Wake up and smell the bacon.
Starbucks fans look forward to their iconic seasonal menus, typically full of sweet new drink options to coincide with the time of year. But this year, the coffee chain introduced a savory drink offering with an untraditional flavor to celebrate the Lunar New Year: a braised pork-flavored latte.
Starbucks’ Reserve Roastery in Shanghai announced the limited-edition beverage on its verified Weibo microblog account on February 5. The drink’s name directly translates to “Abundant Year Savory Latte,” and its official English name is the “Lucky Savory Latte.”
The Seattle-based coffee chain promoted the latte as “integrated with traditional New Year customs.” It’s made with espresso and milk, combined with Dongpo Braised Pork Flavor Sauce — a braised pork named after an 11th-century poet — drizzled with more pork sauce and topped with an extra bite of cooked pork breast.
The drink — which is only available in China — celebrates the Chinese New Year, which began on February 10, and comes at 68 Chinese yuan, or $9.50, at Reserve stores in China, local media reported.
Pork plays a significant role in the Chinese New Year, representing a rich, prosperous life, wealth, strength, and abundant blessings, according to China Highlights.
“Eating meat means prosperity in the coming year,” the roastery wrote on Weibo.
Many people on social media were initially in disbelief that this was a real drink, but now reviews are in and they are very divisive.
One user on Xiaohongshu, China’s version of Instagram, wrote that while the drunk looks strange, it’s surprisingly delicious with a sweet and salty flavor that combines the aromas of meat and coffee.
Someone else argued that it was “disgusting” and tasted like “fermented bean curd” — but the singular piece of pork breast was delicious.
Aside from the taste, many were baffled at the price point.
Luckin Coffee, Starbucks’ main rival there, is known for its discounts and drinks can cost as little as $1.40, CNBC previously reported.
“For 67 yuan, I could eat a plate of braised pork then go to Luckin and drink two lattes,” one Weibo user wrote, per CNN.
But while one Weibo user quipped, “I would allow both (pork and coffee) to exist in my stomach at the same time, but not in my mouth at the same time,” Jiupai News claimed that the pork drink had already sold out at one store in Wuhan,