Summertime bust or must-buy?

It’s been roughly three years since 7-Eleven added smoothie machines to its stores in Japan, allowing customers to whip up freshly made smoothies in seconds after selecting their desired varieties from the freezer section. During that time, the chain has added a number of limited-edition flavours to the range, with all of them proving to be popular with customers. Now with summer fast approaching, the chain is giving us a brand new variety that’s said to capture the taste of Japanese summer in a cup.

▼ The すいかスムージー (Suika Smoothie) or “Watermelon Smoothie“

Released on 2 June, the first thing we noticed when we saw the new release at our nearest branch was the lid, which was decorated with images of not just watermelon, but strawberries as well. This indicated that the drink combined strawberry pulp with watermelon pulp, and that’s not all – the cube-shaped chunks inside the cup are infused with watermelon juice and apple purée, and the ingredients list reveals that a small amount of tomato purée and salt are also included as special secret ingredients.

A lot of watermelon drinks in Japan tend to contain a mix of fruit juices but we tend to prefer 100 percent watermelon juice as it allows the natural flavor of the fruit to shine through. With that in mind, we were curious to see how this smoothie would fare, and how authentic the watermelon flavour might be.

Upon first sip, we immediately noticed that the slightly crunchy texture of the ice was surprisingly similar to the texture of real watermelon. This was an impressive highlight we weren’t expecting, and thankfully the strawberry flavour, which we thought might be too strong, was a pleasant accent, with its characteristic tartness playing a soft accompaniment to the watermelon, which took the spotlight.

The taste of watermelon was truly authentic, with the smoothie capturing the fruit’s juiciness and sweetness perfectly while delivering a refreshing, icy coolness. Although it wasn’t as pure as a 100-percent watermelon juice, the balance between ingredients was so carefully crafted that it didn’t take anything away from the star flavour, and the watermelon remained delectably intense from start to finish, leaving us completely satisfied.

For 400 yen (US$2.50), this smoothie will definitely quench your thirst, particularly on hot and humid days, and after trying it we now understand the hype it’s been getting online. It’s a drink that’s well worth trying, and here’s a secret tip for you: the smoothies at 7-Eleven will be half price on “Smoothie Day” on 10 June, so put the date in your calendars and you’ll be able to enjoy the whole range, including the delicious matcha variety, at a great discount.

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