Coffee shots and green lattes
If you thought you’d grown out of doing jelly shots then think again, coffee jelly is making waves (or should it be wobbles) on the Japanese market. This summer Coke’s coffee brand Georgia released their version of coffee jelly in a can, joining a market that has grown by 5 to 10 per cent annually since 2004. This year Starbucks rereleased its coffee jelly frappuccino which enjoyed huge success when it debuted for a short period last summer. The drink combines iced coffee with coffee jelly. While Starbucks’ version uses fresh coffee beans, Yahoo Japan have posted a recipe for home-made coffee jelly that is a little less sophisticated, using only water, sugar, gelatin powder and instant coffee.
Another strange combination gaining popularity is the matcha latte, a frothy concoction of matcha green tea and milk. This drink has been popular in cafes for some time now, but recently chilled convenience store versions have started popping up. Asahi launched their Fauchon product late last month which will be followed by MegMilk’s matcha latte on Sept. 29.
Purported to have been invented by Kouta Matsuda, owner of Tully’s coffee chain, the latte was born from experiments with matcha and an expresso machine. After enjoying some years of popularity in Japan, the drink took off in the States in 2006. Matcha is prized for its health benefits which include being rich in antioxidents and high in fiber.
Tags: coffee jelly, matcha
