Hear me out. Valentine’s Day is coming up and I say, away with the chocolate-covered strawberry and in with the Strawberry Matcha! What better way to impress your special someone than with a beautifully colorful Strawberry Matcha Latte? It’s such a unique way to celebrate loved ones – who knew strawberry and matcha go so well together?
My husband loves having chocolate-covered strawberries on Valentine’s Day. He says it’s for me, but I know it’s actually for himself (ha!). I’d much rather go for a strawberry matcha – now that’s a treat that screams “I love you so matcha!” (Bet you didn’t see that coming!)
For many years, we’ve kept our Valentine’s Day low-key. Cooking up a steak at home and ending our meal by dipping red, ripe strawberries in melted dark chocolate. Who wouldn’t want to indulge in a simple, yet delicious treat on Valentine’s Day? But we plan to change it up this year by adding a bit of vibrant green!
Enter the strawberry matcha latte!
Now, this is how you prepare a dessert and a show! Your loved ones are surely to be impressed by the swirling colors of red, white, and green as you serve up this iced strawberry matcha latte!
Umamiology Disclaimer: Umamiology makes no guarantee on the effectiveness of this strawberry matcha recipe. Personal results may vary based on your loved one’s likes and dislikes and the execution of this drink. If needed, please seek professional relationship advice from a different source – we are a food blog. 😄
By the way, if you haven’t checked out our historical Matcha Latte recipe as well as the Iced Matcha Latte recipe, you’re missing out a bit ;p
Matcha Caffeine
Did you ever wonder, “Does matcha have caffeine?” The answer is, “Yes, there is caffeine in matcha!” If you compare a cup of green tea with a cup of coffee, coffee wins in the caffeine scale by 4 times the amount in green tea. Matcha, on the other hand, depending on the variety and how much of it you use, a cup of matcha green tea can have up-to or even more caffeine than a cup of coffee.
Unlike coffee caffeine, though, matcha caffeine doesn’t give you the caffeine jitters. The amino acid in matcha, called L-Theanine, helps soothe anxiety and calms the body.
Our body also absorbs matcha more like water. This means that while coffee caffeine gives you an immediate jolt of energy, matcha caffeine releases slowly & gradually through your body, making it last longer without a caffeine crash at the end. Neat, huh?
So keep that in mind as you plan our your special day! Maybe the strawberry matcha would be best served in the morning as your loved one wakes up, or as an afternoon pick-me-up as you share lunch together!
What Is Ceremonial Grade Matcha
Here’s a matcha fact that you can throw in during your date! (*wink wink*)
You can impress your loved one by letting them know that you got ceremonial grade, which is one of the main 3 grades of matcha.
Did you know that ceremonial grade is the most sought after and expensive because it has a smoother taste and is not bitter? Their shade of green is more vibrant compared to the other grades. Ceremonial grade tea leaves are taken from the very first harvest. They are then de-stemmed, de-veined, and stone grinded to a fine powder.
The next grade of matcha is culinary grade is the next grade of matcha. This powder is ground from the second harvest of tea leaves. This second grade of matcha has a bold and rich flavor, even bitter. That’s why it balances well with other ingredients used while cooking with it. An excellent example is our Matcha Tiramisu – check it out!
The third grade is the ingredient grade. This powder has more of a yellowish green shade. The leaves are from the later harvest tea leaves and definitely has a bitter taste. These are mostly used in food production or supplements.
Key Elements Of This Recipe
- Ceremonial Grade Matcha: We use ceremonial grade matcha for its smooth flavor. It’s also OK to use culinary grade, since the sweetness of strawberry will balance out the slight bitterness.
- Strainer: A small strainer, something that will come with a matcha starter kit, is crucial for getting all the clumps of the powder.
- Bamboo Whisk: The bamboo whisk is easy to use and is essential to mix in the matcha powder.
- Strawberries: Can’t leave out the strawberries in a strawberry matcha recipe. Be sure to pick ripe strawberries so it’s sweet and juicy!
The Ingredients for Strawberry Matcha Latte
- 1/2 teaspoon Ceremonial Grade Matcha (Culinary Grade Matcha is OK too)
- 1 cup Reduced Fat Milk (or other milk of your choice)
- 1 Tablespoon Agave Nectar (or other sweetener) – adjust to taste
- 1/3 cup Diced Strawberries
- 2 oz Filtered Water (for the tea)
- 1 cup Ice
The Equipment Needed
- Tea Kettle
- Matcha Bowl (or other bowl with round base)
- Bamboo Whisk
- Bamboo Scoop
- Small Sifter
- Muddler
- Glass Cups
Pro Tip: We highly encourage you to get a Matcha Starter set to make things easier and more impressive!
Blooming Your Matcha Whisk
Take notes – here’s another fun bit of matcha knowledge for you!
The matcha whisk is called a chasen in Japanese and is used for frothing matcha. It’s quick and easy to use, clean, and store.
So what does it mean to “bloom” your chasen? Well, I’ve learned that there are a couple of parts to that. The first bloom comes when you first purchase the bamboo matcha whisk. We recommend that you soak it in warm water to get rid of any impurities and let the prongs open up a bit – allowing it to bloom. The second bloom happens more gradually. As your matcha whisk is used more and more, since the hope is that you’ll make the strawberry matcha latte for your loved one more than the one time, the core and the curl at the end of the bamboo prongs of the chasen with uncurl naturally – so blooming with usage.
Another quick tip is to always soak your matcha whisk in warm water for about 20 seconds before each use. This will soften the bamboo prongs for more flexibility and allow it to last longer.
How to Prepare Matcha Tea for Strawberry Matcha Latte
Ready to be whisked away by our color-filled strawberry matcha recipe? Once you master this strawberry matcha latte, you’ll be whisking your loved one’s heart away too!
Before you begin, soak your matcha whisk in warm water to soften the bamboo prongs.
First, place your sifter over the matcha bowl. Then, use your bamboo scoop to add matcha powder into the the sifter. Using the bamboo scoop, gently sift the matcha through the sifter into the bowl. This will leave you a more fine, clump-free powder.
Pro Tip: Sifting matcha powder is crucial to avoid clumps.
In a tea kettle, heat some filtered water to 175 degrees Fahrenheit. We’re using our electric tea kettle, which has a temperature setting for green tea.
Pro Tip: It’s important to use hot water, not boiling water for matcha – anywhere from 140-176 degrees Fahrenheit is appropriate!
Once heated, pour about 2oz of the hot water into the matcha bowl – it should be just enough to submerge the powder for whisking.
In an “M” or “W” shaped motion, whisk the matcha powder into the water until it all dissolves and forms a bubbly froth. This should be for about 10-20 seconds.
Pro Tip: Keep the bamboo prongs from touching the bottom of the bowl. This will help prevent them from additional wear and tear.
How to Make Strawberry Matcha Latte
Dice your ripe and sweet strawberries into small cubes.
Once diced, place them into a tall glass cup. Pour in the agave nectar, or your choice of sweetener and use a muddler to crush the strawberries further. This will create a deliciously sweet strawberry mixture on the bottom of the glass.
Pro Tip: Use a clear glass cup for the strawberry matcha so all colors are clearly visible!
Fill the glass with cubes of ice. Then pour your milk of choice into the glass. For a non-dairy option, we’ve found that almond milk pairs superbly!
Pro Tip: Adjust the amount of milk to your taste! Go for a half cup or two-thirds cup of milk if you’d like the matcha flavor to be stronger.
Serve your strawberry matcha latte with the colorful layers visible. When you and your loved one are ready, stir the strawberry matcha gently to see the green and red colors swirl into the white! Enjoy!
If you liked this recipe, you’ll love these too:
Strawberry Matcha Latte
Ingredients
- 1/2 tsp Ceremonial Grade Matcha, (Culinary Grade Matcha is OK too)
- 1 cup Reduced Fat Milk, (or other milk of your choice)
- 1 Tbsp Agave Nectar, (or other sweetener) – adjust to taste
- 1/3 cup Diced Strawberries
- 2 oz Filtered Water, (for the tea)
- 1 cup Ice
Instructions
How to Prepare Matcha Tea for Strawberry Matcha Latte
- Before you begin, soak your matcha whisk in warm water to soften the bamboo prongs.
- First, place your sifter over the matcha bowl.
- Then, use your bamboo scoop to add matcha powder into the the sifter.
- Pro Tip: Sifting matcha powder is crucial to avoid clumps.
- In a tea kettle, heat some filtered water to 175 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Pro Tip: It’s important to use hot water, not boiling water for matcha – anywhere from 140-176 degrees Fahrenheit is appropriate!
- Once heated, pour about 2oz of the hot water into the matcha bowl – it should be just enough to submerge the powder for whisking.
- In an “M” or “W” shaped motion, whisk the matcha powder into the water until it all dissolves and forms a bubbly froth. This should be for about 10-20 seconds.
- Pro Tip: Keep the bamboo prongs from touching the bottom of the bowl. This will help prevent them from additional wear and tear.
How to Make Strawberry Matcha Latte
- Dice your ripe and sweet strawberries into small cubes. Once diced, place them into a tall glass cup.
- Pour in the agave nectar, or your choice of sweetener and use a muddler to crush the strawberries further.
- Pro Tip: Use a clear glass cup for the strawberry matcha so all colors are clearly visible!
- Fill the glass with cubes of ice.
- Then pour your milk of choice into the glass.
- Pro Tip: Feel free to adjust the amount of milk to your taste! Go for a half cup or two-thirds cup of milk if you'd like the matcha flavor to be stronger.
- Serve your strawberry matcha latte with the colorful layers visible.
- When ready, stir the strawberry matcha gently to see the green and red colors swirl into the white! Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is just an estimate derived by an online calculation tool.
FAQ
How to make strawberry matcha latte?
It’s simple, but there are two different ways! We dice up strawberries and muddle them with sweetener (agave nectar), then pour in milk and top with matcha tea. Another way to enjoy strawberry matcha is to blend the strawberry with the sweetener so it’s more foamy.
Does strawberry matcha latte have caffeine?
Yes, since there’s caffeine in matcha itself, a strawberry matcha latte would have caffeine too. Keep in mind, that matcha caffeine is different than coffee caffeine. For starters, it has a slow release and doesn’t give you a caffein crash at the end.
What Is Ceremonial Grade Matcha?
Ceremonial grade matcha is the most expensive and sought after for its smooth flavor profile, which makes it perfect for matcha tea. The other grades of matcha are culinary and ingredient.
Dave
Haha I like the disclaimer. Saving this recipe to try out with my wife.
Umamiologist
Amazing! Have a lovely Valentine’s Day!
Priya
This turned out so good! It’s my favorite home cafe drink!