HOW TO BREW
MATCHA & HOJICHA


TRADITIONAL MATCHA

Whether you crave a morning ritual or you're looking to get a bunch of caffeine in quickly - this rich, frothy beverage can hit all the checkmarks.


THE TOOLS:

Matcha Whisk, or "Chasen" - a hand-made, one of a kind, delicate bamboo whisk, the most valuable tool for creating a suspension with the right texture for easy sipping

A Chasen does require a little prep work: for a brand new whisk, sit the whisk in around 2 inches of hot water (a matcha bowl is a perfect vessel for this) - it's also good to do this everytime before whisking matcha - this will extend the life of the whisk, but if you ask us, it's not necessary, especially if you're in a rush.
Always store your whisk tines-down, otherwise moisture build-up can cause mold.

Matcha Bowl, or "Chawan" - the second most important tool! Of course, it does not need to specifically be a "matcha bowl" but there are some parameters that you should heed: a wide bowl with a flat bottom, and curved corners will be the best.

Matcha Scoop, or "Chashaku" - it definitely completes the set nicely although it's not absoutely necessary - a teaspoon will do. You may find certain instructions use scoops to dose. We, however, find that dosing by weight is the best way to produce consistent matcha.

Fine-Mesh Strainer - this will help to break up any clumps that exist in the matcha powder - you may find that once you become a practiced whisker, there's no need for the strainer, your speed and precision will be enough.

INSTRUCTIONS:


1 - Pre-warm your chawan (bowl) - this isn't a necessary step but will help to produce the best froth - pour 175°F water into your bowl and let it sit until the sides of the bowl are hot to the touch, then towel the bowl dry.


2 - Measure out 3 grams (1 tsp or 2 chashaku scoops) of matcha and push through a fine mesh strainer, into the pre-warmed bowl.


3 - Add 3 to 4 ounces of water to the bowl. Vigorously whisk the liquid as if you're quickly writing hundreds of W's all over the surface of the liquid. Hot Tip: Keep a little gap between the bottom of the bowl and the tines of the whisk, the whisk should NOT be dragging across the bottom of the bowl, this will help to get a super frothy liquid.

4 - Pick the bowl up and drink the hot matcha suspension in 3-4 gulps, then go and conquer the day!


MATCHA & HOJICHA LATTES

HOT:

1 - Follow the above instructions to whip up a bowl of traditional matcha

2 - Add 1 teaspoon of sugar or sweetener (if desired) to the matcha/hojicha while it's still hot and stir.

Honey is a great sweetener for your matcha latte

3 - Add 4 to 6 ounces of milk and stir.

4 - Pour into a cup or mug and enjoy!

ICED:

1 - Place 3 to 4 cubes of ice into a cocktail shaker.

2 - Add 8 ounces of milk to the shaker.

3 - Sift 3 grams (1 tsp) of matcha into the shaker.

4 - Shake vigorously!

5 - Pour into a glass, over fresh ice. Enjoy!