In last month's feature on the 100 Verses of Rikyu (Rikyu Hyakushu), I introduced several famous poems from the collection. While most of these verses address the mental posture required during a tea presentation (temae) or how to handle tea utensils, this month I have selected a few verses that offer useful guidance specifically on preparing matcha.

1. Handling the Whisk

Cha wo tateba / Chasen ni kokoro / Yoku tsukete / Chawan no soko e / Tsuyoku ataruna
Meaning: When whisking tea, focus your attention on the whisk (chasen); do not strike the bottom of the tea bowl forcefully.

This means that when whisking tea, you should pay close attention to how you handle the whisk and avoid hitting the bottom of the bowl hard. The chasen is delicate, and striking the tips against the bottom will break its fine bamboo tines, as well as scratch or chip your favorite bowl.

As a side note, when guests on my tours ask whether modern stainless steel or plastic tea whisks should be used, I explain that I personally prefer not to use them. Introducing hard, synthetic materials into tea bowls designed specifically for soft bamboo tips can damage your precious utensils. Another key point is to relax and avoid tensing up. Straining your arm actually slows down your whisking speed; the ideal feel is to smoothly and gently stroke the bottom of the bowl with the tips of the whisk.

2. Preparing Thick Tea (Koicha)

Koicha ni wa / Temae wo sutete / Hitosuji ni / Fuku no kagen to / Iki wo chirasuna
Meaning: For thick tea (koicha), discard mere pretense of form and focus single-mindedly on the taste and your breath.

This verse teaches that the spirit of hostship and staying attuned to your breathing to serve a delicious bowl of tea matter far more than strictly adhering to prescribed movements or formal elegance. It is easy to get caught up in outward form, but if the thick tea does not taste good, it defeats the entire purpose. While guests often focus on the utensils or the host's mechanics, many master teachers frequently remind us never to forget that serving delicious matcha is what matters most.

3. Proper Temperature and Texture

Koicha ni wa / Yu-kagen atsuku / Fuku wa nao / Awa nakiyau ni / Katamari mo naku
Meaning: For thick tea, ensure the water is hot, knead it without creating foam, and leave no lumps behind.

When preparing koicha, use hotter water and knead the matcha smoothly so that no foam builds up and no unmixed lumps of powder remain. Beginners often end up with damp clumps scattered throughout the bowl; the trick lies in evenly blending the powder with the hot water. As an aside, while we have countless ways to boil water today, a traditional tea gathering (chaji) requires boiling fresh water in a kettle over charcoal from scratch. If the host's method of laying the charcoal and shaping the ash bed is not precise, the water will not boil properly.

4. Practice and Mastery

Tonikaku ni / Fuku no kagen wo / Omoyuru wa / Koicha tabitabi / Tate-te yoku shire
Meaning: Above all, to learn the proper balance (fuku-kagen) of thick tea, you must prepare koicha again and again to truly master it.

Fuku-kagen refers to achieving the ideal taste, texture, and drinkability of the tea. This verse teaches that mastering this balance relies on hands-on experience and repeated practice rather than theoretical understanding. This applies to many things in life, but it serves as a wonderfully straightforward teaching poem emphasizing that practicing koicha demands consistent experience. Some teachers say it takes three full years just to learn how to prepare koicha properly, making repetition essential.

Although the verses selected this month focus primarily on tea preparation, I personally believe their insights on building experience and developing the right mindset apply far beyond the tea ceremony.

Written by Seiya Alan H.