 seconds until there is a nice thick layer of bubbles on the surface of the tea. It may be tiring – but it'll be worth it.

Ultimately, there is no correct way of whisking. Try to find a way that's comfortable for you.

Enjoy the Matcha. Serving Matcha with a side of Wagashi – or Japanese sweets – would make the Matcha experience extra pleasurable.

Consider the following points if you find it difficult to froth your Usucha Matcha.

• Is the water temperature high enough? (It's easier to froth if the temperature is high)
  
• Did you sift the tea beforehand?
  
• Are you using enough Matcha Powder? (The balance of Matcha powder and water is very delicate. Make sure you have enough Matcha powder to froth)
  

If you still find it difficult to froth, the Matcha powder you have may not be suited for frothing. The Matcha powder needing to be fine enough or bad storing contributions may contribute to such situations.

It's better to use tap water.

Mineral water tends to contain high levels of minerals, which makes the hardness of the water too high to be suitable for Japanese tea.

It's better to use tap water. Since chlorine is in tap water, and chlorine changes the taste, boil the water in a kettle to 100 degrees Celsius (or 212 degrees Fahrenheit) so the chlorine is completely removed, and use this to mix your Matcha.

You can read more about the type of water and Japanese tea here.

Shincha refers to the first flush of tea leaves, while Nibancha refers to the second. The key difference is that the levels of Umami are significantly higher in the first flush than in any other rounds of harvesting.

If you have a ceremonial grade quality Matcha, it would most likely be a Shincha or first flush tea leaves.

While it is technically possible to produce Matcha from Nibancha, matching sufficient quality from second-flush tea leaves is extremely difficult. If, by chance, you did find a Matcha made from Nibancha, I would definitely avoid it! (Although I would highly doubt they would explicitly mention this in their packaging!)

Some other alternatives I tried and have managed to work on are as follows.

• An electric milk froth
  
• A cocktail shaker
  

While these did work, it still can't beat the Chasen experience. I strongly recommend finding a Chasen if you want to try Matcha.