Drinks|Strawberry matcha first became very popular in Japan and Korea, now the trend is also visible in Helsinki.
Floor pink, the other green. Stir a little with a straw and take a sip. The taste is sweet, fruity and slightly bitter.
Strawberry matcha, or more correctly strawberry matcha latte, is a milk-based drink that combines green tea in the form of matcha powder and sweet strawberry.
The drink, which became popular in Japan and Korea, reached a large audience on the video service Tiktok, from where it has also spread to Western countries. Now strawberry matcha has become a bit of a craze in Helsinki too, where, according to cafes, it is bought especially by young women interested in healthy lifestyles.
“Strawberry matcha has been our best seller since the very beginning,” says the owner of the Daebak cafe Kaoutar Ichgar.
Opened in Punavuori at the end of 2023, specializing in Korean products Daebak has sold more matcha than coffee despite its cafe loading.
“This has become popular in Finland as well. It’s been fun to watch the rise in popularity,” says Ichgar.
Likewise has also been to Breaking Bread, which opened in Kallio in April. Instead of sandwiches, a combination of strawberry and matcha is at the top of the place’s best-selling products.
“If you drink matcha as it is, it can be very bitter, even grassy. Instead, we made matcha foam, which makes the taste lighter, creamier and sweeter,” says the owner of Breaking Bread Duc Ngo.
Different sellers have slightly different versions of the drink. For example, strawberry may be in the form of jam or foam, while matcha may be in the form of foam or tea. The drink can also be prepared cold or hot.
However, everyone has the same idea: the drink combines the bitterness of matcha and the sweetness of strawberry, so the end result is easily approachable.
Also Matcha Crew Marketing Manager Gideon Hagström-Lung recognize the popularity of strawberry matcha, as the drink is also the most popular product of a cafe specializing in matcha.
According to Hagström-Lung, the popularity of matcha is also related to a certain kind of healthy lifestyle trend.
He thinks that strawberry matcha will attract people who are looking for alternatives to coffee. Matcha also contains caffeine.
“Matcha works as an invigorating drink in the same way as coffee, and Finns love coffee. Finns also love strawberries, they are the taste of Finnish summer”, he reflects.
At home tasty strawberry matcha can be easily prepared with just a few ingredients. The basic ingredients are matcha powder, strawberries, sugar and milk.
In the Japanese tradition, matcha tea is made in a round bowl by stirring with a bamboo whisk.
For matcha, we recommend high-quality matcha powder from, for example, tea shops, where the taste is more refined. The drink can also be made from matcha powder bought in grocery stores, but then you should add more sugar to the drink, because the powder is a little more bitter.
Strawberries can be frozen, fresh or you can use jam to drink. Frozen strawberries should be thawed overnight in the refrigerator or brought to room temperature half an hour before preparing the drink.
A fluffy end result can be achieved by using barista oat milk.
Strawberry matcha
1 serving
Preparation time 5 minutes
Matcha milk
1 tsp matcha powder
1½ tbsp hot water
about 3 teaspoons of sugar (depending on the quality of the matcha)
1 dl barista oat milk
Strawberry milk
about 3–4 large strawberries and 1 teaspoon of sugar
or 2½ tablespoons of strawberry jam
1 dl barista oat milk
For serving
ice cubes
1. Bring the water to a boil and meanwhile Sieve the matcha powder into a mug or bowl. Add 1½ tablespoons of hot water to the matcha and mix with, for example, a bamboo whisk or a milk frother until the powder is mixed with the water.
2. First add sugar and then oat milk to the matcha. Stir until the mixture begins to foam. Taste and add sugar if necessary if the foam is very bitter.
3. Put strawberries and sugar or alternatively strawberry jam in the bowl of a blender or stick blender. Add the oat milk and mix with an electric or stick blender until the milk is pink.
4. Pour strawberry milk into the bottom of a large glass and, if desired, ice cubes. Place a spoon on the mouth of the glass with the convex side up and pour the frothy matcha milk into the glass through it to give the drink a two-tone color. Stir a bit to blend the flavors and serve with a straw.
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