Matcha Whisk

An essential tool for making authentic, delicious matcha, a chasen is a tea whisk crafted by hand from a single piece of bamboo. Making chasen is a delicate, time-consuming process with craftspeople producing only a few each day. Initially, craftspeople cut bamboo to their desired length, then they split one end a number of times to create the whisk’s tines. A tea whisk can have anywhere between 16 and 120 tines. The higher the number the less whisking is required to help incorporate the matcha in water. Once the splits are created, the newly created sections are bent outwards and split further to form even finer pieces until the right number of tines is achieved. Craftspeople then shave the tips into their desired shape and angle before running a thread in between each tine in order to fix them in position and secure them to the base. Lastly, the inner tines are tied together and the body of the whisk is hollowed out by removing the pulp within. The result is a high-quality. specialized tool that plays one of the most important roles in preparing matcha. The thin tines of the whisk not only mix the powdered tea with water but also aerate the tea, allowing oxygen to bring out its aromas while also reducing its bitterness, and creating a layer of foam that lends it a smooth, creamy texture.

Size: H12.7 cm x Ø10.9 cm

Kansai

The Kansai region includes the second-most populated metropolitan area in Japan with its largest city Osaka. Kyoto and Nara, two of Japan’s former capital cities, are home to important temples and shrines and strongholds of intangible cultural heritage, such as the Kyoto textile weaving skills of Nishijin.