koicha

In a quiet tatami room, the morning sun shone through the shoji paper in a soft shadow. The fragrance of pine wood from the charcoal stove floated gently throughout the room.

The tea ceremony master gradually picked up the tea can. The dark green matcha powder was meticulously scooped into the tea cup.

Today is not ordinary tea, but Koicha or "thick tea."

A little hot water was added to it. The bamboo brush was not beaten until foaming, as many people are familiar with, but was slowly peopled into a rich, velvet-like, emerald-green texture.

The first taste that touches the tongue is strong, deep sweet, with clear umami, almost no bitterness, like tasting the heart of a tea tree directly.

This is the tea used in the most formal tea ceremony, and usually only the highest grade of matcha is used.

As the ceremony passed, the subsequent cup was prepared.

Less matcha powder, more water.

The bamboo brush is quickly beaten. Fine bubbles cover the face.

This is Usucha or "thin tea."

It tastes refreshing, light and comfortable, easier to drink, has a clear aroma, and is the form most people drink in their daily lives.

If Koicha is like a great wine that needs to be tasted gradually.

Usucha is green tea that invites you to sit back and drink every day.

Brew ratio

Koicha (thickened tea)

* Matcha 3-4 grams (about 2 teaspoons)

* 30-40 ml water

* Temperature 75-80 ° C

Approximately ratio

1: 10.

(1 gram of matcha per 10 ml of water)

The tea will be very viscous and thick.

Usucha (thin tea)

* Matcha 1.5-2 grams

* 60-80 ml water

* Temperature 75-85 ° C

Approximately ratio

1: 35-40.

(1 gram of matcha per 35-40 ml of water)

Beat to form a fine bubble

The origin of Koicha and Usucha.

Its origins date back to the Muromachi period (around the 14th-16th centuries AD).

In those days matcha was precious and used among the elite and Zen monks.

Later, Sen no Rikyu, who laid the foundation of the modern tea ceremony, defined the style of the tea ceremony.

* Koicha = Ceremonial Main Tea (Formal Tea)

* Usucha = Tea after the ceremony. To relax and converse.

Koicha's specialty is that in traditional ceremonies, many ceremonies will share a drink from the same cup as a sign of respect, trust and oneness.

While Usucha is a private tea, each has their own cup.

So if you look culturally,

* Koicha = spirit of tea ceremony

* Usucha = the joy of drinking tea

And this is why Ceremonial Grade is actually created first for Koicha and then for Usucha, not vice versa.# maecha # Matcha # matcha # Japanese matcha