Chasen (Bamboo Whisk)
A chasen is the bamboo whisk used to prepare matcha, carved from a single piece of bamboo into 16 to over 100 fine tines.
Definition
The chasen (茶筅) is carved from one length of bamboo. The upper section is split into many fine strips, which are thinned, softened in hot water and curled to form an inner and outer ring of tines, with the unsplit lower section left as the handle. The process is done by hand and takes years to learn. Takayama in Ikoma, Nara prefecture, has been the center of chasen making for about five centuries and produces the large majority of Japanese-made whisks. Different tea schools prefer different bamboo and shapes: white bamboo (hachiku) is common for everyday use, black bamboo (kurochiku) and smoked bamboo (susudake) are used by particular schools and for formal occasions. Tine count changes the whisk's job. Whisks of about 80-120 tines are standard for usucha because many fine tines aerate the tea into foam. Koicha is kneaded rather than whisked, so a sturdier whisk with fewer, thicker tines is preferred. Many cheaper chasen are now made in China; they are functional but tend to have thicker, less flexible tines.
In Depth
Care: before use, soak the tines in warm water for a minute or two to make them supple; dry tines snap. After use, rinse in warm water only, no soap, and dry on a ceramic kusenaoshi (whisk stand), which holds the curl and lets air reach the inside. Storing a damp chasen in its plastic case invites mold.
Lifespan: with daily use a chasen typically lasts a few months before tines break or lose their curl. A whisk with many broken tines no longer makes fine foam and leaves lumps. Replace it rather than whisking harder.
Electric milk frothers make a usable but coarser drink; the chasen's advantage is fine, stable foam and the ability to work the powder against the bowl.
See Also
- Japanese Tea Ceremony
- Matcha Tools
- Takayama Bamboo Craft