As September draws near, so too do thoughts of cozy autumn days and hearty seasonal produce. One particular ingredient that’s synonymous with autumn in Japan is the humble sweet potato, or “satsumaimo” as it’s known here, and while it’s usually the star of the show in limited-edition seasonal releases, at Starbucks this year it’s getting second billing, pushed aside by something you wouldn’t normally expect to see in a Frappuccino — butter.
While butter and baked potatoes is a thing in Japan, as it is in many parts of the world, roasted sweet potatoes are usually served as is or with a sweet glaze. The sweet-potato-and-butter combination is a decadent pairing that’s not so familiar to local tastes, but Starbucks is here to change all that, with its Osatsu Butter Frappuccino.
The new Frappuccino will be sold in a tall size only, priced at 678 yen for takeout and 690 yen for dine-in customers.
According to the chain, there’s logic behind this sweet madness, as the butter helps to add a salty accent to the sweet potatoes, with honey added to the mix for extra sweetness. The soft and fluffy roasted sweet potatoes will be appearing as chunks throughout the drink, to help create the sensation of eating buttery, honey-slathered potatoes, and there’ll even be a layer of salty imo kenpi (fried strips of sweet potato coated with sugar) at the bottom of the drink to “bring out the charm of baked sweet potatoes and butter even more”.
▼ There’s sweet honey butter sauce and a scattering of salty sweet imo kenpi on top of the drink as well, ensuring a good distribution of sweet saltiness throughout.
The chain says it will be adding a special osatsu customization option from Sept 22 — roughly three weeks after the drink goes on sale — containing honey butter sauce and salty imo kenpi, details of which will be provided closer to the date.
And that’s not the end of the autumn festivities, as the chain has just announced it’ll be releasing a special Benitama Custard Apple Pie (520 yen for takeout), containing custard and sweetly tart apples sourced from Aomori Prefecture, Japan’s premier apple-growing region.
▼ Last but not least, the chain’s Pumpkin Spice Latte will be returning to stores around Japan this autumn as well, in hot and iced versions, priced from 530-671 yen.
The Pumpkin Spice Latte will only be on the menu for a limited time, from Sept 1-26, while the Osatsu Butter Frappuccino and Benitama Custard Apple Pie will be around for a while longer, from Sept 1 to Oct 10.
As always, stocks are limited on all these items, so if you’re keen to get a taste of autumn in Japan at Starbucks, be sure to get in quick to avoid missing out.
Source, images: Press release
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© SoraNews24
16 Comments
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starpunk
This looks good, but already my local Starbucks has pumpkin lattes available and I'm taking advantage of it!
Elvis is here
It's a hard no from me. I only cream in my Irish coffees
Norm
This does look good. I’m not a sweets guy (though my lovely partner has a sweet tooth, you see, and would surely enjoy this) but I may give this a go tomorrow.
Let us know what you think.
Elvis is here
*like cream
bass4funk
I think Starbucks has some of the best WiFi in Japan, that in itself is reason to go there, as for their coffee, meh…
Fukuoka has a lot of small quiet and just cool coffee shops that make outstanding coffee and focus on quality first and foremost.
Elvis is here
I agree. The coffee of the day 本日コヒー at Starbucks can be good, and not so pricey. It usually comes flat black so you can add your choice of mixer
But, I think the 7-11 coffee is quite good. But I have low coffee morals and drink my coffee at weekends at home. Can't stand the coffee shop palava, you see.
kintsugi
Adults are capable of making their own decisions.
Yuuju
Japan is a country of strange drinks, dishes and tastes.
Apple pie looks quite attractive and I know Japanese like their pies to be rather light but look how think is the upper layer of dough is, its almost non existent. I suspect this is puff pastry. I know its impossible to Japan but a nice apple pie should always have quite a thick layer of shortbread dough made with nice piece of butter and fat creams, otherwise its all just not my cup of tea.
餓死鬼
My folks used to steam sweet potatoes and taros for teatime snacks. I liked taros but wasn't really fond of soggy sweet potatoes. Now I'm partial to an occasional roasted sweet potato when it's a bit cold outside but, as with green tea, I don't really like anything flavoured with them. The apple pie up there does look pretty good though.
Yuuju
Its because you havent seen my apple pie :3 the king of the apple pies! I use only the best quality butter and creams for the dough!
Strangerland
but its true
as for insulting in return, that is sure not a good thing.
falseflagsteve
Yuuju
My grandad used to make brilliant apple pies with the apples grown in her garden. She owned a cafe at West Croydon bus garage for 38 years when she was younger, taught me lots of cooking. I’m not keen on the apple pies these days that have cinnamon inside you see.
The ones in Life Bakery at Ocat don’t have cinnamon in though and my partner adores them and says they are yummy. I only consume once a month because I’m careful about my health you see.
Yuuju
Falseflagsteve
i see. My apple pie recepie doesnt have cinnamon, its similar to kiche in form , the dough is amazing with slices of apples inside poured with vanilla cream.
falseflagsteve
Yuuju
Sounds good to me mate. Like to try that.
Inrecall ,y worst apple,pie experience actually. When I was a child they opened a McDonalds in North End, it was on the site of the old Lyon’s Tea House. I saw on the menu that they had apple pies, I was terrible excited and my mum ordered me one with my cheeseburger meal. When I tasted it, I couldn’t believe it. Fried! So bleeding hot that it burned my tongue and just tasted of sugar and cinnamon. I think it traumatised me in a way, lol. Never liked cinnamon since, what am I like eh?
Yuuju
Falseflagsteve
you may like homemade cinnabons i think :)
that may cure your Ctpsd :)
FizzBit
Only a few months before butter prices rise then are gone from the shelves around the holidays. Maybe sooner now if this monstrosity gets popular.