We try the new lemon yoghurt amazake cheese fermentation Frappuccino from Starbucks Japan

Fill your belly with the power of lactobacillus and the health benefits from a traditional Japanese fermented rice drink.

Just last week, we heard that Starbucks would be mixing Japanese and Western fermented ingredients into a Frappuccino for the first time ever, so as soon as it was released today, we were one of the first in line to give it a try.

Called the Lemon Yoghurt Fermentation Frappuccino, the new drink aims to provide customers with some zesty summertime replenishment, with three specific fermented ingredients bringing a healthy dose of lactobacillus to your gut.

There’s rich yoghurt, flavoursome cheese, and a hint of amazake, a traditional Japanese drink made from fermented rice.

Our resident Frappuccino taste-tester Masami was on the case for this assignment, and when she received her order, she saw it came topped with a generous serving of lemon curd drizzle.

It looked like a refreshing summertime beverage, but would the yoghurt base make it too heavy for humid days?

Masami took a sip. And then she took another. Rather than getting a mouthful of heavy cream and yoghurt, she was pleasantly surprised to find a complex mix of ingredients and flavours that left her with a light and refreshing aftertaste.

It was so refreshing that Masami believes it would be the perfect tonic for bringing you back to life from a hangover. We don’t usually reach for yoghurt when we’re hung over, but Masami says it was light and gentle on the stomach, and filled with the goodness of potassium, which is beneficial as a hangover remedy.

Hidden inside the drink were pieces of freeze-dried cheese and baked cheese sable biscuits, which add a great flavour and contrasting texture to the smooth and creamy beverage. The lemon curd sauce lifted everything with a hit of freshness, and while the amazake fermented rice component was barely noticeable, just knowing it was in the mixture added to the health benefits of the beverage.

Masami was impressed by the well-balanced flavours in the Frappuccino, with all the ingredients complementing each other and enhancing the overall flavour profile of the drink. It’s delicious, refreshing, and filled with the goodness of fermented ingredients, so you don’t have to feel too guilty about enjoying it, especially when you compare it to some of the other offerings from Starbucks.

The new Lemon Yoghurt Fermentation Frappuccino will only be available for a limited time this summer, from 19 June to 18 July, sold in a tall size only, for 630 yen (US$5.20) plus tax.

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