The field notes
A little powder.
A whisk with a purpose.
A little green powder, hot water and a bamboo whisk: each part has a job. Matcha contains finely ground tea leaf. Whisking helps spread those tiny particles through the water, while sifting first helps break apart clumps. To understand the bowl, start a few steps earlier.
Start with the leaf
Shade → steam → dry → grind
The journey starts before picking, when the tea plants are covered to provide shade. After harvest, steaming and drying without rolling turn the leaves into tencha. The dried tea is then finely ground into matcha.
Sift before adding water
A small step for fewer clumps
Dry matcha can clump together. Passing the powder through a sieve helps break those clumps apart before water enters the bowl, making the next step easier.
Whisk with purpose
A brisk back-and-forth motion
Add hot water and combine it with the powder. A bamboo tea whisk, called a chasen, helps distribute the fine leaf particles through the water. Brisk back-and-forth whisking can also create a light layer of foam.
Next time you prepare a bowl, notice the small changes: clumps becoming fine powder, powder meeting water, and the whisk bringing it together.
Read the narration Full video transcript
Why do we whisk matcha? The answer starts before it reaches your bowl.
Matcha begins with tea leaves grown under shade before they are picked.
The leaves are steamed, then dried without rolling. This dried tea is called tencha, the starting material for matcha.
Next, tencha is ground into a very fine powder: matcha. Unlike steeped tea, the fine leaf particles go into your bowl with the water.
Sift the powder to help break up clumps.
Add hot water. Whisk briskly, back and forth.
This spreads those tiny leaf particles through the water, helping make a smooth bowl.
From shaded leaves to one bright bowl. A little more to enjoy in every cup.
Follow the leaves · Sources
- Japan Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and FisheriesTencha and matcha: shading before harvest, steaming, drying without rolling and grinding (Japanese).
- Kyoto Prefectural Tea Industry ChamberAn introduction to preparing Uji tea, including a bowl of whisked matcha.
- Ippodo TeaSifting, a bamboo chasen and back-and-forth whisking; also explains foam-free preparation.
- Haraguchi, Imada and Sawamura (2003)Original research on fine matcha particles and their behavior in water, including sedimentation. DOI: 10.3136/nskkk.50.468.
An illustrated introduction to matcha and one way to prepare a bowl. Sources checked October 28, 2026.
A little more familiar with your cup.
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