Iconic Japanese flower will be blended with a popular dessert this spring.

We may still be in the middle of winter right now, but that doesn’t mean everyone isn’t looking forward to the sunshine of spring.

Today we’ve been reminded that those warm rays aren’t far away, as Starbucks has just revealed its first sakura drink of the season, and this year it’s packaged up in a cup adorned with gorgeous pink and white cherry blossoms and topped with a pastel pink lid.

This isn’t the first sakura-flavoured “chilled cup” ever made by Starbucks, as they brought out a simple Sakura Raspberry Milk in 2017, followed by Sakura Caramel Milk with Mixed Berries in 2018 and Sakura Chocolate with Raspberry Jelly last year.

However, it’s certainly their most adventurous offering to date, as this year’s limited-edition beverage combines sakura with white chocolate cheesecake and milk pudding. 

According to Starbucks, this unique combination creates a creamy, aromatic sakura flavour, rounded out with a slight tartness from the cheesecake. A generous serving of soft milk pudding pieces adds a fun textural element to the drink, making it the perfect decadent indulgence for spring.

On sale at a recommended retail price of 219 yen (US$2.01), the Sakura White Chocolate Cheesecake with Milk Pudding will be available at convenience stores around the country for a limited time from 11 February.

This makes it the second must-have drink of the season that we’ll be stocking up on before the predicted early arrival of the sakura this year.

Source: Starbucks Japan
Top image: Pakutaso
Insert image: Starbucks Japan
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