Starbucks Japan's Sweet Potato Specials

On my trip to Taiwan I had a 3-hour lay over in Nartia - just enough time to swing by Starbucks for some unique drink specials. 

Sweet Potato was the flavor of the season and Starbucks had a full line up of frappuccinos, lattes, chiffon cake, and scones. 

I passed on the Sweet Potato scone which looked too artificial and dry, but Japanese Starbucks does cakes very well. The Sweet Potato Chiffon Cake was lightly sweetened, moist, and had just a hint of creaminess. 

For drinks I ordered both the Frappuccino and latte so I could taste the flavor in both versions. 

The Frappuccino, as with most Japanese concoctions, tasted like a liquid cake. If Japanese pastries are lightly sweetened, the Frappuccino more than makes up for that by being excessively sweetened. Still, I enjoyed the the taste as well as the corn flakes that were crushed into the drinks for a little texture. 

The latte was also sweet but not excessively so - and would be my preferred choice if I had to order again. The sweet potato flavor was a bit more bold, and didn't have all the extra competing flavors of the frappuccino. 

I always feel a certain sense of nostalgia by having special seasonal drinks at Starbucks in Japan. When I was living in the countryside, a 1-hour drive or 2-hour bus ride would take me to the nearest Starbucks and I would enjoy the drink offerings and ambience that I couldn't get in the countryside.