imo kenpi – SoraNews24 —Japan News— https://soranews24.com Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today. Thu, 29 Aug 2024 13:00:34 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.4 https://soranews24.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/05/en_rocket_1024.png?w=32 imo kenpi – SoraNews24 —Japan News— https://soranews24.com 32 32 176746664 Starbucks Japan unveils new limited-edition Frappuccino for autumn https://soranews24.com/2024/08/29/starbucks-japan-unveils-new-limited-edition-frappuccino-for-autumn/ https://soranews24.com/2024/08/29/starbucks-japan-unveils-new-limited-edition-frappuccino-for-autumn/#comments Thu, 29 Aug 2024 13:00:31 +0000 https://soranews24.com/?p=676836

Pumpkin spice and all things nice, plus a baked sweet potato. 

With autumn just around the corner, it’s time for Starbucks to reveal its new limited-edition offerings, and this year we’re being treated to a couple of delights that perfectly capture the taste of the season.

The first drink coming our way is the Pumpkin Spice Latte, which fans in Japan were unable to get for 15 years, until it finally re-appeared in 2021. Since then its popularity has seen it return every autumn, and we’re happy to see it available again this year, with the same combination of espresso and spicy pumpkin puree sauce providing a refreshing burst of autumnal flavour.

Joining the latte is a new “Yaki-imo Kobashi Caramel Frappuccino“, with “yaki-imo” being “baked sweet potato” and “kobashi” meaning “aromatic“. As the name suggests, this beverage is strong on baked potato aromas, which are synonymous with autumn for people in Japan, who’ve grown up with the delicious scent of baked sweet potatoes in the air at autumn festivals.

The new beverage combines yaki-imo with a slightly bittersweet, thick caramel sauce, which oozes into the drink to create hues that symbolise a sense of the changing seasons. The addition of vanilla brings out the “hidden taste” of a canelé, a traditional French pastry flavoured with vanilla that has a soft centre and a dark, caramelised crust. The crispy, salty sweet imo kenpi (sugar-coated sweet potato chips) throughout the drink serve to mimic the texture of a canelé, creating an exciting texture and a sweet, elegant aftertaste.

The Pumpkin Spice Latte is available hot or cold, in Short through to Venti sizes, priced from 530-671 yen (US$3.67-$4.64), and will be on the menu from 4 September to 31 October. The Frappuccino will be available from 4 September to 10 October, and will be priced at 687 yen for takeout or 700 yen for dine-in. Starbucks Rewards members will be able to get an early taste of the drink on 2-3 September.

Source, images: Press release 
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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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Time to get a taste of autumn, with an unusual blend of ingredients. 

Autumn is now upon us in Japan, which means there’s a new limited-edition Frappuccino on the menu at Starbucks, and this year it’s the Osatsu Butter Frappuccino.

Filled with satsumaimo (“sweet potato”), from which the drink gets its name, the drink promises to deliver rich, moreish autumnal flavours with the addition of butter and honey. Actual chunks of sweet potato can be found within the drink, along with pieces of imo kenpi (fried strips of sweet potato coated with sugar) to create a milky dessert drink that mimics the sensation of eating a butter-slathered satsumaimo.

Our reporter K. Masami was keen to try the new beverage, but having tried her fair share of sweet potato drinks before, she wanted to find out if the drink would taste better with a customisation. So she spoke to the barista about it, and they recommended she swap the dairy milk for almond milk for an additional 55 yen (US$0.38) and add a dash of cinnamon for more autumnal flavour.

▼ The new Frappuccino is sold in a tall size only, priced at 678 yen ($4.63) for takeout and 690 yen for dine-in customers.

Masami followed the barista’s advice, and when she received her customised honey-butter-sweet-potato beverage, she got a tantalising whiff of cinnamon, which instantly gave her fresh autumn vibes.

Taking a sip of the drink, her taste buds could now sense it was autumn too, with not just cinnamon notes but sweet potato washing over them. Then came a rush of honey and butter, which instantly transformed everything, making the beverage taste more like…a pastry than a drink.

▼ Like drinking a buttery sweet potato pie.

Peering closely at the drink, Masami could see actual bits of sweet potato peel swimming about, and this textural accent, along with the strong buttery flavours, fooled the taste buds into thinking they were pastry pieces.

The cinnamon was a fantastic addition to the drink, as it added an extra level of complexity to contrast with the sweet and salty notes. It was a delicious Frappuccino, and it paired particularly well with one of the new seasonal sweets on the menu, the Hand-Pulled Chestnut Mont Blanc (520 yen).

As an additional treat, Masami couldn’t resist ordering a hot Pumpkin Spice Latte (priced from 540 yen), which is making a return to the menu for a limited time from 1-26 September.

▼ The latte is topped with pumpkin spice-flavoured sauce, whipped cream, and nutmeg.

The bittersweet flavours provided a delicious finale to this very autumnal affair. Everything Masami tried was tasty and well worth the calories, and her only complaint is that these limited-edition items won’t be around for long. The seasonal sweets and the Osatsu Butter Frappuccino are only on the menu from 1 September to 10 October, and stocks are limited so there’s a chance that stores may run out before the end of the sales period. So if you’re a fan of Starbucks, be sure to get in quick to treat your taste buds to a taste of autumn, and don’t forget to add an extra dash of spice for extra autumnal flavour!

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There’s logic behind this sweet madness.

As September draws near, so too do thoughts of cosy 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 (US$4.63) 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 customisation” option from 22 September — 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 1-26 September, while the Osatsu Butter Frappuccino and Benitama Custard Apple Pie will be around for a while longer, from 1 September to 10 October.

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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The Sweet Potato Gold Frappuccino and Macchiato are exclusive to Japan this autumn. 

As the weather begins to get cooler and the leaves get ready to fall in a stunning array of colours, Starbucks Japan is capturing the essence of the season with a brand new limited-edition Frappuccino.

And while this new release is based on the beloved autumn flavour of sweet potato, it’s not your standard root vegetable that’s getting the star treatment here, as this one features the flavour of a special Japanese confection called imo kenpi.

▼ Imo kenpi (pictured on the pink plate in the image below) are fried strips of candied sweet potato that look just like french fries, only harder and sweeter.

Our Japanese-language reporter Masami was curious to find out what a drink filled with candied sweet potato fries would taste like, and when she arrived at Starbucks on the release day, she saw that the two new drinks on offer were called the Sweet Potato Gold Frappuccino and Macchiato.

▼ Masami ordered one of each, and decided to begin the taste test with the cold Frappuccino.

This drink comes with a creamy milk base that’s been blended with imo mitsu (Japanese sweet potato syrup). Looking at the Frappuccino from the outside revealed glimpses of imo kenpi pieces as a tantalising preview of what was to come.

▼ The whipped cream topping was drizzled with a mound of deliciously golden sweet potato syrup.

Delving into the Frappuccino brought up delicious spoonfuls of sweet-potato-infused cream, along with generous servings of imo kenpi. These crunchy potato pieces added a fantastic texture to the drink, and Masami was happy to find that some of the candied pieces were softer than others, creating varied textures with every mouthful.

The flavour profile was brilliant as well, with sweet potato playing a rich accompaniment to the bright, sweet notes of the imo kenpi.

Moving on to the Sweet Potato Gold Macchiato, this hot and flavourful beverage differs from its cold counterpart as it doesn’t contain imo kenpi. The autumn-esque flavour of this beverage comes from the addition of imo mitsu syrup, which has been blended with a steamed milk and espresso base. This hot drink had a rich sweetness and warming fragrance similar to a caramel macchiato, with the bitterness of the espresso shot contrasting the sweetness of the syrup perfectly.

Both these drinks are very Japanese in their homage to sweet potatoes and traditional Japanese confectionery, and according to Masami, who has a long history of taste-testing Starbucks’ limited-edition offerings, they’re definitely worth trying for their unique, delicious flavours.

The Sweet Potato Gold Frappuccino is priced at 580 yen (US$5.40) for a tall, and the Sweet Potato Gold Macchiato starts at 440 yen for a short. Both are available at Starbucks stores around Japan from 20 September to 10 October.

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