Starbucks in China unveils new pork latte to mark Lunar New Year – complete with savory sauce and meat on a skewer

Starbucks has released a new pork latte to celebrate Lunar New Year, complete with a savory sauce and a piece of meat on top.

The drink, available in about 25 Starbucks branches in China, combines espresso and steamed milk with stewed pork sauce from Dongpo.

The special combination is garnished with a square piece of pork and has an 'interesting taste', according to the coffee chain.

The drink, which costs around 68 yuan (£7.50), is called the 'Abundant Year Savory Latte'.

Stewed pork is considered a staple food during Lunar New Year celebrations. Pork is representative of 'a rich, prosperous life', 'wealth', 'strength' and 'abundant blessings'.

Dongpo rou is a popular dish that often appears on dinner tables during Chinese New Year festivities in southern China.

It is made from braised pork belly, rock sugar, soy sauce, yellow wine and other seasonings, and is named after the ancient poet, painter and statesman Su Dongpo.

Promotional images posted by Shanghai Starbucks Reserve Roastery on Chinese social media platform Weibo showed a drizzle of dark red sauce on the latte foam – with a square slice of pork on a skewer resting on the rim of the mug.

“Eating meat means prosperity in the coming year,” Starbucks captioned the post ahead of the Lunar New Year.

Starbucks Reserve stores across China have pledged to 'bring traditional New Year's customs to coffee' The Telegraph.

The popular coffee chain has also reportedly unveiled plans to sell a Red Date Rice Flavor Macchiato, a Fortune Almond Macchiato and a Black Sesame Latte as part of their Chinese New Year menu.

According to a report from China, China has the largest market for branded coffee shops in the world World Coffee Portalafter overtaking the United States last year.

The drink, available at about 25 Starbucks across China, combines espresso and steamed milk with stewed pork sauce from Dongpo

The report stated that China has long been one of the key growth drivers for Starbucks and that the US coffee chain is targeting 9,000 stores in the country by 2025.

According to Chinese tradition, 2024 will celebrate the Wooden Dragon, which is said to promote progress, growth and abundance.

In Chinese culture, the Dragon symbolizes talent, power and excellence, meaning that 2024 is expected to be a year of change, opportunities and challenges.

The date of the Lunar New Year varies slightly from year to year, this year it starts on February 10.

The dragon is the fifth of the twelve animals in the Chinese zodiac, including the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.

The special combination is topped with a square piece of pork and, according to the coffee chain, has an 'interesting taste'

The celebration takes place throughout Asia and is a national holiday in South Korea, Vietnam, Malaysia, North Korea and Taiwan.

Unlike the New Year on the Roman calendar, the Lunar New Year changes, although it usually falls between January 21 and February 20.

Those who celebrate Chinese New Year mark the occasion by purchasing gifts, clothing, food and decorations that embrace popular themes such as wealth, luck and happiness.

Each of the 15 days has a specific role, and often those who take part in the celebrations will adhere to the traditional beliefs of each day.

The first day is often reserved for people to honor the elders within their family, while the third day is generally accepted as a bad day to socialize with family or friends.

The last day of the Chinese New Year is traditionally marked by a Lantern Festival, where people walk the streets carrying lanterns and lighting candles outside their homes.

It is tradition to cleanse a house of all misfortunes and try to reconcile with others, removing negativity from your life.

Observers of Chinese New Year traditionally decorate with the color red as it is believed to bring good luck.

People often send red envelopes to their near and dear ones and it is one of the most culturally important celebrations for China.

It is estimated that more than two billion people worldwide celebrate the festival, which is also called the Lunar New Year.

London has the largest Chinese New Year festivities outside Asia and thousands of revelers come to admire the colorful processions.