What usucha is
Usucha (薄茶) means «light tea» or «thin tea». It is the standard way of making matcha, in the ceremony and in daily use. It differs from koicha in the ratio (less matcha, more water) and in technique (vigorous whisking for foam, rather than koicha’s slow kneading).
In a full chaji the usucha is served after the koicha, towards the end of the gathering. In modern use, usucha is the only preparation most people know.
Doses and ratios
The standard dose is 1.5 to 2 g of matcha in 60 to 80 ml of water at 65 to 75 °C. A first-harvest Uji is best at the lower end (65 to 70 °C) to preserve the umami. A second harvest or a Kagoshima takes 75 °C comfortably.
The whisking technique
The fast W or M is the heart of usucha. The chasen should move parallel to the surface, not down into the liquid. Its prongs work microbubbles of air in, which is what makes the characteristic foam. A good foam is fine, dense, and holds for more than 60 seconds.
A simple test: when you lift the chasen, the foam should stay level with no large bubbles visible. If there are, the technique needs more horizontal speed and less vertical movement.
The whisk that does this job
Everything above hangs on one thing: the prongs holding the W motion without splaying. A 100 prong chasen carved from a single piece of bamboo is what usucha asks for, and the VMUTGA 100 prong bamboo chasen (see the price on Amazon) is one of the few whose listing states both (see the price on Amazon), and it lasts three to six months of daily use if you dry it on its stand.
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