Preparing The Perfect Cup Of Matcha

Walk through the steps to prepare a perfect cup of matcha. What should people be looking for, in terms of taste, appearance, texture, etc..

Matecha Green Tea’s perfect cup of matcha: A traditional preparation of matcha will involve two steps: koicha + usucha (thick tea, thin tea).

1. Warm a chawan (tea bowl) with hot water. Discard water.
2. Place 2.5 grams of Matcha in your chawan (tea bowl) using your chashaku (tea scoop)
3. Pour 1 ounce of 160 degrees Fahrenheit – 175 degrees F fresh water over your matcha tea. Using too-hot water will make your tea bitter. Do not use boiling water.
4. Using your chasen (tea whisk) gently “knead” the tea in a circular motion so no clumps remain and a nice even paste forms. There should be a beautiful aroma. This is your koicha! In a traditional tea ceremony, you would sip this concentrated, intense tea followed by enjoying a wagashi (sweet treat).
5. To enjoy the rest of your tea, make usucha. Pour 3-4 more ounces of warm water over your koicha tea. Use your chasen, make the characteristic “m” or zig-zag motion with the whisk by rapidly & lightly moving back and forth across the entire bowl until an even, creamy froth forms. Itadakimasu! Enjoy!