Matcha, Properly

You had a really good matcha once. Smooth, a little sweet, with a soft foam on top. Then you bought a tin, tried it at home, and got something bitter, gritty, and faintly swampy.

Good news: it probably wasn't the matcha. It was the water, the whisking, or skipping the sieve.

Matcha, Properly is a guided matcha journal for people who want to make a genuinely good bowl at home, and then make it again tomorrow. It takes you from your first bowl to a daily ritual you actually look forward to, and it's refreshingly honest along the way. You don't need the full ceremonial set. A sieve, a decent whisk, fresh powder, and water just off the boil will take you most of the way.

Every bowl gets a quick log: which matcha, how much, how hot the water was, and how it tasted. After a few weeks, you'll know exactly what your perfect bowl looks like, and why the bad ones went wrong.

What's inside

• 12 tasting sessions — compare bowls and figure out what you actually like
• 12 matcha trackers — keep notes on every brand, grade, and tin you try
• 9 bowl logs — record your ratio and water so a great bowl is repeatable
• 3 side-by-side pages — taste two matchas together and finally notice the difference
• 6 "Notes From a Tea Person" pages — for tips from café staff, tea shops, or the friend who knows
• 15 skill pages across three levels, from first bowl to dialed in to daily ritual
• A matcha glossary, goal pages, and self-reflection pages

It's for curious beginners, the friend who orders matcha at every café, and anyone who wants a calmer morning than a rushed cup of coffee. It also makes a great gift paired with a bamboo whisk, for a birthday, Christmas, or anyone who just came back from Japan with three tins and no plan.

Once you know why a bowl works, you stop hoping and start making it on purpose.