How to Pick The Perfect Matcha Bowl

Matcha bowls, known as chawan, are traditionally used to prepare, serve, and drink matcha. When choosing a matcha bowl of your own, consider its size, shape, aesthetic, and most importantly: how easy it is to mix the matcha in. Ceramic matcha bowls have a rich history in Japanese tea culture and come in many different forms.

For at home use, it’s okay to use a piece of ceramic that was not intended for Japanese green tea, but we do recommend using a matcha whisk to prepare your tea. Matcha whisks, known as chasen, are crucial for achieving a light, frothy tea that doesn’t clump.

 

 

Types of Matcha Bowls

Matcha bowls come in a variety of shapes and sizes with glazes and designs for any season or tea ceremony. The bowl you choose should be practical, but also one that speaks to your personal aesthetic! 

• Round: round chawan are classically bowl-shaped and are a bit stout in size
• V-shaped: v-shaped chawan extend outwards in a wide “v” and sometimes have flared lips along the rim. These matcha bowls can appear more flat and long.
• Cylinder: cylinder chawan range in height but are taller and less wide than classical rounds. They may be uniform in shape or have a waist detail along the middle of the bowl.
• Irregular: chawan can have a more rustic build or come with pinched corners that resemble triangular or square shapes

 

Matcha Bowl Foot

Since matcha bowls are used for preparing, they need to have a sturdy foundation. Traditionally chawan have a raised foot on the bottom of the bowl that is either carved from the bowl itself or attached and fired on in the kiln. The foot allows the bowl to sit firmly on a surface, which would typically be a tatami mat for tea ceremonies. 

Chawan feet come in different shapes and resemble a ring, a square or little pedestals! While you can use a vessel with an entirely flat bottom, consider how your bowl remains stable as you are whisking your matcha. 

Choosing the Right Aesthetic

In tea culture, the ceramic pieces used are often reflective of the season, occasion, or holiday. They range in formality and usage, but for your at-home preparation of tea be sure to choose pieces of ceramics that you connect with visually. The beauty of tea as a ritual is that it allows you to slow down, prepare, and consume mindfully.

 

 

Hailing from Uji, Kyoto, our True Daily Matcha is a ceremonial grade tea made from first flush green tea leaves, making it robust in flavor and rich with antioxidants. For a no-whisk matcha experience, we’ve blended our beloved Genmaicha with matcha to bring a boost of bright green flavor to the comforting roasted rice.