#TEA WHISK HOW TO#

Utensils and tools must be cleaned whilst guests are still seated at the ceremony. Thin Matcha is served similarly to thick matcha, with guests taking it in turns. Usucha (thin matcha) is made with only one teaspoon of matcha to water ratio. Thick matcha tea is served to the important guests first until the tea is gone. Thick Matcha is made with around 3 or four scoops of matcha and very little water. The koicha ( thick matcha) is always prepared first in the ceremony. The Chasen (whisk) is then purified in the Chawen (tea bowl) with warm water. The Fukasa (silk cloth) will wipe down each utensil one by one. Purification and cleansing of the tools is where the Fukasa is used. This is a symbolic cleansing of purifying the guests souls. This act of cleansing the utensils doesn’t actually clean the tools, as they have been cleaned prior to the tea ceremony. Guests with more experience in tea ceremonies will be served first. Once the guests are in the room, they will receive a sweet and then will be placed in order of their tea ceremony experience. Bowing when entering represents humility to the host. When entering the room for the tea ceremony, guests must fit through a small door. This cleaning also includes spiritual preparation for the ceremony. Guests must also clean their hands before, as a symbol of purification. During these coming weeks, the host will then decide on utensils and ceremony decor.Ĭleaning and preparing the room for the tea ceremony includes laying out seasonal flowers and the chosen utensils. When hosting the ceremony, invitations must be sent out a few weeks in advance. Here are the traditional steps of a Japanese tea ceremony. Japanese tea ceremonies have many aspects that need to be acknowledged whilst performing a tea ceremony, starting from the way the tea is prepared down to the venue of the tea ceremony.

Matcha Tea – powdered tea for the ceremony.

The basic utensils and ingredients needed for a Japanese tea ceremony tend to never vary, different brands or forms of each utensil are available, but the core use should be the same. This is to assure the large quantities of powdered tea are dissolved in the water. Where’s the thicker tea in the ceremonies is kneaded. Thin tea also known as usucha, is whipped with a tea whip. It’s roughly around 3 times as much tea used compared to thin tea.

The thick tea, or the koicha tea, is a thicker blend of matcha as more tea leaves are used.

There are two ways you can prepare a Matcha tea for the ceremony, thick and thin. However, Zen monks were particularly prominent in using green tea to stay awake during their meditation sessions. Although tea drinking rituals were started in China, it wasn’t until the 9th century that it has been documented in Japan. The powdered Matcha is whipped together with warm water to create a tea, normally drank in religious rituals throughout this time. This is a cultural activity involving the serving of Matcha, a powered green tea. Japanese Tea Ceremonies are known as sadō/chadō. Informal tea ceremonies are normally paired with small confections and nibbles, however formal tea ceremonies often include a multi course Japanese meal.

#TEA WHISK HOW TO#

Ever wondered how to master the art of a Japanese tea ceremony? There are differing types of tea ceremony, however they are usually split into formal and informal tea ceremonies.

Tea whisk