Pistachio-flavoured things seem to be everywhere, and now Starbucks have jumped onto the hype with their brand new products – but are they worth the social media hype?
If you’ve ever had the pleasure of visiting Sicily, in Italy, you’ll know that pistachio-flavoured everything is…well, everywhere.
Before I went in 2023, pistachio-flavoured foods weren’t really on my radar. When I left, I was keen for more but bitterly disappointed that they were quite tricky to get in the UK. But that’s all changed now, as the popularity of the nut has hugely increased over the last year.
We’re seeing Easter eggs with pistachio-flavoured truffles and even the viral Dubai chocolate, which is packed with pistachios and knafeh. And now Starbucks has hopped on the trend with their drinks and loaf cake offering. But is it as good as what I sampled in Italy?
Heading to my local Starbucks drive-thru, I was really excited to try the flavour. Truth be told, since I came back from Sicily, I haven’t had many pistachio-flavoured things, so I was keen to see whether Starbucks had managed to nail it.
I opted for the Pistachio Velvet Latte, as I’d seen on social media that people were not as keen on the iced version (which is typically what I would’ve gone for) with some saying “you can’t even taste the pistachio” on X, formerly Twitter.
However, others had hyped the drink so much, so my expectations were really high, with some begging them to “never get rid of the pistachio syrup,” and someone else even wrote: “I would give my kidney to always have pistachio cold foam at Starbucks”.
Once I’d let the drink cool down, I was keen to sip it, and on the first try, I was shocked at how sweet the drink was. It was definitely very tasty, but I think the syrup could taste a little more like pistachio. Comparing it to the strong nutty flavours I got so used to in Sicily, it almost tasted more white-chocolatey.
For those who aren’t the biggest fan of pistachio, I’d say you’re safe to give this a go. It’s tasty, more-ish, but the flavour isn’t overbearing. Admittedly, though, I do prefer something a little stronger, but for £5.50, it wasn’t bad at all, and left me feeling cosy.
Weirdly, later that evening, I was at the Trafford Centre when I passed Starbucks and saw samples of the cold version being given out. I knew I had to try it and compare it to the hot version to see whether social media had swayed me in the right direction.
When I tried the cold version, I was instantly hit with the same sweet taste as its hot counterpart; however, what I did notice was that, for some reason, it had more of a strong pistachio aftertaste. Maybe more syrup had been put in this one, but even though I only had a tiny mouthful, it was delicious.
Despite the fact that the syrup isn’t as strong as anything I tried in Italy, I’d definitely recommend this tasty drink while it’s available – but unlike most people, I’d probably opt for the cold version next time. And perhaps I’d try the loaf cake they have available…
Will you be trying the pistachio flavoured drinks, or have you already? Let us know in the comments…
