I tried a Starbucks frappuccino that's made out of roasted green tea leaves and can't be found in the US. It was so sweet I couldn't finish it.
Marielle Descalsota
- Starbucks stores in Singapore sell a hojicha-tea based frappuccino that can't be found in the US.
- Unlike Starbucks' frappuccino, traditional hojicha, like all Japanese teas, is not mixed with sugar or cream.
In Singapore, Starbucks sells a hojicha-tea based frappuccino that can't be found in the US.
The frappuccino was first released in Japan in 2017, and was initially made with caramel sauce. It was later added to Singapore menus as a permanent item.
Hojicha is made from roasted green tea leaves, and typically has a reddish brown color.
Starbucks' version of hojicha is made from a secret blend of five tea varieties. Traditional hojicha, like all Japanese teas, is not mixed with sugar or cream.
Starbucks Singapore did not reply to my requests for comment for this story.
I was curious how the hojicha tea-based frappuccino would stack up against the smokey, nutty hojicha tea that I buy from my favorite Japanese cafe in Singapore.
On a weekday evening earlier this week, I visited a nearby store to try the frappuccino.
Japanese tea drinks in Singapore can be quite expensive. The frappuccino also comes with a hefty price tag: It costs 7.20 Singapore dollars ($5.30), S$8.10, and S$8.90 for the tall, grande, and venti sizes respectively.
The frappuccino is made with hojicha tea, white mocha syrup, and layers of whipped cream. Brown sugar is dusted on top.
While I usually enjoy whipped cream on frappuccinos, I found the cream sweetened this particular drink way too much.
While the cream balanced the grittiness of the tea, it made the drink overly sweet. The hojicha's roasted flavor was lost in the sweetness.
The mocha syrup didn't help to even out the drink's cloying taste. I was hoping for a more pronounced tea flavor, and it took me several sips to get a hint of the nuttiness I enjoy in hojicha.
My friend said the drink was perfectly tailored to Asian tastes, but I had to disagree.
I could taste the tea most in the drink's aftertaste, which was quite bitter.
My friend, on the other hand, enjoyed his frappuccino, though he agreed it was sickly sweet.
Starbucks can accommodate requests to make drinks less sweet, so if I were to ever try the drink again, I would ask for the least amount of sweetener possible.
I couldn't even get through a quarter of the drink.
It wasn't my cup of tea, but I can understand why those with a sweet tooth would enjoy it.
While I still prefer a freshly brewed cup of tea over any tea-based Starbucks drink, I found the Iced Shaken Hibiscus Tea with Pomegranate Pearls (S$6.90, or $5) to be the best tea drink on its Singapore menu.
If you're not in Japan or Singapore and can't get your hands on this frappuccino, don't worry — you're not missing out on much.
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