What Is a Starbucks Menu Like Around the World?

There Are Some Unique Drinks Out There

starbucks in malta

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Starbucks—the global chain based in Seattle, Washington—is the largest retail coffee company in the world. With so many Starbucks stores in countries worldwide, the brand can be credited with making the coffee house an international fixture. Founded in 1971 by American entrepreneur Howard Schultz, who took his inspiration from Italian espresso culture, Starbucks currently operates 30,000 locations worldwide in over 77 countries.

While Starbucks is famous for its standardized hot and cold coffee beverages, what you may not know (until you've visited a location while travelling internationally) is that the beverage menu is not the same in every country. The company conducts research about the unique culture of different countries where it operates, so it can offer beverages that appeal to local tastes. What that means is—even if know your local Starbucks menu off by heart—there's a whole world out there (literally) of Starbucks beverages you haven't tried.

We surveyed the countries with the greatest concentration of Starbucks stores, to bring you details on surprising Starbucks drinks you won't find in the United States.

Canada

In Canada, a country with British origins, Starbucks appeals to local tastes for toffee and caramel, along with the True North's famous maple syrup. Canada also has a large Asian population that embrace drinks with tea-forward flavors.

Toffee Mocha

With its rich, buttery candy flavor, the Toffee Mocha puts an extra-delicious spin on the standard Starbucks hot mocha (a blend of coffee and hot chocolate) and is a great way to warm up during freezing winters.

Maple Macchiato

Canada loves its maple syrup and this hot coffee drink is topped with a drizzle of the real deal. It sits atop a potent darkly-delicious blend of hot espresso, steamed milk, and sweet vanilla syrup.

Blossoming Rose Tea Latte

While Canada is known for its cold weather, it also experiences hot summers and this sweet Starbucks iced tea latte is a popular way to cool off. Brewed tea is blended with steamed milk, sweet rose syrup, and a blingy topping of sparkling pink sugar.

Black Sesame Tea Latte

This uniquely delicious drink looks like a coffee-based latte, but is made with bold black tea. This is steamed with milk and blended with a rich, nutty-tasting, black sesame sauce. It's all topped with decadent black sesame praline candy bits for a sweet and crunchy finish.

Mexico

Specialty drinks at Starbucks Mexico feature native ingredients that are sourced locally.

Mango Yogurt Frappuccino

This fruity iced frappuccino contains no coffee, so it's great for kids or adults avoiding caffeine. It's an vibrant milkshake of fresh yogurt, mango puree, and milk.

Ponche Navideño

The name means "Christmas punch," and this tea-based beverage is inspired by the one served at Mexican family holiday gatherings. It can be ordered either hot or iced and includes hibiscus tea, apple, guava, cinnamon, and brown sugar.

China

In tea-loving China, Starbucks offers an extensive menu of tea-based drinks featuring regional ingredients, along with variations on popular coffee drinks.

Red Bean Green Tea Frappuccino

This drink transforms the green tea sipped all across China into a creamy, iced frappuccino and adds a scoop of sweetened red bean kernels on top.

Black Tea Latte

This frothy, hot beverage looks like an American cafe latte, but is prepared with deeply flavorful Chinese black tea that's blended with warm steamed milk.

Apricot White Chocolate Mocha

Apricot flavoring adds fruity flair to this White Chocolate Mocha designed especially for the Chinese market. It's boosted with rich cocoa butter and cocoa powder, blended with steamed milk, and finished with sweetened whipped cream.

Japan

The Japanese Starbucks menu includes customized tea and coffee drinks, including some that appeal to Japan's fondness for American diner culture.

Sakura Blossom Latte

One of the most iconic Japanese Starbucks menu items, the Sakura Blossom Latte is inspired by the famous cherry blossoms that bloom each spring. It's a hot, creamy, sweet, pretty, pink drink flavored with cherry blossom petal sauce and white bean paste. It's topped with a crispy rice cracker and a drizzle of strawberry chocolate sauce.

Matcha Latte

Matcha has become synonymous with Japan. This lovely, light green tea latte is made with blended matcha powder and frothy milk for a unique flavor that balances sweetness and bitterness.

American Cherry Pie Frappuccino

The American Cherry Pie Frappuccino is like a decadent dessert in a cup. This chilled, cream-based blended coffee drink is filled with whipped cream, includes cherry syrup and cherry compote, and is topped with a dome of actual pie on top.

Thailand

Jellies, tropical fruits, and sugary-sweet cold drinks are popular at Starbucks in tropical Thailand.

Triple-Coffee Jelly Frappuccino

If you've tried bubble tea, you can imagine this iced coffee drink with chewy pops of jiggly jellies suspended in the liquid. Coffee jelly cubes are layered at the bottom of the cup, then topped with coffee frappuccino, espresso-infused whipped cream, ice cubes, and ground coffee "sprinkles."

Peach Cloud With Jelly

This sweetened iced tea beverage begins with the special Emperor's Clouds Mist green tea, which is blended with sweetened peach juice, and filled with floating peach jelly cubes.

Strawberry Cheesecake Frappuccino

What could make a classic Frappuccino even better? This blended drink adds swirls of sweetened strawberry puree, a topping of cheesecake-inspired whipped cream and crumbled-up graham crackers.

South Korea

In South Korea, Starbucks offers creamy hot and cold coffee beverages including ingredients that may not be as familiar to American audiences.

Jeju Honey Peanut Latte

This popular, nutty-tasting hot coffee beverage starts with rich dark Starbucks espresso. This is blended with local honey and steamed milk infused with peanuts from Jeju Island, a popular South Korean beach resort destination.

Happy Cheese White Mocha

This special Starbucks holiday drink sold in South Korea during the Lunar New Year tops a standard hot mocha with cheese-based whipped cream, and a miniature Swiss cheese round.

Oatmeal Latte

Served hot or cold, this oatmeal-based latte with a crunchy grain and berry cereal topping is a popular, healthful Starbucks menu item here.

Taiwan

Tea-based drinks are the norm at Starbucks locations in Taiwan. The sub-tropical climate also calls for plenty of frosty beverages.

Iced Black Tea With Ruby Grapefruit and Honey

This popular iced tea beverage combines traditional black tea with tart red grapefruit juice. Honey is added for a touch of extra sweetness.

Iced Shaken Green Tea With Aloe and Prickly Pear

Sounding like something that would feel soothing on a sunburn, this blended iced tea beverage pairs brewed green tea with cooling diced aloe, and sweetened prickly pear syrup.

Iced Matcha and Espresso Fusion

With half-matcha tea, half-espresso, and a splash of milk, this cold blended drink has plenty of caffeine for an energy boost on hot days. It also has an ombre appearance that makes it totally Instagrammable.

Indonesia

Indonesians enjoy their coffee and the Starbucks menu in this country reveals a national predilection for sweet and crunchy treats.

Salted Caramel Mocha Crumble

Available hot or iced, this decadent drink is made by blending mocha espresso with toffee nut syrup, and topping it with sweetened whipped cream, caramel sauce, and a crunchy mixture of turbinado sugar and sea salt.

Orange Honeycomb Crunch Frappuccino

No coffee is used in this Frappuccino that is said to taste like a liquid Creamsicle. Real cream is blended with a sweet orange syrup, and topped with fluffy whipped cream, crunchy orange honeycomb candy, and a citrus drizzle.

Chestnut Mont Blanc Latte

This dark, nutty, delicious, hot coffee beverage would make a warming Christmas tipple. It starts with a classic latte (made with espresso and steamed milk), and adds chestnut syrup for flavoring, and espresso whipped cream on top.

Phillipines

Milky dark coffees, and sweet blended drinks, are popular menu items here.

Ristretto Bianco

The Ristretto Bianco is a standard Starbucks menu item in this coffee-loving country. This hot coffee beverage with espresso and steamed milk is similar to an Italian latte but includes an extra shot of ristretto (a more highly-concentrated espresso coffee) for extra boldness.

Chocolate Cream Chip Frappuccino

For chocolate lovers who would rather drink dessert than eat it, this sweet and creamy Frappuccino is an excellent option. It is much like an American mocha, but with extra chocolate chips in the blend. It is topped with a cloud of whipped cream, and drizzled with mocha syrup.

United Kingdom

Dessert-like drinks are popular at Starbucks coffee houses in the rainy and chilly U.K.

Creme Brulee Macchiato

Inspired by the upscale restaurant dessert, this indulgent warm beverage begins with a base of creamy custard sauce, which is blended with sweetened whipped cream, and topped with ribbons of sugary caramel.

Butterscotch Brûlée Latte

Creamy and comforting, this luxurious blend of espresso, steamed milk, and caramelized butterscotch sauce sounds like a comforting way to fend off cold weather.