Beloved flavors from different parts of the globe combine in dessert drink that promises to taste out of this world.
While Japan has been happily sipping green tea for centuries, it’s only within the last decade or so that matcha has really taken off as a dessert flavor. The movement’s modernity has made culinary creators willing to experiment with blending matcha with ingredients not indigenous to Japan, which is to all our benefit because matcha goes great with chocolate.
The latest embodiment of this international marriage of flavors is coming on June 14, when Starbucks Japan releases the Chocolate Cake Top Frappuccino with Matcha Shot. There’s actually a third taste involved too, since the blended ice beverage uses an almond cream for its base, but the real attention-grabbers are the toppings.
Sitting atop the almond cream is an entire chocolate mini cake with matcha sauce drizzled over it. Covering that is a swirl of whipped cream, and for the finishing touch, the barista sprinkles matcha powder over the whole thing.
Meanwhile, if you’re of the opinion that the “coffee” part of the Starbucks Coffee name shouldn’t be forgotten, there’s also the Chocolate Cake Top Frappuccino with Coffee Shot, which is pretty much the same thing with coffee flavors subbing for the matcha elements.
▼ The new Frappuccinos will be available until July 13
Both drinks are identically priced at 620 yen (US$5.60) and available only in the tall size. As for how to enjoy that cake topping, Starbucks recommends breaking it up with your straw and drinking it, the same tactic it suggested for its American Cherry Pie Frappuccino. Whether drinkable cake is the gastronomic development that ruins human society or enables it to reach the glorious next step in its evolution is something we’ll have to wait until June 14, when the Chocolate Cake Top Frappuccino with Matcha Shot goes on sale, or June 23, when the coffee version debuts, to find out.
Source: Starbucks Japan via Entabe
Images: Starbucks Japan
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