How To Make Matcha
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For many people, matcha has become a way to discover Eastern tea culture. A cup of matcha may appear simple: tea powder, water, and a tea whisk. These few elements come together to create the matcha experience familiar to modern tea drinkers.
However, traditional matcha preparation is not simply a process of mixing tea powder with water.
The condition of the tea powder, the ratio between water and tea powder, and the movement of the tea whisk all influence the final texture and quality of the tea.
The process of preparing matcha is, in itself, a practice of building a connection with tea.
What Tools Are Needed to Make Matcha?
To prepare a traditional bowl of matcha, several basic tools are usually needed:
- Matcha powder
- Tea sifter
- Tea scoop (Chashaku)
- Bamboo tea whisk (Chasen)
- Tea bowl
Each tool plays a role in creating a bowl of matcha. The tea sifter helps make the tea powder finer and more evenly distributed. The tea scoop helps control the amount of tea powder used. The tea whisk blends the tea powder with water through whisking, creating the characteristic foam of matcha. And the tea bowl carries the entire preparation process.
Step 1: Preparing the Matcha Powder
When preparing matcha, the tea powder is usually sifted first. Because matcha is made by grinding tea leaves into a fine powder that is consumed directly, a smooth and evenly distributed matcha powder allows it to combine more easily with water.
If the tea powder forms clumps, water cannot fully penetrate and mix with the powder, which affects the texture during whisking. Sifting the tea powder may seem like a simple preparation step, but it influences how the tea powder and water come together later.
Step 2: Controlling the Ratio Between Water and Tea Powder
After the matcha powder has been sifted, it is placed into the tea bowl, followed by an appropriate amount of hot water.
The ratio between water and tea powder affects the final concentration, texture, and foam of the matcha.
For everyday matcha preparation, a common ratio is approximately 2 grams of matcha powder combined with 60–70 milliliters of hot water.
This proportion allows the tea powder to fully expand while maintaining a light texture and creating a fine layer of foam.
Using less water will create a thicker and more concentrated tea, while adding more water will produce a softer flavor and make the foam easier to form.
In traditional tea culture, there is no single fixed ratio between water and tea powder. Instead, balance is created through different preparation methods and personal preferences.
Step 3: Whisking with a Tea Whisk
After adding hot water, the matcha is whisked using a bamboo tea whisk. A tea whisk is not simply a tool for stirring the tea.
Through quick and steady movements, the tea powder gradually blends with the water and forms a smooth layer of fine foam. During this process, the tea bowl needs to provide enough space for the tea whisk to move naturally.
Traditional tea bowls often feature a wider opening and a shape that feels comfortable in the hands, making them suitable for this preparation method.
Inspired by traditional tea vessel design, RAWTHEN Jian Zhan tea bowls continue the design principles of traditional tea vessels and are created through handmade craftsmanship and high-temperature firing, featuring unique rawthen ceramic glaze characteristics.
Because every firing creates different kiln effects, each Jian Ware develops its own unique appearance and character through natural ceramic glazing variations.
With repeated use, the user gradually becomes familiar with the bowl’s weight, texture, and the different ways tea appears against its glaze surface.
The uniqueness of Jian Ware therefore becomes part of a personal and individual tea experience.
Step 4: Observing and Enjoying the Matcha
After whisking is complete, the matcha reaches its final state. The color of the tea, the delicacy of the foam, and the aroma and texture experienced when drinking together create the complete matcha experience.
In traditional tea culture, people do not immediately drink the tea after preparation. Instead, they first observe its condition.
The fineness of the foam, the smoothness of the tea, and the visual relationship between the green tea and the surface of the bowl all reflect the balance created during preparation.
The Moment of Focus Behind a Bowl of Matcha
Preparing a bowl of matcha requires setting aside a moment of time. Sifting the tea powder, adjusting the amount of water, using the tea whisk, and watching the tea gradually take shape.
These simple and repeated movements bring attention back to the process itself, transforming the preparation of tea into a quiet and focused moment within everyday life.