While it is true that mastering the art of tea preparation and learning Tea Ceremony (be it Japanese Chado or Chinese Gongfucha) takes years of knowledge and practice, when it comes to preparing Matcha at home, you don’t have to be precise with each gesture. You can easily learn how to fully enjoy it in three different ways. Check out the Matcha Preparation Tutorial Video we made on Youtube for a simple tutorial. Just click here.
And if you want to learn all about Matcha and it’s health benefits, click here.
Take a look at the photo below to familiarize yourself with the traditional Matcha Japanese teaware. In a tea ceremony, appreciation of the bowl is part of the ritual. Some tea bowls or chawan are handmade and can be quite expensive; however, there is plenty of affordable chawan in the market today depending on your budget. The good news is that you can also use everyday kitchenware to prepare your matcha: A chawan can be replaced with any cup with a deep wide base to allow room for whisking, a chasen with an electric frother, whisk or even a blender; and a chasaku with a wooden spoon. The experience won’t be the same, but the option is there. The use of the bamboo whisk and the swish sound it makes, for example, is part of the pleasure.
Note: Like with most Japanese teas, make sure your water or milk is not boiling hot. Ideally use water/milk at around 80ºC/176ºF. You can quickly reduce water temperature by transferring it from one container/glass/cup to another. For every transfer, the temperature lowers by roughly 10ºC.
Ingredients for all preparations:
- 2 chasaku bamboo spoons of (2 grams) Ceremonial Matcha or 1 teaspoon
- 70 ml water/milk (about 1/3cup) at 80ºC/176ºF
- For jar shaken Coconut Cooler, use cold 100% Coconut Water
Serves: 1 serving
(1) Usucha: traditional japanese style “thin tea”
Tea Ware Required:
- Chawan (Teabowl) or a mug/cup of choice
- Chasen (Bamboo Whisk). This can be replaced with a milk frother or whisk. However, metal can damage the chawan
- Chasaku (Matcha Bamboo Spoon), or any wooden spoon
- A fine-mesh sieve
Preparation for Usucha:
- Warm the chawan with hot water.
- Soften the chasen with hot water.
- Discard the hot water & towel dry.
- Sift 2 chasaku bamboo spoon (2 grams) or 1 teaspoon of ceremonial matcha to avoid lumps.
- Add a small amount of water to create a smooth paste.
- Add the remaining water. 70ml or about 1/3cup at 80ºC/176ºF
- Whisk vigorously in zig-zag motion for almost a minute. Drink immediately.
Note: For Koicha (thick tea), double the matcha powder dosage and reduce the water amount by 30-60%.
This recipe has no sugar. However, Matcha in Japan is always served with small sweets or (和菓子 wagashi in Japanese), before drinking it to enhance the flavor of matcha. Definitely try it.
Click here for a simple guide on How to Make Traditional Matcha.
(2) Matcha Latte: also knows as “Cortado”
- Similarly to the traditional Usucha style, sift 2 chasaku bamboo spoon (2 grams) or 1 teaspoon of
culinary matcha. - Add a small amount of warm milk of your choice to create a smooth paste.
- Add the remaining milk & sweetener of your choice. Roughly 70ml or 1/3cup at 80ºC/176ºF
- Whisk vigorously in zigzag motion or use an electric milk frother if using a mug. Normal milk will foam quickly & nicely.
- Optional: Add honey or sweetener of choice.
Note: For a bigger Latte portion, double both the matcha and milk dosage.
(3) Jar Shaken Iced Matcha Coconut Cooler
- Sift 1 full chasaku scoop (1 gram) or 0.5 tsp. of culinary matcha into a mason jar (or any jar with tight lid)
- Add 1 cup of cold Coconut Water in a jar.
- Tightly close the lid and shake for 30-60 seconds.
- Pour in a glass and serve with ice. Garnish with lemon, orange wedge, and fresh mint.
Note: For a “frappuccino style,” add ice and mix all together using a blender.
Watch the full demo video here.
If you do make any of these, let us see! ☺ Tag your photo and share with #yvetteteas on Instagram
Made by: Yvette A.
Posted on July 2018
