Starbucks offers pork-flavored coffee in China

Would you like a little bacon with your coffee? Starbucks' new Chinese New Year creation is receiving mixed reactions.

Caramel, cookies and cream, strawberries, pumpkin spice and ham: that's how delicious the items from the Starbucks coffee chain are. Well, the latter is not yet available in Austria and may sound good to some ears. The somewhat unusual flavor is released in China to celebrate the New Year, one of the country's biggest annual holidays, and is called the Abundant Year Savory Latte.

For the new addition to the drink menu, espresso is mixed with braised pork sauce and topped with steamed milk. The coffee is garnished with a portion of pork sauce and a piece of pork breast on a skewer. Starbucks itself describes the drink as “interesting”, but users of Chinese social media platforms are divided. Because of the “unique” taste, the range is likely to sell out quickly in individual branches, at least that's what national media reported.

With this innovation, Starbucks hopes to combine “traditional New Year customs” with coffee – where braised pork is served during Chinese New Year celebrations – and create “unexpected savory and sweet flavours”. They are always unexpected. The cost of surprising the taste buds is 68 yuan, which is equivalent to about nine euros. It probably won't be available outside of China, and even there only temporarily. (editor)