Holding a Matcha bowl (chawan) in your hands and raising it to your lips to sip a small portion of emerald green Matcha tea is a true delight. The bowl is large and the portion of tea is small, which follows the tradition of how one is served Whisk Matcha in Japan. Powdered tea drinking began in Japan in the 15th century and well-made tea bowls became valued objects of desire.
Today, the Japanese tea ceremony – keeps the tradition alive. As a new generation of tea enthusiasts discover the delicious nature of Matcha, tea bowls continue to appeal to avid tea drinkers.
The beauty of a Matcha bowl lies beyond its colors, patterning, and seasonal designs. In Japan, collectors of Matcha bowls and tea enthusiasts choose their tea bowls based on…show more content… Hand-built Matcha bowls have an appealing simplicity too, and often a humble nature expressed in rustic, uneven form and style.
Matcha bowls can develop glaze cracks depending on the type of clay and the type of glaze the bowl has been given. Cracks that appear only in the glaze with use do not leak or weaken the vessel.
Glaze cracks and are held in high regard by tea drinkers, tea wares collectors, and potters. It is the ‘voice of the clay’ speaking and is viewed as the pottery contributing some ‘self-patterning’ to the surface appearance. No two pieces of pottery will ever be exactly the same when the glaze develops a unique pattern of distinguishing glaze cracks from use.
Owning a Matcha bowl requires thoughtful handling and careful use.
Matcha bowls are not intended for use in a microwave or dishwasher. These tea bowls are meant to be simply rinsed and air-dried on a kitchen towel on the countertop after use. Using Matcha bowls for tea other than powdered green tea can result in introducing water to the bowl that is too hot – this will encourage more glaze cracking to develop than is…show more content… But today, Matcha is also prepared and drunk in a more casual manner. And, iced matcha, a new favorite drink in Japan, is a refreshing and delicious treat when the weather is hot and sultry.
Hot or iced, the procedure for whisking a bowl of matcha is easy and essentially the same.
For iced Matcha, simply substitute the same amount of ice cold water for the hot water and chill the tea bowl in the refrigerator in advance.
Ready?
1. Invert the tines of your bamboo whisk into a glass of water while you sift your matcha. This brief soak will soften the times, allowing them to become flexible and supple.
2. Measure the matcha powder into a matcha sifter (or a small, fine-mesh strainer) to break-up the fine clumps. This will ensure that you obtain a smooth and creamy cup of matcha tea.
3. If you are making iced matcha, remove your tea bowl from the refrigerator.
4. Using a traditional, bent-bamboo scoop, place two chasaku scoops of the sifted matcha powder into your tea bowl. One teaspoons-full of sifted matcha powder will do very nicely.
5. For a traditional bowl of matcha tea, allow freshly boiled water to cool to 170˚F then add 3 oz of water to the tea bowl. For iced matcha pour 3 oz of ice cold water into the tea bowl – no hot