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Traditional Chasen | Matcha Whisk

$45.00

Description

 

A chasen (matcha whisk) is essential for the preparation of matcha because the matcha powder needs to be mixed with the water before it can be consumed.


Our traditional chasen comes in the Shin Kazuho style favored by the Urasenke tea school in Japan. It excels at creating a very fine crema with smaller bubbles. While primarily used to make usucha (thin matcha), our traditional chasen can also be used to make koicha (thick matcha). A sophisticated utensil that will add elegance to your daily matcha tea routine.


The chasen is made from white bamboo. The bamboo is dried in rice fields in winter after the rice has been harvested and becomes white after about a month due its exposure to the cold wind and UV rays from the sun.


The bamboo is of a very high quality and is grown in Japan. It is dried slowly for three years without any preservatives, which results in a whisk that is stronger, longer lasting and better for the environment.

Most matcha whisks on the market are mass-produced in China where the manufacturing costs are lower. Our whisks are handmade in Nara, Japan in the workshop of master craftsman Sabun Kubo whose family have been making tea whisks for 24 generations. Sabun Kubo was recognized as a traditional master craftsman by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry of Japan in 1987 and he has won awards and been commended for his work since. His whisks were exhibited at the Louvre Museum in Paris in 2008 and he has demonstrated their use in the tea ceremony at numerous expositions around the world.

The production of chasen by hand is a meticulous and time-consuming process that begins with harvesting and seasoning the bamboo over the course of three years. Each whisk is handmade from a single piece of bamboo, split several times and woven with string to create 80 tines. The ends of the tines are then cut individually with a knife.
The whisk should be rinsed with water after it has been used to remove any excess matcha. Do not use soap.

After the first few uses, the tines will "bloom" and separate out slightly.

The whisk is supposed to be used regularly and ultimately the tines may break and the handle may crack over time. Soaking the tines in warm water for 30 seconds before using the whisk will help to keep the tines supple.
Length: 12cm (4.5")
Diameter: 6cm (2.25")

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