Chasen, the bamboo whisk handcrafted from a single piece of bamboo, has evolved into the shape we know today, perfected to whisk a smooth bowl of matcha without damaging the bowl.
In Japan, the city of Takayama is the officially designated region for traditional chasen production, with origins dating back to the 1400s.
General guideline:
- Be gentle and handle with care
- Avoid soap or detergent
- Do not use boiling water
Before First Use: Rinse With Cold Water
Fill a bowl with cold water and whisk your chasen gently. Alternatively, you can hold it under lightly running cold tap water and rinse the chasen for about 30 seconds. This process helps to clean away any dust left over from the crafting process.
Do not use soap or detergent.
Before Whisking Matcha: Warm and Inspect
In a traditional tea ceremony, you will notice the tea master resting and rotating the chasen in the bowl to inspect and purify it before making matcha. Additionally, softening the chasen with warm water will reduce the risk of breakage while whisking the matcha.
Fill your chawan (matcha bowl) with warm water. Place the chasen in the bowl to wet the tines. Do not let the thread and the handle soak in water, as the moisture can cause mold or the bamboo to crack.
Discard the water and wipe the bowl dry.
After Use: Rinse and Dry
Fill a bowl with warm water and whisk to remove the residue, or gently run the tap water. If rinsing under tap water, face the tines downward and only wet them. Do not use soap or detergent.
Ideally, use a kusenaoshi (whisk stand) and let it stand tine side down and dry thoroughly. The stand also helps to retain the natural shape of the tines.
If you do not have a whisk stand, let the whisk stand to air-dry.
