How to make matcha at home (in three quiet minutes)
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Matcha is not complicated. Most of what makes a good bowl is slowing down for three minutes. Here is the whole method.
What you need
- A bowl with a wide base (a chawan)
- A bamboo whisk (chasen)
- A bamboo scoop (chashaku) or a teaspoon
- Ceremonial or good culinary-grade matcha
- Water just off the boil, cooled to about 75°C / 165°F
1. Warm the bowl
Pour a little hot water into the bowl, swirl it, and pour it out. Dry the bowl. This keeps the tea warm and softens the whisk.
2. Sift the tea
Add two scoops (about 2 g, half a teaspoon) of matcha through a small sieve. Sifting is the difference between clumps and a smooth, glossy bowl.
3. Whisk
Add about 70 ml (2.5 oz) of water. Hold the whisk lightly and move it in a quick M or W shape — from the wrist, not the arm — for 15 to 20 seconds, until a fine foam covers the surface. Finish with a slow circle to smooth the foam, and lift the whisk out from the centre.
4. Drink it while it is warm
Matcha is best in the first minute. Hold the bowl in both hands. That is the ritual.
Caring for the whisk
Rinse the whisk in warm water only — no soap. Rest it on a whisk holder to dry so the prongs keep their shape. Even a well-used whisk lasts months; when the tines start to break, it has done its job.