Koicha
Koicha is thick matcha: about 4 g of high-grade powder kneaded with 30-40 ml of water into a glossy, paste-like tea served in the tea ceremony.
Definition
Koicha (濃茶, "thick tea") is the central tea of a formal Japanese tea gathering, the chaji. It uses roughly twice the matcha and half the water of usucha, giving a liquid about the consistency of thin paint or melted chocolate. Instead of whisking to a foam, the host kneads the powder and water slowly with the chasen, a motion called neru (練る), until the tea is glossy and smooth. Traditionally one bowl of koicha is prepared for several guests, who share it, each taking about three sips and wiping the rim before passing it on. The ritual of the shared bowl is one of the most formal moments in chanoyu and comes before the lighter usucha. Because so much powder is consumed at such concentration, koicha exposes any flaw. Only the highest grades of matcha, usually made from tencha grown on older plants under long shading and stone-milled, are smooth and sweet enough. Tea houses label these as suitable for koicha. A matcha that makes pleasant usucha can turn bitter and astringent when prepared thick.
In Depth
Method: sift about 4 g (three to four heaped chashaku scoops) of koicha-grade matcha into a warmed chawan. Add about 20 ml of water at roughly 80°C (176°F) and knead slowly, drawing the chasen through the paste in a steady circle and back-and-forth motion without lifting the tines. Add another 10-20 ml and continue until the surface is glossy with no lumps or foam.
A heavier, sturdier chasen with fewer, thicker tines is preferred, because a fine 100-tine whisk bends under the resistance.
Expect a 4 g serving to contain roughly double the caffeine of usucha, on the order of 120-160 mg if drunk alone. Cost is the other limit: koicha-grade matcha commonly sells for two to four times the price of good usucha matcha.
See Also
- Japanese Tea Ceremony
- Chaji
- Matcha Preparation