While there are many ways of preparing this beverage, the traditional Japanese preparation involves two ways of making matcha– thin, or usucha, and thick, or koicha. In each case, the steps are the same, but the measurements change.
To properly make matcha, you will need the following utensils:
Chawan (matcha bowl)
Chasen (bamboo whisk)
Chakin (linen cloth)
Chashaku (bamboo scoop)
Furui (small sifter)
For Usucha
Preheat the chawan by pouring hot (not boiling) water into it and place the chasen in the water to wet the whisk. Once the bowl is preheated, empty out the water and use the chakin to dry the bowl. Place two scoops (about one teaspoon) of the matcha in the furui to remove any lumps, and sift into the bowl. You can use either a wooden spoon spatula to push the powder through the sieve or place a small, smooth stone on top of the sieve and shake the sieve gently.
Add hot (not boiling) water and, using the chasen, whisk the mixture briskly using your wrist for several minutes, which introduces air into the liquid and produces foam. When the matcha is frothy and has no lumps or large bubbles on the surface, it is ready to serve. Traditionally, it is considered impolite to serve matcha with large bubbles on the surface.
For Koicha
Follow the same steps as above, but use three to four scoops (about three to four teaspoons) of matcha. Since this is a thick tea, you don’t want a frothy consistency so instead of whisking briskly, use a slower kneading action from left to right and up and down.