Just like coffee lovers can speak some Italian and wine lovers can speak some French... We matcha lovers need to learn some Japanese.
Want to talk in "matcha language" like a pro? Here are some must-know Japanese words for you to master. We will keep adding to the list along we go.
Aracha: Unfinished tealeaves that have been steamed & dried before de-veining, sorting, and blending.
Chado: Japanese tea ceremony meaning the Way of Tea; it's also called Chanoyu.
Chasen: matcha bamboo whisk.
Chasen Naoshi: Whisk holder for resting and storing matcha whisk.
Chashaku: traditional bamboo matcha scoop.
Chawan: matcha bowl.
Honzu: traditional way
Ichiban-cha: first harvest tea picked from late April through May sometimes into June.
Koicha: thick tea. A ceremonial way of making matcha by mixing 4g of top grade matcha with only 40ml - 50ml hot water. It's like perfectly pulled fine espresso.
Karigane: stems & vein only tea made primarily from gyukuro
Nibancha: second harvest tea in summer months.
Prong: the bristle of a matcha whisk. It's also called Tines or Tips.
Shincha: New tea of the year, and is picked, processed and sold right after grinding.
Tencha: tea leave flakes used for matcha before being ground into fine powder. It's already graded and sorted.
Usucha: thin tea. A ceremonial way of making matcha by whisking 2g of top grade matcha with 80ml - 100ml hot water. It's like freshly brewed drip coffee.