Usucha and Koicha: Two Matcha Textures
Fluid usucha or thick koicha: compare the amount of powder, water, and whisking technique to find a texture you enjoy.
By Roseline Zhou, Founder
Contents
In front of two bowls of matcha, one fluid and slightly foamy, the other thick and smooth, you're looking at two different preparations. Usucha is a lighter matcha whisked with water; you control its foam with a chasen, the bamboo whisk. Koicha is a thicker preparation, worked slowly with less water. To discover a powder, we'd start with usucha; for a more concentrated texture, we'd move to koicha.
The movement changes with the resistance you feel against the chasen. Koicha needs a different technique; you can't just repeat the same movements with more powder.
Usucha and koicha: what does concentration change?
| What matters | Usucha | Koicha | Our advice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proportion | Less powder with more water | More powder with less water | Adjust the water for the texture you want, without seeking a universal ratio. |
| Technique | Brisk whisking with a chasen | Slower work with a chasen | Watch the surface and feel the preparation's resistance. |
| Texture | A fluid cup, often lightly foamy | A soft, thick, smooth paste | Choose the texture you like drinking. |
| Flavor | Subtleties are easier to discover gradually | Concentrated flavor, with more pronounced bitterness if the powder is harsh | Taste the powder with water before changing the recipe. |
| Use | A first tasting or everyday cup | A small portion to taste slowly | The preparation won't turn an average tea into a fine one. |
How much matcha and water do you need?
Concentration makes the difference. A traditional description puts the usucha and koicha amounts at about 1 tsp (1.8 g) matcha and about 2 tsp (3.75 g) matcha per person, respectively. Add water to reach the consistency you want; no single ratio works for every bowl.
For a first cup of usucha, our method uses about 3/4 tsp (1.5 g) matcha in 1/4 cup (60 ml) water. Don't apply those proportions to koicha. Add the water in three additions, as in the koicha recipe, until the paste stays smooth without becoming liquid.
Why do you move the chasen differently?
In usucha, brisk whisking disperses the powder and lightens the surface. In koicha, slower movements bring powder and water together without aiming for much foam. We'd watch the texture rather than count movements: the bowl and the amount of tea change the resistance against the tines.
Usucha and koicha: which matcha suits each bowl?
We recommend Jade or Sérénité for usucha: water lets you taste their subtleties more clearly. A tea intended for baking may produce a bolder cup. Koicha also concentrates a powder's flaws, so we'd taste a new matcha as usucha before working it into a thicker preparation.
These are two ways to prepare tea, not two manufacturing methods or grades. In the bowl, the amount of tea, water, and technique make the difference.
When should you choose another preparation?
Usucha won't give you the density of a slow tasting; koicha makes a bitter powder's bitterness more pronounced. Start with the fluid bowl, then change just one variable at a time.