Questions About Sado, the Tea Ceremony: Why Do You Whisk Until It Foams? -

In the tea ceremony, a cup of matcha is prepared by whisking pure matcha with hot water. Many people notice its frothy surface and assume that I whisk for the purpose of making foam. In truth, I do not whisk in order to create bubbles, nor was I instructed to do so by my tea master.

The ideal amount of foam varies by school, teacher, and individual preference. Some favor a surface that can be seen a little from the gaps in the bubbles, some prefer a soft, cloudlike bubble layer. Each has its own beauty.

So, What is Matcha Foam?

Matcha is simply finely ground sweet green tea leaves combined with hot water. Unlike brewed teas such as sencha, it is not extracted fully but mixed. The whisking motion introduces air into the mixture, and therefore, foam appears only because matcha is present. Whisking hot water alone produces no bubbles. Matcha foam is made of nothing more than tea, water, and air.

How Long, then, Should We Whisk?

Curiously, I had never measured the time. So I did. My usual preparation takes about six seconds, during which I make approximately thirty brisk strokes.

It may also surprise you that we do not whisk in circles. Instead, we move the chasen, or the bamboo tea whisk straight forward and back, as if writing a single vertical line. Circular motion merely causes the liquid to spin, preventing proper mixing—and in a shallow bowl, it may cause tea to spill.

A Small Experiment at Home

One Sunday morning, I asked my family to join me in a simple test:

How many seconds produce the most delicious bowl of matcha?

I compared 3 seconds, 6 seconds, and 9 seconds.

The results:

3 seconds: too short, matcha remained at the bottom → disqualified
6 seconds: smooth and delicious, just as always
9 seconds: produced more foam than usual; flavor… not much different

For a tasting comparison, I asked my husband and son to try them. My son’s impressions changed each time, so let’s set him aside for now.
My husband described them as:

3 seconds: “Too light.”
6 seconds: “Balanced, the most pleasant.”
9 seconds: “Very strong.”

It was interesting that, although the amount of matcha remained the same, the taste clearly differed for him.

As a final trial, I whisked vigorously for 30 seconds to create an impressively thick foam of fine bubbles.
His response? “The foam gets in the way.”

Even the finest bubbles can become a disturbance. Our conclusion was simple: the tea must be properly mixed, but the level of foam is a matter of personal taste.

To our relief, my husband and I share the same preference.

Would You Like to Discover Your Own Style?

At our salon, you can experience the tea ceremony personally.