How to Prepare Traditional Matcha (Usucha)

Before you start

Usucha means thin tea. It is the everyday style of matcha: a small amount of powdered tea whisked with hot water into a frothy, bright green bowl that is drunk in a few sips. There is no milk or sugar, so the quality of the matcha and the care of the whisking are all you taste.

The key decisions are proportion, temperature and wrist motion. Around 2 g of matcha to 70 ml of water at about 80°C (175°F) is a common home starting point. The whisk moves quickly back and forth in an M or W shape, not in circles, so the foam forms small, even bubbles. Tea schools differ on how much foam they want; some prize a dense layer, others only a light froth.

Ingredients

• 2 g (about 2 heaped chashaku scoops or 1 level tsp) ceremonial-grade matcha
• 70 ml (about 2⅓ oz) soft, filtered water — heated to about 80°C (175°F)
• extra hot water for warming the bowl and softening the whisk

Method

1. Pour hot water into the empty bowl and set the whisk in it, tines down, for about 1 minute. The warm water softens the bamboo tines so they flex instead of snapping, and it warms the bowl.
2. Discard the water and wipe the bowl dry with the cloth.
3. Sift the matcha into the center of the bowl. Ceremonial matcha is very fine and clumps easily from static and humidity, so sifting is worth the extra minute.
4. Pour in the 70 ml of water at about 80°C (175°F). Water much hotter than this pulls out more bitterness and dulls the sweet, savory notes of good matcha.
5. Hold the bowl steady with one hand. With the other, hold the whisk upright and move it rapidly back and forth from your wrist in an M or W pattern, keeping the tines just off the bottom. Whisk for 15 to 20 seconds.
6. When a layer of foam covers the surface, slow down and move the whisk across the top layer to break the larger bubbles into fine ones.
7. Finish by drawing the whisk gently to the center and lifting it straight up, leaving a small peak. Drink the tea right away in three or four sips, while the foam is intact.

Tips for success

• Rinse the whisk in warm water only after use, never with soap, and let it dry on a whisk holder or tines down so it keeps its shape.
• Soft water makes smoother, sweeter matcha. Very hard tap water can make it taste chalky and flat.
• A wide-bottomed bowl gives the whisk room to move. A narrow mug makes it hard to build foam.

Substitutions

Ceremonial-grade matcha

Latte or culinary grades will whisk, but they taste more bitter and astringent without milk. If you use one, cool the water to about 70°C (160°F) to soften it.

Bamboo whisk

An electric frother makes a foamy drink quickly, but the bubbles are larger and less even. It is fine for daily drinking.

Chawan

Any wide cereal or soup bowl with a flat base works. Avoid deep, narrow vessels.

Variations

Iced usucha

Whisk 2 g matcha into 40 ml of warm water, then pour over a few ice cubes in a chilled glass and add 60 ml of cold water.

Lighter bowl

For a gentler morning bowl, use 1.5 g of matcha and the same 70 ml of water.

Troubleshooting

The foam has large bubbles that pop quickly

Whisk faster with a looser wrist and finish by skimming the surface to break the big bubbles. Too much water also gives a weak, coarse foam.

The tea tastes bitter

Lower the water temperature to 75 to 80°C and check that the matcha is fresh. Bitterness also rises if you use more than about 2 g in this volume.

Green specks cling to the sides of the bowl

The matcha was not sifted or the whisk did not reach the bottom. Sift first and keep the tines moving across the base before you lift to the surface.

Storage

Usucha is drunk immediately and cannot be held; the foam collapses and the powder settles within a few minutes. Store opened matcha airtight in the refrigerator, away from strong odors, and use it within a few weeks to two months.

Safety notes

Matcha is a caffeinated tea made from the whole leaf. The FDA cites 400 mg of caffeine a day as an amount not generally associated with negative effects for most healthy adults; individual sensitivity varies.