Cup of Yum
1. Before You Start: This recipe is not to teach the proper method for the Japanese tea ceremony but to make delicious matcha at home.

To Prepare the Equipment

1. Gather the matcha and tea set.
2. Pour some boiling water into the bowl.
3. Gently whisk the tip of the chasen (bamboo whisk) in the hot water. This warms up the bowl and soften the bamboo tines, making the chasen flexible and springy for effective whisking action.
4. Discard the hot water from the bowl and dry the inside of the bowl with a clean dry cloth.

To Prepare the Matcha

1. For Usucha, scoop 1 tsp matcha (green tea powder) (or 1½ heaping chashaku tea scoops) matcha into a fine-mesh strainer over a tea bowl. For Koicha, scoop 2 tsp matcha (green tea powder) (or 3 heaping chashaku tea scoops) matcha into a fine-mesh strainer over a tea bowl. If you use a tea scoop (chashaku), the scoop should be rounded, reaching just the point where the chashaku starts to bend.
2. Sift your matcha into your dry empty bowl. This will ensure there are no clumps and your tea will be smooth.
3. Pour boiling water into a teacup and let it cool down for a minute; the temperature should be around 185ºF (85ºC).
4. Gently add a very small amount of hot water into the bowl with the matcha.
5. Take the whisk in one hand and hold the rim of the tea bowl with your other hand. Combine the matcha and hot water till it blends well.
6. Gently pour hot water into the bowl, about 70 ml boiling water (⅓ full) for Usucha, and 40 ml boiling water for Koicha.

To Make Usucha (thin matcha)

1. Whisk the matcha and hot water briskly in a quick, back-and-forth stroking “W”(or “M”) motion using your wrist (not arm). When the tea has small bubbles, start whisking the surface of the tea, and continue until matcha has a thick froth with many tine bubbles on the surface.
2. At the end, draw one circle and pick up the whisk in the center of the matcha tea. This will create a slightly higher fluffy foam at the center.

To Make Koicha (thick matcha)

1. You’re not making a frothy consistency with a fast whisking action. Instead, a slow kneading action from left to right, up and down, and a gentle 360 degree rotating action to make a thick, smooth, and even consistency without froth.

To Serve the Matcha

1. Serve matcha immediately with wagashi (Japanese sweets). Important: Since matcha is a powdered leaf, it does not actually "dissolve" The fine particles become suspended in the hot water during whisking. Therefore please enjoy the matcha before particles settle to the bottom of the bowl.
2. Rinse the chasen thoroughly in warm water after each use and stand it on its base so the tines are sticking up in the air. Rinse and dry your bowl.