Pepsi launches new cola specifically made for Christmas fried chicken in Japan

While Pepsi certainly has a lot of adventurous Japan-exclusive flavors, this year's release of a special formula Pepsi Zero designed to specifically be paired with karaage, Japanese-style fried chicken, may have been their most interesting yet. We actually had a chance to sit down and do a taste test and see if it actually paired as perfectly with some crispy karaage as advertised.

Pepsi is following that up this winter with a Japanese Christmas-seasonal flavor that may not sound that different at first glance but actually is: Pepsi Zero Karaage Senyo Cola, or Pepsi Zero Cola Exclusively for Fried Chicken.

But wait, "isn't that the same thing?" you may ask, and it's completely reasonable to do so. However, there is actually a key difference between fried chicken and karaage (whether you season the flour or season the meat). The "fried chicken" used here is referring specifically to American-style fried chicken, which is somewhat traditionally enjoyed as a Christmas meal in Japan (particularly KFC). That's why this Pepsi made for pairing with fried chicken is being billed as a Christmas dinner beverage.

While we've yet to give it a proper taste test (it's being released on Tuesday), the Pepsi Zero Cola Exclusively for Fried Chicken is said to be lemon flavored to make it a refreshing pairing with the fried Christmas favorite, and zero calorie so that you can focus on pigging out on fried chicken to your heart's content. Featured on the label is a sizzling batch of crispy fried chicken, and the new flavor will only be available in "big" 600ml bottles.

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