ThirstyforKnowledge

An encyclopedia of drinks — mixed, poured, brewed and whisked

No. 115 Matcha

Usucha (thin matcha)

Ippodo's basic thin matcha: 2 g sifted matcha, 60 ml water at 80°C, whisked vigorously for 15 seconds.

A black bowl of frothy whisked matcha
Whisked matcha in a bowl Photo: rumpleteaser from Nagoya, Japan, CC BY 2.0

Recipe card

ml oz

Makes 1 drink · about 3 min to make

Ingredients

  • Matcha 1.5 heaped bamboo scoops or 1 level tsp 2 g
  • Water at 80°C 2 oz

Ounces are US fluid ounces (29.57 ml), rounded.

Method

  1. Sift 2 g of matcha into the bowl.
  2. Add 60 ml of water at 80°C.
  3. Whisk vigorously for about 15 seconds until frothy, then drink straight away.
Glass
Matcha bowl (chawan)
Technique
Whisked
Difficulty
Takes practice

Printable recipe card

About the Usucha (thin matcha)

Usucha is the everyday, lighter way to drink matcha, whisked into a fine froth. The quantities here are from the Kyoto tea company Ippodo. Sifting stops lumps, and preparing it quickly keeps the fragrance.

More about tools and grades in our matcha guide.

Background

Matcha is a fine powder of green tea made from shade-grown leaves; usucha is foamed, which reduces astringency, while koicha is not.

Tags: japanese whisked green tea

Watch

How to Prepare Usucha Matcha | Senbird Tea — Senbird Tea on YouTube. The video loads from YouTube when you press play. Watch on YouTube

Go deeper

Sources

  1. Ippodo Tea — matcha preparation (usucha and koicha)
  2. Wikipedia — Matcha

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