Tea leaves used for the tea ceremony are different from ordinary Sencha leaves.
They are fine powders made by grinding in a stone mill. That's why they absorb moisture easily and form lumps when we make tea.
It's not nice to find lumpy powders left on the bottom of the cup. Moreover, they don't
taste good.
So we use tea strainers and strain the tea first.
To strain , you use a brush and sweep the powder on the net. However in my family we use marbles. That way, you don't have to worry about making a mess.
Put a few marbles, powdered green tea and close the lid.
Shake a little. You can feel marbles jumping up & down inside.
After about 10 shakes, open the lid slowly and the powder is all sifted.
Remove the filter and scoop up matcha powder with a spatula, then put in a tea container.
Sometimes I keep some left-over powder in the refrigerator until next day.
Don't wash the can as it gets rusted. Just wipe it off with a clean cloth.
Now make tea properly and enjoy its smooth taste.