How to Make Traditional Japanese Matcha Tea

In Japanese tea ceremony, there are 2 traditional ways of making matcha tea: think tea and thin tea. In general, only ceremonial grade matcha is recommended for making matcha tea because it has the highest amount of umami (pleasant plant sweetness).

 

Note: We recommend you sift your matcha fist to remove the bump before preparing matcha tea.

 

Thick tea (koi-cha), is made with high amount of matcha powder, and low amount of water. The outcome is a shiny thick tea (gel-like) with no foam. Below are the steps to make koi-cha:

 

  1. First, prepare matcha bown and whisk by preheating them with hot water. Fill the bowl with hot water, and put the whisk in the bowl.
  2. Pour away the water in matcha bowl used for pre-heat process. Then add 4g (about 4 scoop using matcha scoop) of matcha powder in the matcha bowl, then add 30ml water (about 70C degree).
  3. Whick matcha using matcha whisk in a slow and gentle 360 degree movement.

 

 

 

Thin tea (Usu-cha) is the most popular matcha tea, it takes half amount of matcha powder, and double amount of water to make thin tea. In other words, Thin tea is 4 times thinner as compared to thick tea. Below are the steps to prepare thin tea:

 

  1. Preheat matcha bowl and matcha whick (refer step 1 in thick tea preparation)
  2. Pour away the water in step 1. Add 2g (2 scoop) into matcha bowl, then 60ml of water (70C degree)
  3. Whisk rapidly in "W" or "M" movement with your wrist (not arm) until it frothed (cover with foam)

 

 This is just general recommendation for matcha tea preparation, there is no rule in matcha tea, you can always add different amount of matcha powder or water to suit your own taste. It also depend on the matcha you use, higher grade matcha have lower bitterness, therefore suitable for making thick tea, while lower grade suitable for making thin tea.

 

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