I’m sure that people reading this blog know
what this item is for. Yes, it’s a chasen, tea whisk. It is use to mix matcha powder and hot water in a tea
bowl. But, do you know of any correct
way of treating this utensil? Which do
you think is the right way of positioning the tea whisk among the three
pictures above?
The tines are fragile. Careless treating may shorten its lifespan. If you think from the aspect of safekeeping
tines, you will naturally see the answer.
Yes, the answer is “C”. Tea whisk
is usually kept standing upright, in a tea ceremony as well. Resting it on tines may damage them.
Another tip is leaving the tea whisk in
water for about 30 min before each use, if possible. Soaking will make it more elastic, less
likely to break, and of course just last longer.
After use, wash it with water and air dry
well to prevent molding. Keep it
standing or hanging even in storing. Take
a look at a picture below. What can you
observe about the tea whisks? It may not
seem to be apparent on the picture, but in the tea preparation room, there is
actually a straight-shaped hook where you can insert the tea whisk for storage.
Posts
Hi Kohei.
ReplyDeleteSorry, i couldn't find your email so i use comment.
Your blog is superb. This is the best blog about japanese tea(&culture)I've found so far.
Im in love with all Japanese stuff. I love Japan as country, japanese culture and TEA and so. I've been to Japan(Shizuoka) once for two weeks. It was so charming be there. (I don't know why...i had to be japanese in past life..).
In one of yours topic, there is info about favourite tea in Japan. Bancha takes second place. But, do you have article about preparation bancha with right Jap. style(temp weight water)? I couldnt find even on the internet there is lack of information about bancha at all. THX a lot and keep going! :)
Miro
Hello,Kohei,
ReplyDeletegreat tips,especially the hanging chasen.:)
What do you think,some people advise to put it on a ceramic whisk stand after washing to get dry there,do you think this is better than hanging it or the same?And how long is an average life span of a quality, artisan made chasen?
How long is the lifespan for chasens? Is there a point where you should dispose of it and get a new one?
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Kate
http://sagacitea.blogspot.com/
Everyone has asked similar questions. I would like to add, should we "season" our whisks after opening a new one by soaking them for an amount of time?ありがとございます～
ReplyDeleteじゃまたね、
Katherine
Hi, Miro-san, I’m really glad receiving a comment from someone who really loves Japan and our tea culture.
ReplyDeleteI regret to say that I don’t have any entry about preparing Bancha on this blog. But, the method for preparing Bancha is almost same as Hojicha’s. I have some information on my FB. Please check out “Preparing Hojicha” on this page >>> http://www.facebook.com/everyonestea?v=app_126472217450094
Konnichwa, Adriano-san,
ReplyDeleteI do have a ceramic whisk stand but I’m not using it actually. My tea master has some stands, and uses them for some of her tea whisks but not for all of her whisks. She says that it is better to use the stands if you have. Over time, the tines close and the shape of the whisk gets thinner. You can prevent the tine closing by using the stand, according my master. I’ll write about the lifespan of tea whisk on another entry in the near future.
Hi, Kate-san, The lifespan depends on how you treat it and how often you use it. It is difficult to determine just by a term. I’ll post another entry about the lifespan in the near future^^
ReplyDeleteHello, Kat-san, Many people might want to know about the topic you asked. I’ll write about it on my future post. Thanks for leaving a comment^^ Kat-さん 日本語（にほんご）できるの？ すごいねぇ(^_－)－☆
ReplyDeleteAn interesting dialogue is price comment. I feel that it is best to write more on this matter, it may not be a taboo topic however usually individuals are not enough to talk on such topics. To the next. Cheers.
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