Starbucks is at it again in Japan, releasing a slew of exclusive new menu items for a limited period, and this time, bananas are the star of the show. Released on May 29, the centerpiece is the Banana Brulee Frappuccino, and it’s packed with “Mottainai Bananas” (“Wasteful Bananas”) that would normally be unnecessarily thrown away, because despite being good to eat, the produce is bumped and bruised, making it unsuitable for normal retail sale. Our Starbucks-loving reporter K Masami was keen to know if the B-grade fruit would make for a B-grade Frappuccino, so she picked one up on release day to give it a try.
▼ The new drink retails for 690 yen ▼ With caramel sauce drizzled over the whipped cream topping, the Frappuccino looks and smells delicious. The new drink has an almond milk base, and when Masami got a sip of it, she marveled at how well the nutty flavor complemented the banana. The caramel sauce added a bitter note to the mix, while the brulee chips created exciting bursts of crispy texture, making every sip a taste sensation.
What Masami really fell in love with, though, was the banana pulp, which tasted as good as any pristine-looking banana you’d buy at a supermarket. It had stacks of fruity flavor, and because it was helping to prevent fruit loss — Starbucks estimates its new banana treats will save three million bananas — it tasted even better. After drinking the fruity Frappuccino, Masami was all banana’d out so instead of trying the Banana .