First Light

“How long is forever? Sometimes, just one second.”

You don't know what you like yet. Believe me: that’s a very good place to start. 

This is your field guide. Return for a reminder of what you need, how to set up, and how to move through each level.

 

What You'll Need

A bamboo whisk, called a chasen. Ideally two — one made of bamboo wood and another made of resin.

A wide bowl with room for your wrist to move. A rice bowl works. A ceramic soup bowl works. A proper chawan — lovely. This journey is about the tea, not the trinkets, fine as they are.

A fine sifter. 

A scale. A good starting point for usucha is 1.5 to 2 grams of powder to 60 to 70mL of water. For koicha, far less water is needed — 5 to 10mL for every gram of powder. 

Hot water in a kettle, around 70–80°C.

 

Before You Sit Down

Find a quiet place, somewhere you know you won’t be interrupted. Set aside your books and stationery. Your table and mind should mirror one another: still and calm.

If you've just had coffee, sugar, or anything with a heavy sauce, wait an hour. Your palate needs a clean slate before it can register something new.

Wash your hands. Proper mise en place is essential.

Lastly, take a deep breath before you start.

 

How to Drink

We have denoted each level’s preparation: usucha (thin tea) or koicha (thick tea). Usucha is usucha. Koicha is koicha. 

Usucha: Literally, “thin tea”. To begin exploring usucha, you may start with 30 mL of warm water to each gram of tea. The precise amount ranges from 20-30 mL per gram.

Whisk briskly in a W or M motion, the chasen rising from the bottom of the bowl upwards until the tines of the chasen barely graze the surface of the tea. You have a choice: to whisk until the characteristic microfoam of Urasenke style forms, or to stop earlier and enjoy the rich texture and tranquil surface of the Omotesenke pond.

How will you know how much water to use relative to tea? Over time you will develop a sensitivity for the leaves’ potential and your own preferences. If the matcha tastes thin, weak, or hollow at a ratio of 1:30 or lower, reduce the water in the next brew to maintain its body and sweetness.

Koicha: Literally, “thick tea”.  Our recommended starting point is 7 mL of water for each gram of tea, but you can use as little as 5 mL to as much as 10 mL of water per gram. Note that the lower you go, the more you begin to toe the boundary between thick koicha, light koicha, and strong usucha.

Use slow kneading strokes with a resin chasen against the bowl, no foam. The texture should resemble wet paint, and glimmer under the light.

2-Step Koi × Usu Method

Step 1 — begin at 1:5–7
For example: 3:15–20

Step 2 — add 1:8–13
For example: 3:25–40

Total ratio — 1:15–20
For example: 3:40–60

Cheat Sheet Ratio (Starting Point)

Usucha — 1:30
Light Koicha — 1:15
Thick Koicha — 1:7

 

A guide to temperature

70°C is a safe starting point for any green tea. In general, hotter water will always pull more from the leaves, intensifying aroma, bitterness, the tea’s composition. Reduce the temperature and you’ll find a softer, more delicate sweetness and umami.

If the tea is revealing too much bite at 70°C, adjust downwards to 60-65°C. Signs to adjust include intense bitterness, sharpness in the orthonasal or retronasal aroma, or a lack of umami/sweetness. The tradeoff: you may lose some aromatic lift and body.

If 70°C produces a cup that barely resonates or falls flat, shift upwards to 80°C. Heat can release more volatile aromatics into the air and add structural grip.

Pay attention to: The resistance of the whisk against the water and tea. The colour and texture of the surface. The foam, or lack of it. The sound of liquid dancing. Taste arrives last; your hands, eyes, and nose do the early work, and what you perceive is shaped by everything that came before it. 

The biggest mistake beginners make is hunting too hard. You search for notes, tense your jaw, and everything goes blank. If this happens, soften. Close your eyes. There is no need to name the sensation just yet, and anyways, such a thing is impossible if you do not let yourself feel first. 

You are learning a language. Fluency will come in time as long as you remain open-minded.

 

Terminology

Low ratio = less tea per water
High ratio = more tea per water

 

Reference

How to make Matcha | Usucha - Tezumi

What is Koicha? | Thicker Than Your Regular Matcha - Tezumi

Chasen Care | How to Clean and Shape Your Matcha Whisk - Tezumi

 

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