Coffee will never go out of favor, but matcha is certainly joining the conversation. Local cafes like Ready Set Coffee in Gordon Square and Goodkind Coffee in Lakewood report a significant uptick in orders for the green tea latte. By the middle of June, Ready Set Coffee had reported sales of nearly 300 matcha lattes for the month, and Goodkind saw it rank as the fourth most popular drink at the cafe. It sat outside the top 10 just a couple of years ago.
The secret ingredient to the matcha success isn’t that secret at all. In fact, it’s plastered on summer menus across Northeast Ohio coffee shops: strawberry.
It’s not just a local fad. Strawberry matcha has taken over the internet. Its inspiration loosely traces to Hawaiian and Japanese cultures, where both matcha and strawberry milk (ichigo milk) are popular drinks on their own. At a peak of popularity last year, the New York Times reported that ichigo milk was joining matcha on menus at cafes and coffeehouses in Hawaii and California. When the two started to mix, a viral latte was born — but there’s still no finger to point at who truly began it all. What matters is that it’s working.
“I love matcha, but I know a lot of people don't,” says Severn Sanders, lead barista and social media manager at Ready Set Coffee. “I think there is an astringency to matcha, that earthiness or grassiness. I feel like [strawberry] mutes a bit of that. It complements so well, and is a little bit more accepted by everyone.”
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Matcha is packed with antioxidants, amino acids and chlorophyll that can reduce inflammation and promote digestion, better memory, detoxification and overall relaxation. The caffeine content provides the same alertness as a cup of coffee, but its slower release reduces jitters and energy crashes.
It’s got a lot of science behind it. It’s easy to want to love But what if you don’t?
Sometimes, making it taste its best seems like a whole other science itself. The combination of the tea temperature (like coffee, you can taste when matcha is burnt) and the type of milk and syrup you use can make or break a drink. But no matcha — strawberry-sweetened or not — can be good if it doesn’t start with a good base.
“Our matcha is ceremonial grade,” says Gabriel Miller, co-owner and operating manager at Goodkind. “It has kind of a subtle vanilla flavor to it, naturally, that the tea leaves have themselves.”
Ceremonial grade matcha predates the 12th century in Chinese dynasties, where it was revered as an energizing agent during meditative practices. It continued to evolve once brought over to Japan’s Uji region, settled between Kyoto and Nara, which had an ideal climate for growing these tea leaves and bringing out matcha’s vegetal flavor. Here, it was used routinely in tea houses for those hosting guests at their residence.
Ceremonial grade matcha is crafted specially for drinking. It has the most vibrant, authentic flavor versus culinary grade matcha, which is meant to be an add-in for smoothies and baked goods. As a result, it has a more bitter taste.
“In Japan, they put it in a lot of things,” Miller says. “We're just kind of rediscovering it out here.”
For matcha novices, there are more factors you can consider to achieve a more palatable drink. Sanders recommends oat milk for a creamier taste, which is the standard recipe for Ready Set Coffee’s strawberry matcha ($8.50). The drink is made with house-made strawberry syrup and complete with crumbled freeze-dried strawberries on top, to “enhance the strawberry flavor without adding sweetness,” says Sanders. She also suggests ordering the latte over ice to further muffle the bitterness.
Goodkind also goes a plant-based route with the strawberry cold foam atop its specialty matcha ($6.50-$7.50). This produces a creamy, fresh drink without compromising the bright strawberry flavor.
While Sanders and Miller both admit that the strawberry matcha’s popularity has left them to consider it a menu mainstay, they credit the fruit’s seasonality for its exceptional taste, which peaks in the early summertime.
“We tend to source a lot of things locally, so — in terms of freshness and availability — getting out-of-season fruits, we try to stay away from that,” Sanders says. “But strawberry matcha is one of those things that has had me considering, to be completely honest, because it is so popular.”
So, where strawberry matcha will outlive the summertime is to be determined, but there’s no reason to wait on trying it now.
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There’s no shortage of strawberry matcha around Northeast Ohio this summer. The choice can be overwhelming, so here are three we’ve tried from local cafes to get you started.
Emo Friend Boba Tea
Given both matcha and bubble tea’s rich origins in Asian cultures, it’s no surprise that the two come together as a mainstay on this menu. Amid flavor options like honeydew, mango and cake batter, the strawberry matcha shines for its nostalgic taste. A strawberry powder is mixed with milk and matcha for a subtle tea beverage reminiscent of a sweet, sugary milk carton from the middle school cafeteria. For added texture and a more dynamic flavor, we suggest adding a complimentary topping to this strawberry matcha — whether that be tapioca pearls or strawberry popping bubbles. $5-$6.50, 19634 Center Ridge Road, Rocky River, instagram.com/emofriendbobatea
VERSARE Cafe & Market
At this scratch kitchen, the house-made strawberry cold foam is no exception. Atop the sweet-yet-earthy matcha, it tastes like it was just picked yesterday. The fresh fruit dominates, but you still get the silky flavor and beautiful color of the matcha tea. We suggest whole milk for those wanting a drink with a muted matcha taste, and almond milk for those wanting to accentuate the vegetal flavor. $5.50, 12777 Chillicothe Road, Chesterland, 440-688-4420, versarecafe.com
Verbena Free Spirited
The NA bar known for zero-proof spirits and wine recently claimed to have the best matcha in Cleveland, and it definitely lives up to that hype. Each element of this strawberry matcha is masterfully balanced. Both the syrup-sweetened strawberry milk and the tang of the savory tea have depth without overpowering one another. The bright colors are proof of the quality flavors — and they provide a perfect photo-op. Whether you go for whole, almond or oat milk, the matcha will still shine. We suggest whole milk for a sweeter drink. $7, 1434 W. 29th St., Cleveland, 216-273-7170, verbenafreespirited.com
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