Does tomato plus milk equals deliciousness?

Japanese convenience stores are like Starbucks in that they are constantly rolling out seasonal drinks and foods, like this ultra-cute Rilakkuma custard cake. Not all of the new products instantly appeal to everyone, though.

On June 4, convenience store chain Lawson debuted out a new addition to its Machi Cafe drink series: a Tomato Latte (210 yen [US$1.95]). It’s a collaboration between Lawson and Japanese vegetable juice producer Kagome, and Lawson boasts that it’s made with “high-lycopene tomatoes.”

▼ Does this look appealing or totally unappetizing to you?

Trust us when we say the sound of it wasn’t all that appealing to us, but we were too curious to not try it. A closer look at the latte’s description made us relax a bit: it’s a blend of tomatoes and milk, and there are some carrots thrown in to sweeten it up and make it easier to drink.

We watched the cashier mix the tomato juice and milk, our eyes full of trepidation. But when we tried it…

…it was delicious!

Its taste it surprisingly mild, yet refreshing. In fact, it’s so delicious that we’re considering making it a daily habit. If you’re a fan of plain tomato juice, then we think you’ll like Lawson’s Tomato Latte as well!

▼ The Tomato Latte — officially approved by SoraNews24 taste tester P.K. Sanjun

Two words of caution, though. One is that this is a limited-time drink, so you’ll have satisfy your curiosity sooner rather than later. Our second word of caution is that the drink isn’t available at all Lawson stores; we had to visit four before finding one that served it. If you can’t find it right away, keep hunting.

And if you’re too nervous to try the latte on its own, you can always go with something safe and beloved like Karaage-kun!

Photos ©SoraNews24
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