Marie Mutsuki Mockett

I used to really miss the matcha frappuccino, or green tea frappuccino, previously available in Starbucks Japan but not America.



(Here is Gordon enjoying a matcha frappuccino outside the Starbucks in Kyoto. I would feel bad about going into a Starbucks in Japan if it weren't for this drink alone, and I'm afraid I convinced Gordon of how they good they are once we were there.)

I love real green tea. It's kind of hard to get here America, though you can get a few products. My favorite yakitori in New York also makes a great green tea pudding for dessert which I always eat when I am there.

So I was really thrilled when I came back from Japan this year to find that Starbucks America had introduced their version of the green tea frappucino. My mother and I went out to get one and -- it was terrible! Horrible! Didn't taste like green tea at all, but like melon! Gross! Plus it was disgustingly sweet.



(Here is my brilliant friend and chef Isao, enjoying a beautiful cup of real matcha in Kyoto at Ippodo. I've learned a lot about food and trends from him over the years, and can't wait till he has his own restaurant!)

My friend Isao, who is a chef, always complains to me that American food is too sweet and too salty, and I think that this is true in many respects. So, I tried to experiment with Starbucks' whole "customization" option to come up with something that approximates the matcha frappuccino.

Here it is:

Ask for:
1 green tea frappuccino
no syrup
no whip cream
with one shot of espresso

The first time I did this, the girl behind the counter said, "Interesting."

But I'll tell you this -- it tasted damned good.