Usucha, thin tea, is about 2 grams of matcha whisked briskly into about 60 ml of hot water until it foams. Koicha, thick tea, is about 4 grams kneaded slowly into about 30 ml until it turns into a smooth, glossy paste with no foam.
Because koicha doubles the powder and halves the water, any bitterness is magnified, so only the sweetest, usually hand-picked matcha is made into koicha.
Usucha and koicha are the two ways matcha is prepared in Japan, and they are less like two strengths of one drink than two different drinks. Usucha means thin tea. Koicha means thick tea. Ippodo, a Kyoto tea house since 1717, prints both recipes on its product pages, and its figures are a good place to start.
| Usucha (thin tea) | Koicha (thick tea) | |
|---|---|---|
| Matcha | About 2 g | About 4 g |
| Water | About 60 ml | About 30 ml |
| Temperature | About 80°C | About 80°C |
| Motion | Fast back-and-forth strokes | Slow kneading circles |
| Result | Light body, fine foam | Thick, glossy, no foam |
| Which matcha | Most good matcha | Only the sweetest, usually hand-picked |
Koicha is about four times as concentrated as usucha. Twice the powder in half the water means everything in the tea is magnified, the sweetness and umami and also any bitterness or astringency. That is why tea houses say which of their matchas can be drunk thick. Marukyu Koyamaen in Uji recommends its Tenju for thick tea, and describes its Eiju as a thin tea with a thicker texture. Kettl in Brooklyn calls its Hibiki, from Shinya Yamaguchi in Hoshinomura, Yame, a koicha grade matcha.
How to make usucha
- Warm the bowl and the whisk with hot water, then pour it out and dry the bowl.
- Sift about 2 grams of matcha into the bowl. With a bamboo scoop, that is roughly two scoops.
- Add about 60 ml of water at around 80°C, well off the boil.
- Whisk quickly in a back-and-forth zigzag from the wrist, not in circles, for 15 to 20 seconds.
- When fine foam covers the surface, slow down, smooth the top and lift the whisk from the centre.
Sellers vary a little. Kettl suggests 2 grams with 65 ml at about 80°C for its usucha matchas. Mizuba's Tsuyuhikari page has a handy trick for lumps. Make a small amount of koicha first with an ounce of water, then add more water and whisk it into usucha.
How to make koicha
- Sift about 4 grams of matcha into a warm bowl.
- Add about half the water first and knead with the whisk in slow circles and figure eights, pressing the powder into the water rather than beating air into it.
- Add the rest of the water, about 30 ml in all, and keep kneading until the tea is smooth and glossy and coats the bowl.
Kettl gives 4 grams with 30 to 35 ml at about 80°C for its Gokasho Uji Hikari. Good koicha tastes dense, sweet and savoury, with very little bitterness, and it clings to the bowl.
Where each belongs
In a full formal tea gathering, koicha comes first, made in one bowl and passed between guests. Usucha follows, a bowl for each guest. Tezumi's guide to matcha names notes that koicha is typically the best tea of the gathering and that the head guest asks about it after it is served. At home, almost everyone drinks usucha. If you have a tin marked for koicha, it is worth trying both ways side by side, because thick tea shows you what the leaf really tastes like.
Questions
What is the ratio for usucha?
Ippodo gives about 2 g of matcha to 60 ml of water at 80°C. Many sellers give 1.5 to 2 g with 60 to 80 ml. Sift the powder first so it does not clump.
What is the ratio for koicha?
Ippodo gives about 4 g of matcha to 30 ml of water at 80°C. Kettl suggests 4 g with 30 to 35 ml for its koicha matchas. Knead slowly rather than whisk fast.
Can any matcha be made into koicha?
No. Thick tea concentrates bitterness. Tea houses mark which of their matchas suit koicha. Ippodo and Marukyu Koyamaen both do on their product pages.
Which is served first in a tea ceremony?
In a full formal gathering, koicha is served first and shared from one bowl, then usucha is served to each guest. Most everyday matcha is usucha.
