IDEA
The absolute highest possible answer to a seemingly ubiquitous (yet indispensable) object: the chasen, or bamboo matcha whisk.
To be clear, it is not challenging to track down a matcha whisk. And yet, the difference in preparing matcha with any old whisk and a quality version is a study in refinement & embrace of quality. It’s the difference in watching a classic film in its original 16mm format versus streaming it with bad Internet on your 2015 laptop; the difference in sipping a bracingly nuanced Slovenian white from pristine Zalto stemware versus pouring it into the old coffee cup you got at a thrift store in college. Frankly, if you know, you know—the impact is in the details.
SOLUTION
Our 64-string bamboo whisks are crafted individually by 24th generation artist Kubo Sabun in Nara, Japan. The Kubo family has been passing on the tradition of bamboo whisk-making since the Muromachi Period. The artful expertise of Sabun’s work has been recognized on the level of art, including inclusion in Paris’ Louvre Museum, with each meticulously carved from a single piece of bamboo and in consideration of the subtleties in every tine.
WE SUGGEST
This bamboo whisk is best suited for preparing usucha (thin) tea, which is the lighter (and more commonly seen) style of matcha, where a teaspoon of matcha powder is quickly whisked with 70ml (approximately 2.5 ounces) of hot water inside a matcha bowl (or chawan), with the goal of producing a smooth and mellow cup.
CARE
To clean, rinse carefully under running water; do not soak, clean with dish soap, or wash in dishwasher.
Store in a stable environment (neither too humid nor too dry) with the whisk standing upward (or on a whisk stand if you have one) to preserve the tines and maintain the integrity of the bamboo.
Replace after tines begin to break (when cleaned with care, you should only need to replace them once a year!)
