This limited-edition beverage will be forever burned in our memory.
Last week, Starbucks Japan made the surprise announcement that it would be releasing its first-ever spicy Frappuccino. The new beverage, called the “Hot Honey Oriental Mango & Tea Frappuccino”, landed in stores across the country on 6 June.
Our seasoned Starbucks expert K. Masami figured this would end up being like a lot of other spicy menu items at other big-name chains, in that it would be mild with a hint of heat to please a wide variety of palates. However, when she scrolled through social media, she was surprised to see it had gone viral online, with reviews describing it as torture, and people saying it was too spicy to drink. That only made it seem even more desirable to Masami, so she headed out to try it, and when she got there and found out she could request less or extra hot honey for free, she asked for a little extra.
▼ Masami ignored all the danger signs, so what happens next is entirely on her shoulders.
Even the barista tried to dissuade Masami from requesting extra, saying: “Are you sure you want extra? It’s spicy so we recommend just going with the regular amount first.” Masami was determined, though, saying “I’d like to give it a try!”
Flashing her an awkward smile, the barista complied with Masami’s request, but when they handed the drink to her, they reiterated their reservations, saying: “It’s spicy, like really spicy so please be careful when you drink it.”
The big “Danger” sign on the cup made Masami a little nervous for what she’d gotten herself into, but the ominous vibe dissipated somewhat when she admired the beauty of the drink and its whipped cream topping.
The hot honey sauce was reddish-brown, disguising itself as sweet caramel, but when Masami took a curious sniff she could smell mango, with just a hint of chilli.
Feeling slightly more confident, Masami took a sip… and then immediately regretted it. This was more than just spicy, it was seriously painful, burning her throat in ways she’d never imagined possible with a beverage. All kinds of thoughts raced through her head, and as she wondered whether Starbucks had totally lost the plot, she took another sip, hoping for something different, but the distinct aroma and spiciness of chilli dominated the palate even more strongly. While the first sip had a faint taste of mango, it was nowhere to be tasted now, with the spiciness throttling her taste buds into a state of unconsciousness.
Masami had been hoping the honey might lessen the strength of the chilli but it only helped to coat her tongue and throat with a sticky heat. Masami had certainly gone a little too far with her request for a little extra, but by these standards, even the regular would be too much for anyone’s taste buds to bear. It was bordering on dangerous, with Masami reckoning some people might even wind up with upset stomachs after finishing the drink.
Masami crossed all her fingers and toes for her stomach to hold up against the chilli, because even as a serious heat lover, this was off the scale.
While the drink is said to contain mango pulp, jasmine tea and soy milk, the sauce permeated the entire drink in such a way that all she could taste was chilli. It was one of the most confusing beverages Masami has ever tried in all her years of taste-testing the new releases, but in hindsight, it was also one of the most exciting.
So if you get your thrills through hot sauce, then you’ll want to head on down to your nearest Starbucks while it’s on the menu until 8 July. Sold in a Tall size only, priced at 761 yen (US$5.32) for takeout and 775 yen for dine-in, this is a unique beverage that’ll be forever burned in your memory.
If you’d like to escape the heat you can opt for the regular Oriental Mango & Tea Frappuccino, which is also on the menu until 8 July.
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