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We test the limits of a Starbucks customisation with Japan’s new Osatsu Butter Frappuccino

Oona McGee Oct 1, 2023
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Taking things to the extreme, but will it pay off in the end?

It’s been nearly a month since Starbucks released its latest limited-edition Frappuccino in Japan, an autumn delight called the Osatsu Butter Frappuccino. Designed to taste like a satsumaimo (baked sweet potato) slathered in butter and honey, the drink tasted moreish enough on its own, but to really impress fans, and keep them coming back for more, the chain released an official customisation for the drink on 22 September.

The customisation gives you the option to add extra Honey Butter Sauce or Imo Kenpi (fried strips of sweet potato coated with sugar), which are already used as toppings on the drink. As soon as our reporter Anji Tabata heard about it, the devilish sweet potato-loving side in her came out and sat on her shoulder, whispering into her ear, “Why don’t you take both customisations to the extreme to make it even more like a sweet potato?”

Unable to resist the devil on her shoulder, Anji headed down to Starbucks to test the limits of the customisation, and after telling the barista of her intentions to make it as much like a buttery, salty sweet potato as possible, they gave in to her request, suggesting she triple the amount of both.

Each customisation cost 49 yen (US$0.33) for takeout, after tax, so, when combined with the 678 yen cost of the drink, her total came to 976 yen.

When she received her drink, it looked like a creamy volcano had exploded on top, with an amount of toppings that was larger than anything she’d ever seen before.

▼ Behold, a Frappuccino with essentially six times more toppings than usual.

Suppressing her excitement at the look of the drink — she was in a public space after all — Anji took a sip and was immediately overcome by the deliciousness of the flavours. Honey, butter, and sweet potato all flowed into her mouth together, creating the taste of…a sweet potato topped with loads of honey and butter!!!!!

The milky Frappuccino contained bits of sweet potato in the base, which, along with the imo kenpi topping, helped to create the texture of potato. The saltiness of the fried strips of potato held up against the sweetness of the honey butter, melding together for a perfect balance of salty sweet flavours.

Though Anji had initially been concerned that the triple imo kenpi customisation would make the mix too salty, it couldn’t have been more perfect, and she found herself addicted to the flavours, sipping until the drink was completely finished, and even then she kept slurping loudly as she tried to finish every drop.

In her opinion, this extreme customisation was the perfect way to elevate the Frappuccino into one of her favourite autumn releases of all time and she highly recommends trying it. If you’d like to get a taste of the butter-slathered satsumaimo, you’ll want to get in quick, though, as it’s only on the menu, along with a selection of seasonal sweets, until 10 October.

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[ Read in Japanese ]