Two Ways to Prepare Matcha
Japanese tea practice distinguishes between thick tea, or koicha, and thin tea, or usucha. Koicha uses roughly three times as much tea for the same amount of water. Instead of being whipped into a light drink, it is kneaded with the whisk until it becomes smooth and almost paste-like.
Usucha uses less matcha and is whipped with a bamboo whisk into the more familiar frothy preparation.
A Shared Vessel
In a formal chaji, koicha comes first. One bowl is shared among several guests, each taking a turn. The guest drinks, wipes the rim, and passes the bowl to the next person. This practice, documented in the sixteenth century and considered to have been invented by Sen no Rikyū, symbolizes a deep connection among those present.
The bowl is not just a container. Guests treat it with reverence, examining its shape, surface, and imperfections. Some bowls are named after their creators or owners, and bowls more than four hundred years old may still be used on exceptional occasions.
From Formality to Ease
Usucha follows the thick tea and is served in individual bowls. The atmosphere becomes more relaxed, and conversation is permitted more freely. The movement from shared koicha to individual usucha gives the gathering a deliberate rhythm: first unity, then ease.
A single bowl therefore carries an unusually large meaning. It makes connection tangible, turning a quiet drink into a ritual of mutual respect.