Starbucks China threw java tradition out the window with their new Pork Latte. Their Lunar New Year of the Dragon Savory Latte menu addition combines coffee, milk, and Dongpo pork sauce and it's topped with a piece of roast pig!
Joyous Lunar New Year to all y'all who are celebrating! Starbucks in China is honoring the holiday by serving up an all-new Pork Latte! The unexpected new drink is infused with a Dongpo pork sauce. And to seal the porcine deal? A piece of actual cooked pork is added as a garnish!
We get it. This drink sounds weird. But the Lunar New Year is all about trying new things, right? Let's consider the benefits. We love pork. We love coffee. Let's see what happens when they make out. It's not like you've never had a cup of joe with some maple syrup-covered bacon, eggs, and buttered flapjacks before.
This drink is priced at about USD $9.45, so it isn't exactly budget-friendly. Does the novelty of the porky flavor profile justify the price tag? I mean, bacon does make everything better, so why wouldn't this be delicious? We never thought we'd put butter in our coffee a while back, but that turned out to be pretty yummy, so why not give this a try?
This pork-infused beverage has sparked a lot of threads on the Asian social media site Weibo as well as on other platforms. Hundreds of thousands of people are posting their coffee-pork pontifications. Some are curious, some are fans, while others are puzzled. We're definitely on the want-to-try-it side.
We'll see if Starbucks' Year of the Dragon Savory Latte becomes an international seasonal classic or just another social media gimmick. We're hoping the pig-belly pick-me-up hits the States soon. Till then, we'll keep you posted on what new sips are being served at Starbucks.