Hi, Welcome! I am so happy to have you here today to talk about one of my obsessions these days: the strawberry latte. The spring has arrived in Korea, and it is the strawberry season. During the strawberry season, many cafes and restaurants offer seasonal menus with strawberries.
Strawberries are one of my favorite fruits in the whole wide world. And the strawberries in season are heavenly. So, as many cafes and restaurants offer strawberry cakes, desserts, and drinks, I tried many. Then I went to Starbucks and saw a strawberry latté on the menu! I was so delighted and ordered it with oat milk right away. Wow, it was so good. The sour taste and wonderful fragrance of strawberry chunks and sweet oat milk together…I sipped on the strawberry latte with my eyes closed, and with a few sips, it was already gone! I decided to make one myself and share it with you all.
Look at this seasonal strawberry menu in 2024 at a Korean cafe, Ediya Coffee! My gosh, I get so happy just by looking at it.
Introduction to a Strawberry Latte
Strawberry Latte vs Strawberry Milk
A strawberry latte is different from strawberry milk. Strawberry milk is often sold at a supermarket in powder form with lots of sugar. You can mix the strawberry milk powder with some milk or even with just water. A strawberry latte, on the other hand, is a little trickier to make.
The biggest difference would be that a strawberry latte has real fresh strawberry chunks and strawberry cheong in milk.
Strawberry Cheong Recipe | For Korean Desserts and Drinks
Strawberry cheong is a great way to preserve fresh strawberries. It’s a versatile dish that can be used to make lots of desserts and drinks! Read more here.
What is a Cheong?
Strawberry cheong is the star ingredient of the strawberry latte. Cheong is a Korean preservation method that mixes sugar with mashed fresh fruits. Unlike jam, where you need to cook the fruits, you use fresh fruits to preserve with Cheong. That makes the fruit cheong taste fresher but lasts shorter than a jam. I shared how to make strawberry cheong in the recipe below as well.
Taste of a Strawberry Latte
It might take a little more effort to make a strawberry latte than you would with strawberry milk, but it’s worth it. A strawberry latte is a concoction that is so enchanting… It’s a spring in a cup to me. When you sip a strawberry latte, you taste the sweet oat milk with a blend of sweet strawberry pulp. Then you have the fresh, fragrant, lightly sour strawberry chunks in your mouth, mixed with sweet strawberry milk.
Lattes in Korea
A strawberry latte is one of the most loved lattes in Korea during spring.
But did you know that there are many more lattes in Korea?
Must-Try Korean Latte Trends
Many trends were created in cafes in Korea. There are not only many cafes in Korea, including Korean dessert cafes, that serve traditional Korean desserts and drinks. I love visiting them when I’m in Korea. 🇰🇷
Both regular cafes and Korean dessert cafes serve traditional sweets and drinks, including those with modern tweaks and fusion styles. It has become very popular among young generations in Korea and around the world.
Other Korean Latte Recipes
Here are other Korean latte recipes you might want to check out!
Blueberry Latte Recipe | With Blueberry Cheong and Syrup
You can make blueberry latté with blueberry cheong and syrup. Or you can make some blueberry paste to make some delicious blueberry latté! Learn more.
Korean Sweet Potato Latte (Goguma Latte) 고구마라떼
If you are a pumpkin spice latte lover, you might also fall in love with this sweet potato latte. Sweet potato puree is so creamy, nutty, and sweet. It can be made into many variations: sweet potato types, hot or cold, and with or without espresso.
Korean Mugwort Latte (Ssuk Latte) 쑥라떼
Mugwort is a very popular herb in Korea. There is a latte made with this herb, and it is green and very fragrant. If you love matcha latte for its slightly bitter and fresh, nutty flavor of matcha, you might love this mugwort latte!
Vanilla Matcha Latte Recipe | Japanese Matcha Drink Recipe
This vanilla matcha latte recipe is a beautiful green tea matcha drink recipe! You’ll fall in love with the earthy, round, slightly bitter, and sweet flavors.
Korean Black Sesame Latte Recipe | Healthy Protein Drink
This black sesame latte recipe is great for anyone looking for a healthy protein drink. Learn how to make this popular Korean latté with simple ingredients.
Strawberries in Season
Strawberry seasons differ from country to country.
Strawberries are naturally ripening from spring to the peak of summer worldwide. But now, due to the greenhouse cultivation available, they come in the winter too.
In Norway, strawberries are generally available from late June to early August.
In Korea, the strawberries used to be in season in June. However, now, with greenhouse cultivation, the strawberries are available from December to May. So there are many seasonal menus with strawberries in Korea in the spring!
Strawberries in season, or any fruits in season, are usually more ripe, tastier, and have more nutrition.
So if you are in the season for strawberries, get your cup, and let’s make a strawberry latte!
Strawberries remind me of spring!
Health Benefits of Strawberries
1. Vitamin C Content
Berries are one of the most nutrition-dense fruits on the planet.
Among berries, the strawberry is a rich source of vitamins and anthocyanin.
In 100 grams of strawberries, there are 99.00 mg of vitamin C, which is 3 times more than clementine and 10 times more than apples.
You can eat from seven to ten strawberries a day, and you will meet the recommended daily intake of vitamin C.
Vitamin C maintains skin elasticity and reduces skin damage caused by ultraviolet rays. It is also effective in reducing freckles and blemishes. It has excellent antioxidant properties and helps prevent cell aging.
2. Exceptional Nutritional Value
According to a study about strawberries and human health, strawberries are more than a fruit packed with vitamin C!
Strawberries not only have a lot of vitamin C and antioxidants, but they also have a lot of micronutrients, such as minerals, folates, and phenolic compounds. These all contribute to overall human health, involved in cellular metabolism and cellular survival.
Strawberry Latte Recipe | Inspired by Starbucks Strawberry Latte
Layers of a Strawberry Latte
With all these amazing health benefits of strawberries, we should make lots of strawberry lattes to eat more strawberries!
Then, before jumping into the recipe, let’s go through the layers of strawberry latte.
- Strawberry Cheong 딸기청
- Plant milk
- Chopped strawberries
- Cream or more sweetener
It might feel daunting to make a strawberry latte. But once you see these layers broken down, it will feel much easier.
Strawberry Latte Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Take all the fresh strawberries and wash them.
- Dab water out of the washed strawberries.
- Mash the strawberries with a masher.
- Add a tablespoon of lemon juice to the mashed strawberries for a fresh taste. Optional.
- Mix the sugar well with the mashed strawberries. Sugar will dissolve by itself after about 30 minutes.
- Into a disinfected glass jar, pour the strawberry cheong. It can last up to seven days in a refrigerator.
- Pour 4 tablespoons of strawberry Cheong into a long glass jar on the bottom.
- Chop 3 fresh strawberries into small chunks and pour them into the glass jar.
- Fill up the glass with ice.
- If you want a creamier and thicker strawberry latte, you can now add a tablespoon of condensed milk. Take a tablespoon and drizzle it over the ice.
- Pour oat milk and fiber syrup into the cup.
- Roughly mix it with a big straw. Serve cold!
A strawberry latte is a fragrant, flower-blooming spring in a cup.
Tips for a Strawberry Latte
1. Fresh or Frozen Strawberries
When the strawberries are in season, they are so delicious and usually inexpensive! But if you want, you can substitute frozen strawberries to make the strawberry cheong. Frozen fruits, including frozen strawberries, are usually of very good quality as they freeze right after they are harvested at the best time. Also, they are even more inexpensive and can stay in the freezer for as long as a year. So use frozen strawberries if you like. Just defrost the frozen strawberry before smashing it.
However, I recommend using fresh strawberry chunks in your strawberry latte.
Want to literally whip up some strawberry latte? Then use high-quality strawberry jam to make it!
2. Use Strawberry Jam
Strawberry cheong is the best, as they are fresh strawberries, not cooked. But if you want to make the strawberry latte even easier, you can use strawberry jam or strawberry sauce from a store. Pour the strawberry jam on the very bottom of your latte. Then follow the rest of the steps to make the strawberry latte. The only thing is to use good-quality strawberry jam with some strawberry pulps, like this Bonne Maman Strawberry Fruit Spread.
I recommend using good-quality strawberry jams with lots of strawberries and less syrup and sugar. Otherwise, it will taste like sugary pink milk.
3. Optional Condensed Milk
Did you know that there is plant-based condensed milk, just like there is plant milk? I suggest using this condensed plant milk made out of oats for easy digestion and a beautiful, subtle oat-based flavor. I saw some condensed coconut milk, but they can add coconut flavor to your recipe, which is not very preferred when you want the other ingredients to be the center of the flavor.
NATURES CHARM Sweetened Condensed Oatmilk, 11.25 OZ
Summary of a Strawberry Latte
I hope you enjoyed this post and learned a few things about strawberries and the strawberry latte.
When I drank this at Starbucks in Korea, I was immediately in love. It is a spring in a cup, and I get so happy making it and drinking it.
Most cafes in Korea would come up with some drinks with strawberries in the spring, and there are strawberry dessert buffets in hotels! (I’d LOVE to go, but there hasn’t been a vegan strawberry dessert buffet yet.) Anyway, I’m back in Norway, and there isn’t a strawberry latte at Starbucks or any other cafes here. I had to make the recipe and share it with you all.
So I hope you make this strawberry latte and enjoy it in the comfort of your home, not having to go to Starbucks!
Want to Learn About Cheong?
Strawberry Cheong Recipe | For Korean Desserts and Drinks
Strawberry cheong is a great way to preserve fresh strawberries. It’s a versatile dish that can be used to make lots of desserts and drinks! Read more here.
Are you a strawberry lover?
Are you crazy about strawberries as much as I am? Well then, check out my other recipes that have strawberries.
Strawberry Bingsu | Almond Milk Ninja Creami Recipe
Try this refreshing Korean frozen dessert, strawberry bingsu! Healthy and delicious with juicy strawberries, learn this simple almond milk Ninja Creami recipe.
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