Pham-cha is a drink made from dried Wolffia globosa powder — the world's smallest flowering plant and a traditional Thai vegetable — whisked with hot water in a tea bowl using a bamboo whisk, in the style of koicha.
Pham-cha is a drink made from dried Wolffia powder, whisked with hot water in a tea bowl using a bamboo whisk until it becomes a thick, smooth paste in the koicha style. The powder is made from Wolffia (Wolffia globosa), the world's smallest flowering plant and a traditional Thai aquatic vegetable, dried and ground into a fine green powder.
What makes Pham-cha Pham-cha is not only the powder but the way it is made — the powder is kneaded with a bamboo whisk until it breaks apart and blends with the water into a sauce-like thickness. It is not powder poured into a glass and stirred. Change the method, and the taste and texture change completely.
"Pham" (ผำ) is the Thai name of the plant. "Cha" (ฉะ) comes from the Japanese word 茶, meaning tea, pronounced "cha". The name says that we borrowed the brewing method of Japanese powdered tea for Wolffia — it does not mean Wolffia is tea.
The correct Thai spelling is ผำฉะ, not "ผำชา" — the second usually comes from assuming a green drink must be tea. In English it is written Pham-cha.
Matcha is the elder, with a culture hundreds of years long, and the source of the brewing method Pham-cha borrows. They are different drinks and do not replace each other. This table compares only facts about the ingredients.
| Pham-cha | Matcha | |
|---|---|---|
| Made from | Wolffia (Wolffia globosa) — an aquatic plant | Green tea leaves (Camellia sinensis) |
| Part used | The whole plant | Leaves |
| Caffeine | None | Yes |
| How it is made | Tea bowl + bamboo whisk | Tea bowl + bamboo whisk |
| Origin | Thailand and the Southeast Asian river basins | China, then developed further in Japan |
It takes about 2–3 minutes. You need a tea bowl (chawan) and a bamboo whisk (chasen).
Spoon about 3 g of Wolffia powder (roughly two bamboo scoops) into a tea bowl (chawan). If you have a fine sieve, sift the powder into the bowl first so it does not clump while you whisk.
Use hot water at about 60–70 °C, only enough to cover the powder — about 20–30 ml. Do not fill the bowl yet; this step is only to wet the powder evenly.
Use a bamboo whisk (chasen) to press gently in circles against the bottom of the bowl. Do not whisk fast to make foam. Keep kneading until the powder breaks apart and blends with the water.
Continue until the texture is thick and smooth like a sauce, with a glossy surface and no lumps of powder. This is the koicha style — thick and without foam — unlike usucha, which is whisked into a froth.
Drink it from the bowl while it is still warm, or add hot water, cold water, milk or coconut water on top of the kneaded paste to make another drink. The key is always to knead the powder into a paste first.
NÜF's PHAM-CHA SERIES has 4 grades. SIGNATURE, FINE and CLASSIC differ by how finely they are ground; ROASTED AROMA is roasted Wolffia powder. The finer the powder, the better it suits kneading in a tea bowl.
| Grade | Best for |
|---|---|
| SIGNATURE | The finest — for clear drinks and Pham-cha in a tea bowl |
| FINE | Fine — for clear drinks or lattes |
| CLASSIC | For lattes — goes with any kind of milk |
| ROASTED AROMA | Roasted Wolffia powder, finely ground, with a toasty aroma — for lattes |
Powder for cooking is in the KITCHEN SERIES. See each grade and pack size on the products page (in Thai).
According to the analysis report of Central Laboratory (Thailand) Co., Ltd., a laboratory accredited to ISO/IEC 17025, NÜF Wolffia powder contains the following per 100 g:
| Item | Per 100 g |
|---|---|
| Energy | 291.52 kcal |
| Protein | 38.56 g |
| Carbohydrate | 37.34 g |
| Dietary fibre | 20.35 g |
| Fat | 3.18 g |
| Sugar / cholesterol | Not detected |
| Potassium | 6,650 mg |
| Phosphorus | 863 mg |
| Calcium | 330 mg |
| Magnesium | 142 mg |
| Iron | 11.06 mg |
| Manganese | 10.34 mg |
In Thai it is spelled "ผำฉะ", not "ผำชา" — the second spelling comes from guessing that it is a tea, but Wolffia is not a tea leaf. "Cha" comes from the Japanese 茶, pronounced "cha", so the name borrows a way of naming and brewing; it does not say the drink is tea. In English it is written Pham-cha.
No. Wolffia is an aquatic plant; it is not a tea leaf or a coffee bean, so it contains no caffeine. Matcha, by contrast, is made from green tea leaves and contains caffeine.
They are different things. Matcha is ground green tea with a long culture and a flavour of its own. Pham-cha is a different drink that borrows its brewing method. We did not make it to replace matcha; it is simply another option on the same table.
Pham-cha is made from Wolffia (Wolffia globosa), an aquatic plant. Matcha is made from green tea leaves (Camellia sinensis). They are different drinks. Pham-cha borrows its brewing method from matcha; it is not a replacement for matcha.
Yes, but the result will be less even. Without a bamboo whisk, use a small electric milk frother, or shake the powder with a little water in a closed bottle first, then add the rest of the water. What to avoid is pouring the powder into a full glass of water and stirring with a spoon — the powder will clump.
Mild, with a light green-vegetable aroma. It is not bitter or astringent like strong green tea, and has a slight richness at the end. First-time drinkers often say it is easier to drink than its colour suggests.
Our recommended serving is 3 g per time, the same amount used to make one bowl. Wolffia powder is a food, not a medicine, and a varied diet from all five food groups in suitable proportions should be eaten regularly.