Starbucks ushered in the Year of the Dragon in mainland China by introducing a new limited edition pork flavoured latte. The unusual drink sells in certain outlets in Shanghai and Wuhan, according to multiple media reports.
Dubbed the Lucky Savoury Latte, the new drink, which costs 68 yuan (US$9.45), mixes a traditional latte with pork-flavoured sauce, and comes topped with a slice of pork meat.
According to Marc Stewart, a CNN journalist who tasted the coffee, “It pretty much tastes like a latte with a bit of a sweet, savoury topping.” While the reporter recognised that some people may like it due to its “sweet, savoury mix,” he concluded that he preferred an almond latte.
Response to the drink has been mixed, with some internet users lambasting the unusual combination. One said, “I just can’t put them in my mouth together!”
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The drink doesn’t appear to be a massive seller, either. A barista in a Shanghai branch told Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post that they were selling over 10 cups daily.
Although the pork-flavoured latte has drawn domestic and international attention for its uniqueness, such drinks are by no means new. Maple bacon latte has been made and sold in the United States and Canada for many years.
Starbucks has often introduced uniquely flavoured drinks in different territories as a marketing gimmick, as demonstrated by its olive oil coffee, rolled out in Italy and certain US cities last year.
