McDonald's Japan’s McCafes have played host to many interesting and exciting frappe creations over the years. If you’re looking for something a bit classier than a large coke or milkshake to go alongside your Big Mac, it’s the place to be.

While some of their menu items could be seen as a competitor to other mainstream coffee chains, their latest addition is a throwback to a simpler time, when coffee shop culture was first taking over Japan.

In a nod to Japan’s traditional coffee shops, known as ‘kissaten’, the 'Coffee Jelly Pudding Frappe' is bursting with nostalgic charm. These cafes gained popularity during the Showa era, and even the name of the beverage is written in a retro way, opting for the kanji (Chinese characters) to write 'coffee', rather than the more common katakana rendering which is usually seen these days.

The frappe is described as a new dessert texture for McDonald's Japan, combining a sweet custard pudding frappe with bitter coffee jelly and caramel sauce, topping the whole thing off with whipped cream. The cherry on top gives an extra spring-like feeling because it’s a sakuranbo, the type of cherry grown from cherry blossom trees. McDonald's are using domestically grown sakuranbo from Yamagata prefecture.

This frappe is limited time only and will be available for the spring season until late April. It can’t be found on the standard McDonald's menu, so pudding fans should be sure to go to a branch with a McCafe in store, to celebrate spring in retro style!


By - Jess.