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Starbucks adds pumpkin to its autumn Frappuccino for Halloween

Oona McGee Oct 15, 2020
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Slowly inching closer to Japan’s first pumpkin spice Frappuccino.

After closing its stores across Japan in spring due to the coronavirus outbreak, Starbucks’ roster of limited-edition seasonal Frappucinos has sadly slowed down compared to previous years.

Things began to pick up pace last month, though, with the introduction of the Daigaku Imo Frappuccino, which shone a spotlight on “college potatoes” (“daigaku imo”). Now, as we enter the Halloween season, Starbucks has revealed they’ll be bringing out that same Frappuccino again, but this time in a new costume for the spooky holiday.

▼ Daigaku imo, a glazed sweet potato snack, gets its name from the fact that it was popular with college students in Tokyo when it was created in the late 1920s

Starbucks’ Daigaku Imo Frappuccino went on sale on 23 September and is still available on the menu, but now it’s been joined by a more flavourful sibling called the Autumn Sweet Potato Frappuccino. This new Frappuccino uses the same Daigaku Imo blend, but adds sweet potato, pumpkin and chestnuts for extra fall flavour.

▼ Dripping with spooky sweetness, all for 620 yen (US$5.89)

Our resident Frappuccino queen K. Masami was curious to see what the new blend would taste like so she headed out to pick one up as soon as they were released. When she got to lay her eyes on the drink in real life, it certainly looked like Halloween in a cup, with green-skinned pumpkin pieces and vivid orange hues conjuring up images of carved pumpkins.

Tearing off the lid, Masami was treated to this vibrant spectacle of tasty goodness. The topping was a trio of “chips”, made up of sweet potato, pumpkin and chestnuts — the perfect combination for fall.

Peering into the bottom of the drink revealed another generous serving of chips, suggesting this would be a flavourful experience from top to bottom.

Having tasted the Daigaku Imo Frappuccino just a few weeks ago, Masami wondered how similar this drink might be. She took a spoonful of the mix first, closed her eyes and…she was in Frappuccino heaven!

Masami was pleasantly surprised to find that this new beverage tasted completely different to the Daigaku Imo Frappuccino. The flavour of sweet potato, pumpkin, and chestnut chips really sang out above all the other flavours, and it was really remarkable how the addition of a new topping could totally transform the college potato body of the drink.

The taste changed with every sip – sometimes it was strong with pumpkin flavour while other times it was the sweet potato that clamoured for attention. Each mouthful was like an autumn parade on the taste buds, and the crunchy, crispy texture from the chips added a fun accent to the entire beverage.

Masami highly recommends giving this new limited-edition beverage a try while you can, and it’s only available until 31 October. That’s when Starbucks’ new Halloween drinkware range disappears into the night as well, and this year it’s all about ghosts and cats…and a happy Meowloween.

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