Smoked Bamboo Chashaku (Matcha Scoop)

The family behind Chikumeido Sabun has been crafting tea whisks (chasen) for twenty-four generations and is considered one of the finest matcha whisk producers in existence. The tea whisk has been produced in the Takayama region of Nara, Japan for 500 years since the introduction of Sado (tea ceremony).   In fact, there are more than 120 types of tea whisk. The bamboo species, shape, number of prongs, length of tassel and bamboo color vary between schools and applications; each whisk is crafted from bamboo that has been cured for three years, then split into finer and finer, nearly transparent lengths to fashion the prongs used to create the even, silky foam on the surface of a bowl of matcha. Smoked bamboo, also known as susudake, is sourced from wood that has been exposed over a fireplace or hearth in a traditional Japanese home to produce the unique coloration. The process can take over a century or longer to achieve. It is becoming more rare as these traditional homes become more scarce. A chashaku is created from a single piece of bamboo, and used to scoop the proper proportion of matcha into a chawan, or tea bowl. Chikumeido Sabun has held audience with the Emperor as well as exhibited at the Louvre.