Tasty Tuesday’s

For my school newsletter, a friend and I have started a column called Tasty Tuesday’s where we discuss different food each week. This week, for our first article, we wrote about Starbucks’ Fall drinks. I was very excited that they had arrived in China, but Janice had never tried anything like it before. Enjoy!

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Just Try It – Starbucks’ Fall Releases

By Celia Clipp and Janice Kim

An American’s Take –

I grew up in a place where October is the color of rust. Imagine that the sun is setting over rolling hills, bursting into flames that dance across the puffy silver clouds. On the other side of the sky, a full, pearly white moon is rising to take the place of the sun. The trees sway with autumnal breezes as yellow, orange, and red leaves silently drift toward the darkening grass. Parents sit on porch swings beside faux cobwebs, carved pumpkins, and hanging ghosts. Kids leap and sprint through front yards, laughing and singing with all kinds of dogs at their heels. Now, the sky is darkening. Families retreat to the safety of their living room couches to watch Hocus Pocus or Halloween Town. Candles flicker in the windows. This is Fall, and it’s my favorite season.

Yeah, we don’t have that here. But we DO have Starbucks, and Starbucks has pumpkin spice!

A Korean’s Take –

Now let’s get on with the highly anticipated fall releases in Starbucks: Iced Maple Creamaccino, Pumpkin Spiced Frappuccino, and (the classic) Pumpkin Spiced Latte, have finally made their way to China.

People tend to hesitate before taking their first sip of this so-called trendy and classic Starbucks’ seasonal menu. “It tastes like pumpkin pie.” “It tastes like spices.” What if you have never tried pumpkin pie? What are “spices” supposed to taste like? It is almost impossible to generate an accurate description of the latte.  Below is the closest I could get.

The latte has a creamy, beige color with specks of spices (not spicy pepper but powdery stuff like cinnamon and nutmeg) dispersed all throughout. It is similar to the black dots found in high-quality vanilla ice cream. The flavor is very distinct, dominant, and dangerously addictive. It is a combination of subtle coffee flavor, a decent helping of nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger with a tint of sweetness. Ironically, the pumpkin flavor in the beverage was very mild and it affected the flavor minimally. The latte is served hot, with a soft dollop of buttery whipped cream that tastes sweeter and resembles the flavor of classic American buttercream. The kick of spice lingers at the tip of your tongue, and there is a pleasant butterscotch aftertaste. The aroma of pumpkin spice is undoubtedly capable of making you feel comfortable and at home. It is definitely a beverage that screams fall.

“Just try it,” pumpkin spice lover, Celia, suggests. Make sure to treat yourself to this heartwarming beverage because it will dissipate before you know it!