Mastering the chasen: how to use and care for your matcha whisk

Your chasen does more work than it looks like. Hand-carved from a single piece of bamboo, its tines curved inward by heat and tension to create the even foam that makes a properly whisked matcha so distinct.

Treat it well and it keeps rewarding you. Here's how.

How to make traditional matcha

Matcha has been used as part of the Japanese tea ceremony since the 12th century. Fast forward to the current day and it has found its way into morning and afternoon rituals across the world.

The Japanese Tea Ceremony

Traditional Japanese tea ceremonies are known as chanoyu, a literal translation of water for tea. The ceremony is more than just drinking tea, it’s an experience. Each ceremony can take years to perfect and often lasts for several hours. Influenced by samurai culture and Zen Buddhism, both of which emphasised discipline and simplicity, participants of the chanoyu are encouraged to relax and meditate on their surroundings, along with the craftsmanship of the utensils and ceremonial grade matcha.

Ceremonial grade matcha

Not all match is the same. To qualify as ceremonial grade, tea leaves must be shaded for at least 15 days before picking: this deprives the plant of light, intensifying its chlorophyll and L-theanine content, producing that vivid green colour and characteristic umami depth. After picking and drying, the leaves are stone-ground at low temperature into a fine powder. It takes roughly 24 hours to mill just 10kg. The result is matcha's characteristic smoothness: no grit, no edge, just clean, full-bodied green tea.

At T2, our matcha is certified organic and grown in Japan's Shizuoka prefecture, shaded for the final three weeks of growth before harvest

What you'll need

Chawan (matcha bowl): A wide, shallow bowl with enough room to whisk freely. The curved base lets the chasen move and build foam. Any heatproof bowl works, but a proper chawan makes the process noticeably smoother.

Chasen (matcha whisk): The chasen is the heart of the preparation, its fine bamboo tines aerate the matcha and water into soft, silky foam. T2's Everyday Matcha Whisk (80 tines) is ideal for everyday usucha; the Premium Matcha Whisk (120 tines) produces a finer, more refined result.

Chashaku (bamboo scoop): A curved bamboo scoop made for measuring matcha. One chashaku is roughly 1–2g, the perfect amount for one serve.

Fine-mesh sieveL Matcha clumps easily. A small sieve takes ten seconds and makes a real difference to the smoothness and foam of the finished bowl

Prepping & cleaning your matcha whisk

Before the first time you use a new matcha bamboo whisk, soak the 'bloom' of the whisk in hot water for a couple of minutes. The hot water will cause the curled ends of the tines to straighten. This softens the tines, so they become more flexible and less likely to break.

After making matcha, cleaning your matcha whisk is easy but important to keep it in its best condition. Simply immerse it in clean water (no soap needed) for a few seconds and rinse. Avoid soap or dishwashers. The whisk is made completely from bamboo so wash it with care.

After cleaning, let your bamboo whisk dry completely. Simply leave it upside down to dry on its handle or place it on a bamboo whisk holder (this will also help to maintain its original shape). Help dry the bamboo whisk faster in cooler months by gently patting it with a clean cloth.

3-5 minutes

Ingredients

T2 100% Certified Organic Matcha
80°C (176°F) water

Tools

Matcha bowl
Matcha whisk
Bamboo scoop
Fine-mesh sieve

Method

1. Before your first use, soak the tines of your matcha wisk (chasen) in warm water (70–80°C) for two minutes. Before every use after that, a 30–60 second soak softens the bamboo and reduces the chance of tines snapping. This is called the bloom.
2. Heat the matcha bowl (chawan) with hot water, swirl around three times, then discard water.
3. Add one scoop (chashaku), roughly 1–2g of matcha to a fine-mesh sieve held over the chawan. Sift it through. Sifting breaks up any clumps before they can form and gives you a smoother, frothier bowl.
4. Add 150ml of 80°C/176°F water. Using 80°C will make matcha with a fresh and light taste, using boiling water (100°C) may burn the delicate powder leaving you with a bitter taste. To get 80°C water, simply combine boiling water with a splash of cold before pouring into your bowl.
5. Using the matcha whisk (chasen), whisk in a M shape until a layer of light green froth emerges on top. The M whisking technique oxygenizes the mixture, releasing delightful aromas into the foamy surface. It also ensures the powder is fully dissolved.
6. Traditional matcha is served in the chawan and drunk directly from it. In chanoyu, you turn the bowl slightly before drinking — a gesture of respect, rotating the best side of the bowl away from your lips. Admire the colour, the aroma, the quiet.