Free delivery from €50.00 · Get -10% with code ZOI10

ZOI Matcha
ZOI Matcha
← Recipes

Koicha — thick matcha

The consistency of warm syrup, a flavour as concentrated as an essence. Koicha is matcha in its purest form — with no room for poor-quality powder.

Koicha — thick matcha

Preparation

6 min

Total

6 min

Servings

1

Level

Medium

Koicha means ‘thick tea’, and that is a literal description: twice as much powder, half as much water as in usucha. It is not whipped into a froth — it is stirred into a smooth, glossy emulsion with the consistency of melted chocolate. In the chanoyu ceremony, koicha is the centrepiece; usucha is often a variation on it. At home, it’s the quickest way to understand what the first harvest is really all about — sweetness and umami without any veils. A practical note: koicha is utterly unforgiving. At this concentration, a culinary-grade matcha will taste bitter and astringent; this recipe is intended exclusively for ceremonial first-harvest matcha.

Ingredients

  • 4 g ceremonial matcha from the first harvest (2 heaped chashaku)

  • 30 ml water at a temperature of 80°C

Preparation

  1. 1

    Sift the matcha into a bowl. This is not just a suggestion — any lumps that get through will be visible and noticeable in the finished brew.

  2. 2

    Pour in half the water (about 15 ml) and stir with the chasen in a slow, circular motion across the base until a smooth, thick paste forms with no dry patches.

  3. 3

    Pour in the rest of the water and carry on stirring — slowly, pressing the fibres down to the bottom. No ‘W’ motion, no foam: the aim is a glossy emulsion with the consistency of warm syrup, which lazily runs down the side of the bowl.

  4. 4

    Drink it straight away, in small sips, ideally after something sweet — in the tea ceremony, wagashi is served before koicha, as sweetness brings out the umami. A square of good white chocolate will have a similar effect.

  5. 5

    If the taste is too strong, don’t dilute this cup — next time, reduce the amount to 3 g for the same 30 ml, and gradually work your way back up to 4 g.

Products used