Shirotake Shin Chasen Kubo Ryōsai

UNBOXING
The whisk is glued to the paper box, when you take it out, some paper will likely stick to the bottom of the whisk. Let the whisk sit in tepid water for 5 minutes, and after that you can easily remove the paper.

INITIATION:
Before first use, let it sit in hot water for a few minutes.
Let it soak in warm water before every use to protect the strings from breaking.

HOW TO WHISK MATCHA:
- Place the tea bowl on a non-slippery surface, and hold it on the side with your left hand (if right-handed).
- Hold the chasen close to the end of the handle. Your thumb should be aligned with the knot on it.
- Start moving the chasen in a "W" pattern, up and down, speeding up as much as possible, until it is foamy enough.
- To create great foam the temperature of the water is crucial: about 85 °C (185 °F) is the best.
- Attention! When whisking, always whisk close to the surface, make sure you do not rub the chasen to the bottom of the bowl, because that might damage the tips of the strings.
- While whisking, keep your body relaxed, moving only your wrists.
- Finish the whisking with a clockwise spiral motion from the middle of the bowl to the sides. This motion is practical (gives the foam a beautiful finish) as well as symbolic (it is the image of infinity).

CLEANING:
Rinse it carefully under running water. If needed, gently remove the remaining matcha stuck on the whisk. Do not soak the whisk in water.
Do not use dishwasher, dryer or dish soap!

STORAGE:
Store it in a place with good ventilation and humidity not lower than 50%, preferably on a Kusenaoshi (whisk stand). If you don’t have a stand, keep it looking upwards. This way the strings might “close up”, straighten out, but that can be fixed. Make it wet under running water and gently unfold the strings with your fingers. Never do this with a dry whisk as it would break.
Bamboo is a sensitive material. If the whisk is stored away in a too warm and too dry place, it might crack.

LIFESPAN:
The lifespan of a chasen depends on how it is handled and how frequently it is used. As soon as the tips of the strings start to break off, we recommend purchasing a new one.