Whisking is the key part of making a good and foamy matcha! However, from our own experience, it is the most misunderstood step. Whisking is not complicated, but you have to do it a certain way to make it work. The whole process should not take more than a minute.
Here are some instructions to help you obtain a nice foam:
Preparations:
After adding the matcha to your bowl (one or two spoons), add a small amount of cold water (about a teaspoon) and work it slowly with the whisk into a lump-free paste. This step is crucial but is not yet the actual whisking!
Now that you have a nice, lump-free paste in your bowl, the proper whisking begins:
The Whisking
Add some hot water, then start whisking firmly using your wrist (not the elbow), while holding the bowl with your other hand. When we say firmly, we mean FIRMLY. Don’t be afraid. Give it your best. Be fast! Be energetic! You'll get the hang of it.
Try to whisk as fast as you possibly can! You can’t be too fast.
You must whisk the matcha back and forth, NOT in a circular motion, but in a W or zigzag pattern. Or just back and forth. This method shocks the material as you incorporate air into the water and tea, which is necessary for creating foam. (Whisking in circles is too smooth and will not oxygenate your tea, resulting in no bubbles.)
Keep whisking for at least 20 seconds. Your hand will feel tired and sore, but DO NOT STOP.
Did I stress enough that you should whisk firmly? Whisk FIRMLY.
(Note: We advise still using a teaspoon of cold water first and working the matcha into a paste to get rid of any lumps.)
Also, a piece of advice: when whisking, don’t press the tines hard at the bottom of the bowl; you don’t need to. It’s OK to have some friction, but really don’t press unnecessarily hard. We are making tea here, not destroying utensils. Try to whisk the surface of the water.
When you’ve whisked hard for at least 20 seconds (you can do more!), slow down, stop, and watch the foam. It should be there if the matcha you use is of good quality – if you use our MMU blends, we guarantee great foam 😉
If you feel that you want more foam, whisk more.
