What is the Japanese wooden whisk used in matcha preparation called? The answer is chasen. A chasen is a traditional Japanese whisk, usually carved from a single piece of bamboo, that is used to mix powdered matcha with hot water. Its many fine tines help suspend the tea evenly and create the characteristic layer of foam on top.
The chasen is central to the preparation of matcha in Japanese tea practice. The whisk is moved rapidly in a back-and-forth motion, often forming a shape similar to the letter W, until the tea becomes smooth and lightly frothy. Different schools and styles of tea ceremony use chasen with varying numbers of tines and different shapes.
Several nearby tea utensils are easy to confuse with it. A chashaku is the slim bamboo scoop used to measure matcha, while a chawan is the bowl in which the tea is whisked and served. A natsume is a small container traditionally used to hold powdered tea.