Usucha 薄茶
The everyday, more forgiving style — lighter, frothy, and the best place to start.
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The ceremonial preparation
How to make koicha, dense ceremonial matcha.
Koicha (濃茶, "thick tea") is matcha at its most concentrated — kneaded, not whisked, into a glossy, paste-like tea. It demands high-grade leaf and a gentler hand than usucha.
- Ratio ≈ 4.4 g / 40 ml
- Water temp 70–75 °C
- Knead time 60–90 sec
What is koicha?
Koicha uses roughly double the matcha and about half the water of usucha, producing a dense, viscous tea closer to a thick syrup than a beverage in the everyday sense. It's traditionally reserved for the most formal tea gatherings and made with the finest, oldest-vine ceremonial matcha available — the concentration leaves nowhere for a mediocre leaf to hide.
The technique is different, too: koicha is kneaded with slow, folding strokes rather than whisked, so it never develops foam. Done well, the surface should look glossy and pour slowly, like warm honey.
Equipment you'll need
- A wide, shallow bowl (chawan)
- A bamboo whisk (chasen) for kneading
- A fine sifter — double-sifting is worth it here
- A digital scale (koicha rewards precision over volume)
- A kettle you can hold below boiling
- High-grade ceremonial matcha, ideally fresh
Step by step
- Sift the matcha twice. Koicha's concentration makes even small clumps obvious in the finished tea.
- Rinse the bowl with hot water and discard it.
- Add a small amount of 70–75 °C water first and work it into a smooth paste before adding more — this prevents dry pockets of powder.
- Add the remaining water in stages, kneading with a slow, folding motion for about 60–90 seconds. You're not trying to raise foam.
- Serve in small portions and sip slowly — koicha is meant to be savored, not gulped.
Common mistakes
- Using culinary-grade matcha. At this concentration, low-grade leaf turns gritty and sharply bitter — koicha is where grade matters most.
- Whisking instead of kneading. A brisk whisking motion introduces air and small bubbles that don't belong in a smooth paste.
- Water too hot. Koicha is brewed slightly cooler than usucha (70–75 °C) because the long contact time makes it more prone to over-extraction.
- Rushing the kneading. Adding all the water at once tends to leave dry lumps — build the paste gradually.
- Skipping the double sift. A single sift often isn't enough at koicha's density.
Koicha FAQ
Do I need special matcha for koicha?
Yes — use the highest grade you can get. Koicha uses roughly double the powder of usucha in about half the water, so any bitterness or astringency in the leaf is magnified rather than diluted. Culinary-grade matcha almost always tastes unpleasant at koicha strength.
Why is koicha served in smaller portions?
Koicha is dense, concentrated, and meant to be sipped slowly rather than drunk like a cup of tea. A small serving — often just a few spoonfuls — lets the sweetness and umami of high-grade matcha come through without becoming overwhelming or overly filling.
Can I make koicha with a frother?
It's a compromise. Koicha is traditionally kneaded, not whisked, so a spinning frother tends to introduce air and small bubbles that don't belong in a paste-like tea. If a chasen isn't available, pulse briefly and fold with a spoon between pulses rather than running the frother continuously.
Keep exploring
Related preparations
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