Tiny Frappuccino is designed for young girls, so we find out if it’s too sweet for adults.
In Japan, 3 March is Hinamatsuri, commonly known as Girls’ Day in English. It’s a day when families pray for the wellbeing of their young daughters by displaying traditional “hina ningyo” dolls – Hinamatsuri literally translates as “Doll’s Festival” – and eating special foods like hina arare (sweet, multicoloured rice crackers) and hishimochi (diamond-shaped rice cakes in pink, white and green to represent peach blossoms, snow and new growth respectively).
▼ This year, families have been offered a new way to celebrate their daughters – with the never-before-seen Hinamatsuri Frappuccino.
Produced by Starbucks and available exclusively in Japan, this beverage fits perfectly on the menu at this time of year, with its pink hues and sakura flavour matching the limited-edition sakura drinks currently on the menu for cherry blossom season.
▼ The Girls’ Day Frappuccino costs 638 yen (US$4.09) for takeout or 650 yen for dine-in.
There are some very unique points that make the Hinamatsuri Frappucino stand out, however, with the first being its size.
As you can see in the photo above, this little drink makes the straw look gigantic, and that’s because it’s only available in a Short size. With other limited-time Frappuccinos on the menu being sold in Tall sizes only, this is our first time ever seeing a Frappuccino so small, and it’s designed to be that way so that young girls can enjoy them.
▼ Holding this in your hand will make you feel like a doll.
While the body of the drink looks, and tastes, similar to the Tall-sized cherry blossom Frappuccino, with white peach and sakura flavour being key ingredients, there are two major differences.
Firstly, there’s the topping, which consists of Oiri, a traditional confectionery from Kagawa Prefecture in Shikoku that’s slightly less sweet than traditional hina arare. The colourful hues are reminiscent of Girls’ Day crackers, but when you bite into them, they’re noticeably more elegant, melting away on the tongue immediately after crunching into them.
The flavour here is impressive, with a distinct taste of rice surprising the palate. The rice blends beautifully with the luscious whipped cream topping, but then we get to the second point of difference.
▼ The milk pudding pieces.
Whereas the regular sakura Frappuccino combines sweet peach jelly pieces with bracken starch, which only has a subtle sweetness, the Girls’ Day Frappuccino ups the sweetness by pairing peach jelly with milk pudding. While the pudding pieces have a lovely smooth texture that contrasts nicely with the boba-like jelly, the resulting sweetness is cloying for adult tastes.
If you’re an elementary school student – Girls’ Day celebrations generally end around the time a child graduates from elementary school – then you will love this sweet, peachy, subtly sakura-tasting beverage. You’ll also love the way it fits easily in your hands, making you feel like an adult with a Tall-sized Frappuccino.
That’s some clever marketing by Starbucks, to get children to sip on their very own Frappuccino at such a young age. For well-seasoned adults, however, this is one beverage you and your teeth won’t have to feel bad about missing out on.
Photos©SoraNews24
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