Matcha · The base

Usucha薄茶

Name: Usucha
Total time: 2 min
Yield: 1 serving
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 2g (2 scoops) Era Ceremonial Matcha, sifted; 70ml hot water at 75–80°C

2 min

Whisking Era Ceremonial Matcha with the Era bamboo chasen, usucha dripping into a handmade matcha bowl

Usucha, thin tea, is the standard preparation of the Japanese tea ceremony and the honest way to taste a matcha. No milk, no sweetness, nothing to hide behind. Two grams, seventy milliliters of water, and thirty seconds of attention. Learn this bowl and every recipe below it becomes easier.

Ingredients

Era Ceremonial Matcha, sifted2g (2 scoops)
Hot water at 75–80°C70ml

Method

Warm the bowl with a splash of hot water, swirl, and pour it out. Dip the chasen tines while you do; warm bamboo whisks better.
Sift 2g of matcha into the bowl. Sifting is not optional. It is the difference between silk and clumps.
Pour in 70ml of water at 75–80°C. Never boiling; high heat scorches the leaf and turns sweetness bitter.
Whisk briskly in a W motion from the wrist, not the arm, keeping the tines just off the bottom of the bowl.
When a fine, even foam covers the surface, lift the whisk slowly through the center. Drink from the bowl while the foam stands.

Matcha tipsSmall bubbles mean a good whisk. If the foam is coarse, whisk faster and shallower. First harvest matcha like ours wants slightly cooler water than daily grades.