Koicha (濃茶, thick matcha)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Chawan (matcha tea bowl), preferably Raku, Hagi, or Karatsu ware
• •Chasen (bamboo tea whisk)
• •Chashaku (bamboo tea scoop), or a small measuring spoon
• •Fine tea sieve
• •Small kettle and thermometer, or a yuzamashi cooling pitcher

Instructions

1. 1

   Choose the tea

   Use matcha labeled for koicha, not ordinary culinary powder and not an old tin from the back of the cupboard. Koicha uses so little water that bitterness, staleness, and rough grinding all announce themselves at once. Open the tin just before making the tea, and keep the powder dry and cool.

   For koicha, sourcing is the technique. A good tea gives sweetness and depth; a tired one gives only bitterness, and there is no milk or sugar to cover it.
2. 2

   Warm the bowl

   Pour hot water into the chawan, set the chasen in it for a moment, then discard the water and wipe the bowl dry. Warming the bowl keeps the small amount of tea from cooling at once, and softening the bamboo tines helps them bend instead of scraping harshly against the clay.

3. 3

   Sift the matcha

   Sift the matcha directly into the dry chawan, or sift it first into a small bowl and transfer it. Do not skip this. Koicha is too thick for lumps to disappear by force, and beating harder only bruises the tea and your patience.

4. 4

   Cool the water

   Bring fresh soft water to a boil, then let it cool to 70 to 75 C before measuring. Boiling first drives off flatness, cooling protects the tea. Water that is too hot pulls bitterness forward and makes the matcha taste stern, which is not the same thing as dignified.

5. 5

   Knead the tea

   Add about half the water to the matcha and use the chasen to knead slowly, pressing and folding the powder into a smooth paste. Add the remaining water a little at a time and continue with slow, deliberate strokes until the tea is glossy, deep green, and thick enough to coat the tines. Do not whip for foam. Koicha should shine, not froth.

6. 6

   Serve at once

   Turn the bowl so its front faces the guest and serve immediately with a small sweet already eaten or waiting beside it, depending on the setting. Koicha thickens as it sits, so the best moment is right after kneading, when it moves slowly but still flows.

Chef Tips

• •Use soft, clean-tasting water. Hard water makes matcha taste dull and chalky, which is a poor reward for buying good tea.
• •A chasen, the bamboo tea whisk, is the right tool because its many fine tines knead without cutting through the tea too harshly. A small bowl and a flexible silicone spatula can make a drinkable thick matcha at home, but don't pretend it is the same practice.
• •Sift more carefully than seems reasonable. Koicha has the texture of a sauce, not a drink in the usual sense, and one dry lump in the bowl feels like a small lecture.
• •Serve a sweet first. The sugar prepares the mouth for the tea's bitterness and lets the matcha's sweetness show itself. This is balance, not decoration.

Advance Preparation

• •Sift the matcha up to 30 minutes ahead if the room is dry, then keep it covered. Do not sift it hours ahead, since the aroma fades quickly.
• •Warm the chawan and soften the chasen just before making the tea. The bowl should be warm, dry, and ready when the powder goes in.
• •Koicha should not be made ahead. It thickens, dulls, and loses its shine within minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 60g)