Strawberry Matcha Latte

Recipe:
– however many fresh/frozen strawberries you want (more for greater sweetness)
– any type of milk (typically whole, 2%, oat, or almond milk)
– 1- 1.5tsp of matcha PLEASE USE CEREMONIAL GRADE MATCHA (a color other than bright green is just sad)
– warm water
– ice cubes of any size/shape
– OPTIONAL: honey/sugar if the strawberry doesn’t add enough sweetness

Get a bowl and a bamboo matcha whisk/electric milk frother. Add matcha powder into the bowl and pour about a cup of warm/semi-hot water into the bowl. If you are using a matcha whisk, whisk the matcha up and down, in one direction. Do not go in circular motions. For both the matcha whisk and milk frother, use until there is a layer of bubbles/foam on the matcha. Get a cup of your choice for your drink (preferably a clear glass cup so you can see the layers when the drink is done) Crush your strawberries inside the cup until some strawberry juice comes out. It doesn’t need to be crushed completely. Add however many ice cubes you desire. Then, take the milk of your choice and pour it to about 80% of your cup. Take your matcha and carefully pour it over the milk. If there is leftover matcha foam in the bowl, you can add some water and pour the excess into your glass. You should have 3 layers.

On the surface level, I love anything matcha. I love the earthy taste and I love how versatile the ingredient is. You could make anything with matcha. If you ask me on a deeper level, I picked a strawberry matcha latte because of its layers and perks. Just like the drink, humans have different layers to them too. We might reveal parts of ourselves to others, and we may hide other parts. In the end, those layers or personality traits are what makes us as people. Matcha tastes grassy and maybe even bitter on its own. I see the milk as a bridge between the earthiness of the matcha to the sweetness of the strawberries and/or honey. Also, from an artist standpoint, the color red is the opposite of green on the color wheel. I enjoy the contrast of all the layers but especially when it’s mixed together, it can create this amazing taste. Everyone has their good and bad traits, but we can always put the best version of ourselves forward and find a way to improve ourselves using our strengths. The recipe I provided allows you to choose your own ingredient amount, because not everyone has a set amount of kindness, a set amount of intelligence; some people are hot, some people are cold. Some people like their matcha sweeter, some like it creamier, and some like it more bitter. The satisfaction I feel after knowing I made this incredible drink on my own and mixing all the layers together (from someone who doesn’t handle food much) makes my mornings, afternoons, and nights. Although I don’t feel energy boosts from coffee or caffeine, I feel it from matcha lattes. I like that matcha latte is called matcha latte. Its like a coffee, but it’s far from it, both looks and taste wise. TBH, I don’t even know if it has caffeine but it gives me energy either way.