entry #1: strawberry matcha

06.06.25

Entry #1: Welcome to Sweet and Sage! Our first recipe, a strawberry matcha, is a perfect symbol for what our blog is all about and will be perfect for the upcoming summer season. Featuring a sweet strawberry puree paired with creamy oat milk and earthy matcha, this drink is sure to brighten up your day. We chose our name - Sweet and Sage - to signify that the combination of challenge and comfort is necessary within our lives. The sweet moments: laughing with your friends, dinner with your family, staying up watching your favorite TV show. And the tough moments: dealing with self-doubt, persisting through change, and grappling with uncertainty. Currently, as high school juniors, our lives are riddled with questions about our future. How will one bad grade affect my chances at college? What should I write my college essay about? What am I even passionate about? Fears can easily consume our daily thoughts. This period of our lives can feel bitter and overwhelming - sort of like matcha on its own. Yet, there is still sweetness that cuts through. In the midst of so much noise, there is the smell of coffee in the early morning. The playlist that hits perfectly in the car. The comfort of your bed after a long day. These small, sweet things do not fix all the problems, but they remind you that there is more to life than just the hard parts. We are trying to remind ourselves that both struggle and comfort make us who we are. And our strawberry matcha helps to demonstrate that balance is everything. You need both flavors for the drink to be whole, and maybe that is true for us, too. We all are still figuring things out, but if we hold the sweet and sage together, that is enough for now.

ingredients: serving size 1

  • - three large strawberries
  • - 2 tsp of sugar
  • - 2 tsp of matcha
  • - 1/4 cup hot water
  • - maple syrup
  • - 1/2 cup oat milk

recipe:

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  1. First, dice 3 large strawberries and place them in a pan with your sugar. 2 teaspoons is enough to make the puree mildly sweet, so feel free to scale the sugar up or down based on your preference.
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  2. Allow this mixture to cook on medium for 5-10 minutes while continuously stirring to prevent it from sticking. The strawberries should soften and liquefy into a puree.
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  3. Next, break up the large pieces of strawberry within the mixture. We recommend using a fork, emulsifier, or blender to get rid of chunks. Allow the puree to cool while you make your matcha.
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  4. Soak your matcha whisk in some warm water to prevent breakage during whisking.
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  5. Make your matcha as usual. We recommend a ratio of 2 teaspoons of matcha powder with ΒΌ cups of hot water. Whisk till the matcha is frothy and you see bubbles.
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  6. Fill your cup with cooled puree and your desired amount of ice.
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  7. Add your oatmilk and maple syrup to the glass. Alternatively, agave syrup or sweetened creamer would also work well to sweeten the drink.
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  8. Lastly, add your matcha tea to the glass.
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  9. Enjoy the colorful finished product!