Chashaku Bamboo Matcha Scoop No. 7

Chashaku (茶杓) is the slender bamboo scoop used to lift matcha from the caddy into the bowl. It is the smallest tool on the tea tray, and the one the host's hands touch most.

Bamboo is never uniform, so no two scoops leave the workshop alike. This is No. 7 — a single piece, and once it is gone it isn't repeated.

It is carved by hand in Nara, Japan. Nara's Takayama district has been the centre of Japan's bamboo tea-utensil craft for roughly five centuries, and the method has barely changed: the bamboo is seasoned, split, and shaved down until it is almost translucent at the tip, then warmed over heat and bent by hand to form the curved kaisaki that carries the powder.

Details

• Hand-carved bamboo, cut from a single piece — no joins, no glue
• Made in Nara, Japan
• One of one — grain, tone and curve differ on every scoop

Using it

Two level scoops — roughly 2 g — makes a standard bowl of usucha. Use three for a stronger bowl, or for thick koicha.

Caring for it

Wipe with a dry, soft cloth after each use. Don't soak it, don't wash it with soap, and never put it in the dishwasher — bamboo splits when it is repeatedly wet and dried. Keep it out of direct sun.