The Chasen - A Guide. How to Use, Care, & Keep.
茶筅 chasen
Your Matcha Bamboo Whisk
120 prongs. A single piece of pure bamboo. The Answer to Excellent Matcha
Chasens bridge the world of art to the everyday. While fundamentally a utensil, the beauty of the detail, material, and its shape make the whisk a treasure of tradition worthy to keep on display and enjoy.
From the artisan's craft, to crafting your tea:
How chasens are made -
To make a chasen requires skill and meticulous finesse. There are six major steps in creating a chasen:
1) The chasen begins as a single piece of bamboo. The wood is peeled and cut into 16 equal parts (although this may vary depending on the type of chasen created) to make the whisk’s basic shape.
2) The parts are cut again into individual tines.
3) The artist will dip the tines in hot water. They are then shaved, ironed, and shaped.
4) The tines go through a second process of shaving, making the whisk more angular. The shape helps Matcha not stick to the whisk.
5) The tines are separated into inner and outer sections by threading each prong individually.
6) The height and space between tines are determined by inserting a bamboo spoon between the two sections.
7) The final chasen is then arranged into its iconic, beautiful shape.
How to Make Matcha with your chasen:
The purpose of a chasen whisk is to aerate your tea to create Matcha’s classic foam and froth. If you're looking for an authentic matcha routine, here's how to establish a wonderful cha-no-yu (traditional tea ceremony) experience.
How To Care For Your Chasen Whisk:
- Do not store it in its original plastic container. Because bamboo is a natural material and retains moisture, chasens can occasionally be susceptible to slight molding. No need for concern – just be sure your whisk is able to air dry. We store our whisk standing upright on its base in mild environment.
- Should mold occur, place your chasen in boiling water.
- In everyday use, do not wash your chasen with soap. Simply run it under hot water and remove all visible signs of matcha.
- Pat your chasen dry.
Leave a comment
Comments will be approved before showing up.
Also in News
Four Loose Leaf Tea Questions with Lauren
Announcing Mizuba's Heritage Japanese Loose Leaf Teas
Welcome to the Mizuba Tea Co. loose leaf collection! True — we've been solely focused on being one of America's premier matcha companies for years. But, as you can imagine... exceptional quality matcha wasn't the only kind of tea we were drinking in Japan on our travels...! As life-long tea nerds, beautifully crafted teas of all kinds just get us EXCITED.
As your trusted source of Japan's finest traditional teas, we are dedicated to direct-trade sourcing that is grounded in friendships with our tea suppliers. Together, we pursue purity of leaf, high-quality flavor, and the beauty in each cup of tea that you enjoy with us.
