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One-Dimensional Matcha Whisking Bowl™
Obsidian is a One-Dimensional Whisking Matcha Bowl™ for contemporary, non-ceremonial users, improving on the functional design of traditional tea bowls. The elongated form gently hugs the tea whisk, so you only need to whisk back and forth, in one dimension. There is no W or zigzag technique to learn.
Now in a limited edition matte finish.
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All bowls are partially hand made. Each bowl is unique, and dimensions, weight, volume and exact appearance may vary slightly from the details listed above. The matte special edition bowls vary from bowl to bowl in the darker glossy glaze, but generally have a primarily matte appearance.
A traditional tea bowl is round, which means the whisk only ever meets part of the liquid at a time. That is why the technique asks for a W or a zigzag: the pattern is there to make up for the shape of the vessel.
Obsidian starts from the other end. The bowl is elongated so that its walls sit close to the whisk on both sides, and a straight back and forth pass carries turbulence through all of the liquid. The technique becomes the simplest thing your hand already wants to do.
Everything else on the bowl follows from working behind a bar. The splash guards keep the whisk from throwing matcha over the rim, the spout pours cleanly into a cup, the interior glaze is hydrophobic so less is left behind, and the foot is large enough to hold upside down at the rinse station.
Whisk back and forth. That is the technique.
In traditional matcha whisking, getting all of the microscopic particles into an even suspension means whisking in a W or a zigzag, so that every part of a round bowl sees turbulence. The pattern is demanding to learn and easy to do badly.
The elongated form does that work instead. Whisking back and forth, in one dimension, moves the whisk through all of the liquid on every pass. Fewer clumps, faster whisking, and a more stable silky foam, with no specialized technique.
Whisking is necessary to create enough turbulence and force to break up matcha clumps. The Sanko One-Dimensional Whisking Bowl™ has an elongated form that hugs the whisk as it moves back and forth through all of the liquid with each pass. This quickly creates even turbulence and distribution of the microscopic matcha particles throughout the water, making delicious matcha.
Air is often a forgotten ingredient in great matcha, and necessary to create froth that gives it a rich texture. Air is added by folding the matcha onto itself to create bubbles that become foam. A back and forth whisking pattern is the quickest way to incorporate air and build up an even layer of froth by subdividing the bubbles with each pass.
One-dimensional whisking is just whisking back and forth. In traditional matcha whisking, to adequately get all of the microscopic matcha particles into a more homogeneous suspension, you need to whisk in a W or zigzag pattern to create turbulence in all parts of the bowl.
Sanko’s One-Dimensional Whisking Bowl™ is designed to conform to a natural whisking motion, rather than having the whisking technique conform to the bowl’s geometry. One-dimensional whisking benefits include fewer clumps, faster whisking, and more stable silky foam. Its intuitive form is easy to use and does not require any specialized technique to get an awesome cup of matcha.
Yes. We have specifically designed the bowl to work with almost any tea whisk or chasen regardless of the number of tines. It will work with both bamboo and plastic tea whisks. The interior glaze is soft and smooth to prevent any abrasive effects that can destroy whisks over time.
Yes, our bowls are completely dishwasher safe, and have a hydrophobic glaze which minimizes residue retention and build up over time.
Obsidian is partly hand made, so no two are quite alike. Tell us how many you need and where they are going, and we will come back to you.