Chasen (茶筅) - Handmade Japanese Bamboo Whisk

Chasen (茶筅) translates to Tea Whisk, is traditionally used in Japanese Tea Ceremonies to whisk Matcha, creating a smooth foam top and creamy Matcha for tea ceremony practitioners to enjoy.

Our Chasen bamboo whisk is handmade using one piece of bamboo that has been aged for a few years to ensure the resulting Chasen is durable and flexible. The strands (also known as "prongs") on a Chasen are important, as each different style of tea ceremony has its own preferences, although the most common ones are 72, 80, 100, and 120 prongs, with 120 being the rarest as it is difficult to make the prong so thin. If you would like to research more, please do look up "Takayama Chasen" on Youtube.

We have a few options for Chasen, namely:

Beginner's Chasen (80 prong)
This Chasen is perfect for general use, and is also the recommended Chasen for beginners as it is easy to use and can easily create smooth foam and whisking with no lumps

Portable Mini Chasen (40 prong)
This Chasen (Tea Whisk) is a longer, smaller version of a Chasen, and it comes with a little bamboo stand for you to keep it dry after use. With the same function as the classic chasen, it has a long handle that is perfect for whisking directly inside your mug or glass to make your perfect cup of matcha.


How to use Chasen bamboo whisk:
- Make sure to soak the Chasen in hot water before whisking, it helps the strands become flexible and won't break as easily
- To ensure smooth foam with no lumps, make sure to sieve the Matcha, Hojicha or Genmaicha powder into the bowl
- When whisking, whisk in a "W" motion, back and forth, and do not touch the bottom of the bowl when whisking as it may break the Chasen
- After getting sufficient foam, go to the top of the bowl and break any large bubbles, then do a "の" motion, from outside to inside to create a foamy peak in the middle.
- Enjoy your perfectly foamy drink and make sure to tag us @hojichaya!