Chacodex

Matcha tools · Japan

Chasen 茶筅 chasen

The bamboo whisk used to froth matcha in a chawan.

Origin
Japan
Period
Muromachi period (15th century)
Materials
bamboo

What it's for

The chasen is the only tool that suspends and aerates matcha properly. The fine bamboo tines, sometimes numbering more than 120, are split from a single piece of bamboo and curved inward at the tips. They break apart powder clumps and incorporate air into the suspension, producing the characteristic fine foam of usucha. There is no real substitute; metal whisks bruise the powder and electric frothers produce coarse bubbles.

History

Chasen are credited to Takayama Soetsu, the second son of the Takayama castle lord in Nara, who developed the form in the mid-1400s at the request of tea master Murata Juko, the founder of wabi-cha. The Takayama region of Nara has produced chasen continuously for nearly 600 years and still makes the highest-grade whisks. The craft is recognized as a Japanese national traditional craft, and individual master makers are designated bearers of intangible cultural heritage.

How to use

Soak a new chasen in warm water for one minute before first use to bloom the tines and prevent breakage. Sift matcha into a warm dry chawan, add water at 80 C, and whisk in a brisk W or M pattern using the wrist, not the arm. Keep the chasen tips just below the surface to incorporate air. Whisk thirty seconds for usucha until fine foam forms. Rinse in hot water after use, never with soap, and store on a chasen kusenaoshi (whisk holder) that keeps the tines splayed.

Buying tips

Authentic Takayama chasen are made by named craftsmen and cost 30 to 100 USD; cheap Chinese imports from 5 to 15 USD have thicker, fewer tines and break within weeks. For thin tea, choose a 80- to 100-tine model; for thick tea, a 72-tine. A chasen is a consumable; expect to replace it every six to twelve months of regular use. Store on a holder to extend life.

Variants

  • 72-tine (futaho, thick tea)
  • 80-tine
  • 100-tine (chuaraho)
  • 120-tine (kazuho, thin tea)
  • white bamboo
  • smoked black bamboo (susudake)

Best pairings

  • matcha (usucha)
  • matcha (koicha)
  • Korean Garucha

Teas to brew with this