Friday treat: Starbucks Pudding A La Mode Frappuccino

Last month on May 15th Starbucks released their latest seasonal offering. The Pudding A La Mode Frappuccino. It is one part of a larger retro campaign to celebrate the new Reiwa period and a sayonara to the Heisei period. Today, as my Friday Mommy Treat to myself, I went to check it out. 

The term a la mode is the term used to describe desserts that are served with ice-cream. Purin is pudding, but not the pudding you will think of. Its not an alcohol induced oven baked fruit cake. It is a sort of a custard flan type dessert with creme caramel. It reminds me of Crème brûlée without the hardened caramelized sugar.

Pudding a la mode, or Purin a la mode as its called in Japan, is a inherently Japanese thing. This custard flan with caramel like dessert is served with not just ice-cream, but usually fruits and other trimmings too.

Purin is eaten frequently in Japan, it is a very popular dessert. They even give it in school lunches sometimes. But Purin a la mode dropped off the radar and menus throughout the country in the 90s after a long boom in the 70s and 80s. 

It took me a while to get used to pudding. It has grown on me somewhat and some are better than others. They often have Crème brûlée variations which I much prefer, but they just called it oven baked pudding! Regular purin I can take it or leave it. And I wouldn't be rushing out to the shops to buy one.

But the Starbucks a la mode frappuccino on the other hand, I will be rushing back to my local Starbucks for another before the campaign ends. It is not as bland as purin as it has the trimmings of the a la mode, including frozen jellied cherries, fruits, cream and a whole cherry on top. There is a more generous helping of the caramel sauce of regular purin too.

Starbucks Pudding A La Mode is very sweet, but completely delectable. Is there anywhere else in the world you can drink a liquid caramel pudding with fruits and cream? Unlikely, right! For a chance to taste yours, get to your local Starbucks before the campaign ends on June 18th (2019). It comes in one size only: tall, and costs 620 yen. It makes the perfect treat for a bit of indulgence and a breather from parenting and the family. 

What is the last thing you treated yourself to? Do you have a treat day?