What is “Chasen”? How to use it? Why should I use it?. Throughout the long history of the tea ceremony in Japan. The tools have been continuously developed and improved to produce the highest quality matcha green tea. In particular, the “chasen” or bamboo whisk is a unique tool for making matcha tea that everyone knows well. Even today. When drinking matcha green tea has become a normal part of everyday life. Whether at home or at work. Chasen is still an important tool that allows us to fully experience the unique taste and aroma of matcha green tea.
What is “Chasen”?
Throughout the long history of the สนใจสมัคร? คลิกที่นี่เพื่อเริ่มต้น tea ceremony in Japan, tools have been continually developed and improved to produce the finest quality matcha. The chasen, or whisk made from a single piece of bamboo that has been separated into fine fibers.
Although a rattan-like tool for beating “Diancha” was used in Song Dynasty China and later used in Japan. It is not clear what the tool looked like or how it was made. The first record of bamboo tea in Japan appears in the mid-Muromachi period (1336-1573). When it is recorded that the famous tea craftsman Murata Jukō requested high-quality tea from Takayama. The tea was of such good quality that it was presented to the emperor.
Since then, the craftsmen who made chasen, or “chazenshi” (茶筅師). In Takayama have continued to develop their skills and pass down the art from generation to generation. With some families having a history of making chasen for 18 or even 25 generations. Today, only a few dozen craftsmen who make chasen remain. In order to preserve this traditional knowledge. They have begun to accept disciples from outside the family to continue the tradition.
Why do we need to use “Chasen” when making matcha green tea?
After experimenting with a variety of tools. From metal forks to blenders to tools specifically designed for brewing matcha, we found that the “chasen,” or bamboo whisk. Remains the best tool for whipping matcha green tea.
The bamboo whisk can easily beat the matcha green tea. Creating a fine foam that enhances the texture and fully brings out the unique aroma of matcha green tea.
How to use a chasen to whip matcha green tea
1. Put matcha powder and water in a bowl, then hold the teacup with your fingers straight. With your fingertips resting comfortably on the convex part of the handle. With the other hand, gently hold the bowl steady.
Throughout the long history of the tea ceremony in Japan, the tools have been continuously developed and improved to produce the highest quality matcha green tea. In particular, the “chasen” or bamboo whisk is a unique tool for making matcha tea that everyone knows well. Even today, when drinking matcha green tea has become a normal part of everyday life, whether at home or at work, chasen is still an important tool that allows us to fully experience the unique taste and aroma of matcha green tea.
What is “Chasen”?
Throughout the long history of the tea ceremony in Japan, tools have been continually developed and improved to produce the finest quality matcha. The chasen, or whisk made from a single piece of bamboo that has been separated. Into fine fibers is the most prominent tool for beating matcha powder into fine bubbles for “Usucha” or kneading it into a thick paste for “Koicha”.
Although a rattan-like tool for beating “Diancha” was used in Song Dynasty China and later used in Japan. It is not clear what the tool looked like or how it was made. The first record of bamboo tea in Japan appears in the mid-Muromachi period (1336-1573). When it is recorded that the famous tea craftsman Murata Jukō requested high-quality tea from Takayama. The tea was of such good quality that it was presented to the emperor.
Since then, the craftsmen who made chasen, or “chazenshi” (茶筅師), in Takayama have continued to develop their skills and pass down the art from generation to generation, with some families having a history of making chasen for 18 or even 25 generations. Today, only a few dozen craftsmen who make chasen remain. In order to preserve this traditional knowledge, they have begun to accept disciples from outside the family to continue the tradition.
Why do we need to use “Chasen” when making matcha green tea?
After experimenting with a variety of tools, from metal forks to blenders to tools specifically designed for brewing matcha, we found that the “chasen,” or bamboo whisk, remains the best tool for whipping matcha green tea.
Bamboo is the key to the effectiveness of chasen. /Bamboo can be carved into thin fibers. Which allow the matcha powder to be thoroughly mixed with water. *Bamboo is strong, durable, and not easily broken, and has high elasticity, allowing the tea to be quickly beaten. While being soft enough not to damage the teapot.
The bamboo whisk can easily beat the matcha green tea, creating a fine foam that enhances the texture and fully brings out the unique aroma of matcha green tea.
How to use a chasen to whip matcha green tea
1. Put matcha powder and water in a bowl, then hold the teacup with your fingers straight, with your fingertips resting comfortably on the convex part of the handle. With the other hand, gently hold the bowl steady.
2. Dip the tip of the whisk into the water and start whisking. Move your wrist in an M shape, moving it back and forth repeatedly. Be careful not to scrape the bottom of the bowl hard, but rather touch the front and back of the bowl.
After 15 seconds, your matcha green tea is ready to serve.
The shape of the chasen
Once the number of chasen fibers has been determined, the chasenshi craftsman must decide how to shape and bend the fibers. There are three main styles:
- Standard: This is a common form with no distinctive features.
- Shin: Meaning “true” or “authentic”, this style has straight and simple fibers, emphasizing the simplicity and efficiency of tea beating.
- Straight: Means “straight.” This style has straight and parallel fibers, often used for specialty matcha green tea.
The standard shape is the most common form of chasen, whether produced in Japan or elsewhere. In this shape, the chasen fibers are straight almost the entire length, until they curve slightly near the tip, and then curve back into a circle at the very tip. This bend at the very tip loosens with use, but the initial harsh bend is ideal for whipping up fine foam in the usucha-style matcha.
The shin shape is one of the most popular, due to its thin handle and graceful curve of the fibers, favored by the two major schools of tea, Ura Senke and Omte Senke (among others). Compared to the standard shape, the shin shape has a more gradual curve, and the tip of the fiber does not curve back into a circle. In our experience, there is no noticeable difference in “bubble-making power” between the two shapes, so the choice is largely a matter of personal preference.
The straight or fibrous shape is less common, but it is the oldest style and is favored by some schools of tea, especially the Mushanokōji Senke school. The chasen shown above is the “Kankyu-an” (官休庵) style, which is the style favored by this school. The straight fiber chasen is a little more difficult to use, as it is generally wider than the curved chasen, making it harder to move around in the bowl. This style is best used for bowls with wide bases.
This style of chasen is not suitable for creating a lot of foam. However, the schools that use this style of chasen tend to not focus on creating a lot of foam, but rather on creating a thin layer of foam on the surface of the tea.