Preparation of Matcha ~Enjoy making a bowl of tea!~
Preparation of Matcha
~Enjoy making a bowl of tea!~
With a little bit of training you can make a fine bowl of tea，and you will find it easier than you thought.
1. Sifting of Matcha Tea Powder
If you sift the matcha in advance it will dissolve more easily.
Put the desired amount of matcha for one bowl into the sifter. Use either a chashaku tea spoon or a measuring spoon to press the tea through the net of the sifter into the prewarmed dry bowl.
2. Preparation of Hot Water
It is important to use soft water. If such is to be bought, please select the softest natural mineral water. Almost all water produced in Japan is soft water. Tap water should be filtered in a water purifier. If you do not have a water purifier you may be able to evaporate eventual chlorine by boiling the water for a while in a pot without lid. Whatever water used, it should be brought to the boiling point at least once and then cooled to the desired temperature.
3. Guideline for making one bowl of tea
(Please adjust the amounts and temperature in accordance with your preferences.)
| Amount of Matcha | ・・・・ | 2 scoops by a chashaku, 1 scoop by an ordinary tea spoon or 1 flat measureby the measuring spoon. |
| Approx. 1.5 grams. | ||
| Amount of Hot Water | ・・・・ | 70 ml (about 2.4 ounce) of previously boiled water. The measuring cup is useful for this. |
| Temperature of Hot Water | ・・・・ | In winter, pour boiling water into the measuring cup once for a temperature of 75℃～85℃ (167ºF ～185ºF ). |
| In summer, pour boiling water into the measuring cup.To reduce the water temperature pour this water into another vessel and again back into the measuring cup for a temperature of 70℃～80℃ (158ºF～176ºF ). |
4. How to whisk the tea
Place tea in the bowl, add hot water and mix with the chasen tea whisk. Raise then the chasen a little from the bottom and whip vigorously back and forth with the wrist and arm and avoid swivelling the tea around. When the tea is sufficiently aired and turned into a fine creamy foam, slow down and move the chasen in the surface to remove larger bobbles and to make an even smooth surface. Finally, turn the chasen slowly around the bowl and lift it carefully from the center to produce a little mound.
1. Sifting of Matcha Tea Powder
2. Preparation of Hot Water
4. How to whisk the tea
By adding some ice cubes, you can turn the warm matcha into a delicious ice tea.
Alternatively, you may obtain a result like this by not whisking so thoroughly.
Water for Tea
Water for Tea
When you use tap water,
- Please pour the water into an iron or anodized aluminum kettle, and keep it overnight.
- Once the water is boiled, keep it for 5 minutes by low heat in an open kettle. Then the smell of chlorine, mold and trihalomethane is removed.
- For Japanese green tea, slightly acidic water is suitable. Tap water has a neutral value of pH7.
- It is recommended to use a charcoal water filter.
When you use mineral water,
- Most Japanese mineral water is soft and suitable for green tea. One should use only the best pure and soft water for tea, as can easily be ascertained through experiments with tap water and different mineral waters. Each water will give different colours, smells and tastes. It is highly recommended to use soft water of the best quality only.
- Mineral water should be boiled for 5 minutes as well.
