Starbucks Japan's New Opera Frappuccino Is A Luxurious Valentine's Treat

With Valentine's Day coming soon, it's time to make your reservations for dinner dates and stock up on boxes of chocolate. But if your partner prefers coffee to chocolate, there are some other sweet options for gifts. Starbucks rolls out seasonal products regularly, so it's no surprise that the coffee chain has some new products coming out for Valentine's Day.

This year, Starbucks' Valentine's Day merch includes flowery and pink tumblers and themed gift cards. But Starbucks Japan also has limited edition drinks debuting for the most romantic holiday of the year. According to Soranews24, Starbucks Japan has already launched one Frappuccino for Valentine's Day. On January 18, Starbucks Japan released a Fondant Chocolat Frappuccino, and while you can't find it in the United States, one commenter on a Reddit post said the drink looked a lot like a Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino.

However, the second Frappuccino on Starbucks Japan's Valentine's Day menu might be a little harder to replicate. Another Soranews24 piece explains that customers in Japan can buy an Opera Frappuccino starting on February 3.

As the name suggests, this Frappuccino is based on opera cake, which includes layers of almond cake soaked in coffee syrup, chocolate frosting, and chocolate ganache. According to Taste Atlas, the history of opera cake is uncertain, but many people believe that chef Cyrique Gavillon came up with the pastry in a Parisian bakery. While we might not know the specific origins of the cake, its name comes from the fact that the cake is often decorated with the name glazed on top, as explained by Splendid Table.

Since a key component of opera cake is coffee syrup, it's no surprise that this dessert is easy to turn into a Frappuccino. Soranews24 reports that this Starbucks drink includes dark chocolate powder, almond milk, chocolate chips, and coffee. With a topping of chocolate sauce and gold powder, the decadence of opera cake is translated into this Opera Frappuccino.

While this drink might only be available in Japan, there are still desserts you can make to make Valentine's Day special. Need some inspiration? These 60 desserts are sure to woo your date, and we've found the easiest hack to make a heart-shaped cake to celebrate this romantic holiday.