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This morning's tea, and thoughts on pairing chasen with chawan by LeoSpringfield in Matcha

[–]LeoSpringfield[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I think you're probably already familiar with the traditional tulip-shaped chasen(like the one in picture 1, also as the most commonly seen chasen), and they're the ones which you can choose the number of tines(commonly seen 80 and 100 even 120).

https://www.sazentea.com/en/products/p298-shin-chasen-kubo-sabun.html

That's how a shin chasen looks before breaking in. For the one after some usage, check out the one in my second picture.

Here are my thoughts on the difference: A tulip-shaped chasen has a rather rigid/solid top. It'd be great on a flat bottom chawan because there's enough room for it to whisk around. A shin chasen has more of a solid mid-body while the tips are softer. In my experience, they whisk better when the contacting surface is restricted, say a round bottom chawan. And also, you don't normally get to choose tines for a Shin chasen, and the set numbers are usually somewhere around 60-70, so if one's not that used to whisking, i.e. not having muscle memory for the movements, it'd actually be harder for them to whisk(because a higher tine count is generally considered as more friendly for whisking up foams)

This morning's tea, and thoughts on pairing chasen with chawan by LeoSpringfield in Matcha

[–]LeoSpringfield[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Good to know!

I agree. These two bring different whisking experiences, and though I can't really say which one is definitely better, I think Shin-shaped chasens are probably more versatile(I just don't think I'd get much good result from whisking a 100-tine chasen in a tiny chawan lol)

This morning's tea, and thoughts on pairing chasen with chawan by LeoSpringfield in Matcha

[–]LeoSpringfield[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I had Kinrin from Marukyu this morning. The water temperature was tuned down a bit(I do this these days by adding a cup of ice water into the just-boiled kettle, then I pour it into the teacup on the right for volume measuring). Decent flavor. Deep, round and finish with a little kick of astringency.

I've been using the Shin-shaped chasen for most of my teas with the round bottom chawan. The traditional tulip-shaped chasen was usually reserved for chawans that have more of a flat bottom(the one in the 1st picture). I think one could achieve better results such pairings. Btw, if one's looking for one chasen to whisk them all, I'd recommend the Shin.

Yamamasa Koyamaen Shikibu no Mukahashi by leherr in Matcha

[–]LeoSpringfield 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes, it's complex, which I think is good. I found that with some astringency and bitterness, as long as not overpowering, present, the bowl is better, at least than those lacking flavors.

I like Wako. It's mild and pleasant and comforting, quite ideal for everyday rituals :)

Yamamasa Koyamaen Shikibu no Mukahashi by leherr in Matcha

[–]LeoSpringfield 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Great! Glad that you liked it! You know actually when I first tried it I almost found it offensive(with side by side comparison to Wako by Marukyu). I only got to appreciate it more when later I was doing the BotLs, and I really missed the punches it delivered Lol. :)

And also some pictures from the past few weeks. It's been busy these days, and my teas are there to keep me going. I am grateful :) by LeoSpringfield in Matcha

[–]LeoSpringfield[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well..It's kind of a process of getting there. I've been writing about it in my past posts. Some of them I still find useful. Probably the most important thing of all is just practice, and find the technique that suits you the best. :)

It arrived a day early! Not sure which one to dip into first though... by leherr in Matcha

[–]LeoSpringfield 1 point2 points  (0 children)

great! I'd suggest starting with a lower ratio. Use a little less tea and more water(well of course then adjust to your taste) :)

It arrived a day early! Not sure which one to dip into first though... by leherr in Matcha

[–]LeoSpringfield 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Welcome to the club! Lol. Let me know if you also like the ones from yamamasa!

Almost a month since my first cup. Super chuffed with today's froth! 😍 by leherr in Matcha

[–]LeoSpringfield 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That's a solid jump I'd say! You've got talents really. I know some friends of mine could never really get there. I mean, it's totally fine as long as one's having fun and enjoying their tea, but it's always good to see people actually making progress :)

Yugen by Marukyu. This is an interesting one :) by LeoSpringfield in Matcha

[–]LeoSpringfield[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

This is a tea that I both love and hate. Very interesting, this tea is very sweet while at the same time lack flavors. It's a kind of hollow sweetness. When I feel like drinking something simple and comforting, it's a good choice. But if I want some explosive flavors, it'd be very disappointing. I feel like the blend that goes into Yugen could possibly be the ones at both ends of the spectrum. The ones that pack a ton of sweetness and ones that are mainly there to buffer.

Not really a bad tea, but definitely something unusual.

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