How to brew
Whisking matcha
How to make usucha, thin matcha. Matcha is whisked, not steeped. Since you drink the powder rather than an infusion of it, the two things that matter are getting rid of lumps and not overheating the water.
The steps
Get the tools together
A bowl, a chasen (bamboo whisk), a chashaku (scoop) and a sieve. A small kitchen whisk will work in place of a chasen, but more tines give a finer foam.
Warm the bowl and the whisk
30 seconds in hot water
Fill the bowl with hot water and stand the whisk in it. Dry tines are stiff and snap while you whisk. Tip the water out and wipe the bowl dry.
Sift the matcha
2 g (two chashaku scoops)
Push it through a sieve into the bowl. The particles are fine enough to clump, and this one step removes almost all of it. Without sifting, lumps can survive any amount of whisking.
Add the water
60–70 ml at 70–80°C / 158–176°F
Too hot and the bitterness rises and the foam goes coarse. Working a little water in first to make a paste, then adding the rest, keeps it smoother still.
Whisk
15–20 seconds, from the wrist
Keep the whisk off the bottom of the bowl and move it briskly back and forth using only your wrist — not in circles. Once the surface is covered in fine foam, sweep through the middle once and lift the whisk straight out.
Drink it now
Left standing, the powder settles and the bowl separates. This is why matcha cannot be made ahead.
When it doesn't work
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