Green meets pink, and somehow it just works. A layer of crushed strawberries under cold milk, a bright pour of matcha over the top. It is the drink that put matcha on everyone’s feed, and behind the looks it is genuinely lovely: the sharp fruit cuts through the creamy milk and the clean, grassy matcha ties it together.
The recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Mash the strawberries with the honey to a rough compote.
- Spoon the compote into the base of a tall glass.
- Whisk the matcha with the cool water until smooth, with no lumps.
- Fill the glass with ice and pour in the cold milk.
- Pour the whisked matcha slowly over the top and stir before drinking.
Tip Frozen strawberries work beautifully out of season. Thaw, then mash.
Building a few of these for friends? Scale the matcha pour with the calculator so every glass gets the same bright green top.
How much matcha?
Get the ratio right for whatever you are making.
The strawberry layer
You are after a rough compote, not a smooth puree. Mash the strawberries with a fork and a little honey until they are broken down but still have some texture, then spoon them into the base of the glass. In summer, ripe berries need almost no sweetening. Out of season, frozen strawberries are honestly just as good: thaw them, and they mash into an even better compote because the freezing softens them.
Building the layers
Strawberries first, then ice, then cold milk, and the whisked matcha poured slowly over the back of a spoon last. That gives you the pink base, the pale middle and the green top before you stir it together. It is a small bit of theatre, but it is the reason this one travels so well on camera.
Make it yours
A squeeze of lemon in the strawberries brightens them further. Coconut milk leans it towards strawberries and cream. And if you like it sweeter, a little vanilla syrup in the milk does the job without muddying the fruit.
Getting the photo, and the taste
The trick to those clean bands is temperature and patience. Everything wants to be cold, the glass included, so the layers sit rather than swirl. Pour the matcha over the back of a spoon held just above the milk and it fans out slowly instead of punching straight through. Then drink it as it is meant to be drunk, stirred, because unmixed it is lovely to look at but uneven to taste. The compote settles low, the matcha sits high, and one good stir marries the two.
Common questions
Can I use frozen strawberries?
Yes, and many people prefer them. Thaw them first and they break down into a softer, juicier compote than fresh ones, which makes the mashing easier and the flavour a touch sweeter. Any liquid they release goes straight into the glass.
Why did my layers mix together?
Usually the milk or matcha was not cold enough, or the pour was too fast. Chill everything well, pour the matcha slowly over the back of a spoon, and hold back on stirring until you have taken the picture. Warm liquids blend on contact.
Is it very sweet?
That is entirely up to you, which is the point of making it at home. The shop versions lean heavily on syrup. Here the strawberries bring most of the sweetness, and you add only as much honey or vanilla as you fancy.
For the classic version without the fruit, the iced matcha latte is where to start. Not sure your matcha is up to the job? The find your matcha quiz matches a grade to how you drink it.
