How to make koicha (thick matcha)

By Alison Tomita · Mastry G.K., Yokohama
Published 6 September 2026 · Updated 5 October 2026

Koicha is thick tea: roughly double the matcha and half the water of usucha. Sift about 4 g of matcha into a warm bowl, add 30–40 ml of water at 70–75°C, and knead slowly with a chasen until the tea is glossy, smooth, and thick, with no foam. It is the preparation of the tea ceremony’s most formal moments, and it asks the most of the matcha itself.

What you need

• About 4 g matcha (roughly double an usucha serving)
• 30–40 ml water
• A chawan or wide bowl, a fine sieve, and a bamboo chasen
• A scale and thermometer if you have them

Steps

1. Warm the bowl and chasen. Rinse the bowl with warm water and briefly wet the chasen; empty and dry the bowl. Warmth keeps the thick tea supple.
2. Sift the matcha. Sift about 4 g into the bowl. Sifting matters even more than for usucha: in a thick tea, any clump shows.
3. Add a small amount of WHISK. water. Pour in 30–40 ml of water at 70–75°C, WHISK.’s house temperature for straight preparations. Some prefer to add the water in two pours, combining after each.
4. Knead, do not whip. Hold the chasen low and fold the tea slowly from the bottom in smooth, deliberate strokes. Koicha is kneaded rather than whisked: the aim is a glossy, lump-free thickness, not foam.
5. Adjust the consistency. If the tea tightens into a paste, add a few drops of hot water and keep folding until it flows slowly, like warm honey.
6. Serve at once. Koicha is concentrated, so it is taken in small, unhurried sips, traditionally from a shared bowl.

Which matcha suits koicha?

Because koicha uses so much matcha in so little water, everything in the leaf is concentrated: sweetness and umami, but also any bitterness. That is why it is traditionally prepared with the finest shaded first-harvest matcha available. From the WHISK. collection, Uji Hikari and Saemidori are the tins to reach for; the blends are composed for usucha, milk, and the daily bowl rather than thick tea.

Ratio and temperature notes

A practical starting point is about 4 g to 30–40 ml, though tea schools and producers vary in their exact proportions. WHISK. uses 70–75°C for straight preparations; cooler water draws sweetness and umami forward and keeps the thick tea gentle.

Explore WHISK.

For koicha, begin with Uji Hikari or Saemidori. For thin tea, see how to make usucha. Join the restock list on the matcha collection when sold out.