Choc mint ice cream season hits Japan with a spectacular drinkable ice cream from Tully’s

2 days ago 10

Are you a Chokominto supporter? If you are, then you will be gearing up for a very busy, and refreshing, summer in Japan, because Chokominto means “Choco Mint To”, where to (“political party”) humorously refers to the chocolate mint party, a faction despised by some and strongly supported by others.

Choc mint is certainly a divisive flavor combination, but here in Japan, where summers can be excruciatingly hot and brutal, it’s become immensely popular, so much so that “Chokominto” quickly became a common term, with people proudly declaring their support for it.

This summer, those supporters are being treated to a whole slew of new treats, and one that’s currently causing a stir is the Chocolate Mint Shake from Japanese coffeehouse chain Tully’s.

This beverage is so thick it’s more like a drinkable ice cream than a shake, but what makes it even more special is the fact that you can request extra mint, making it one of the strongest mint-to-chocolate drinks on the market.

▼ The Chocolate Mint Shake retails for 790 yen

Image: SoarNews24

The blue-green hues will immediately refresh your mind when you lay your eyes on the shake, and the pop of contrasting color with the bright orange straw is another nice visual touch. The topping of chocolate shavings adds another accent in color and, as it turns out, texture.

We ordered our shake with extra mint, and the resulting flavor was super minty, hitting the taste buds with an invigorating freshness. Thankfully, there was no “toothpaste-like” taste that’s sometimes evident in chocolate mint products – it was purely a fresh mint zing that paired beautifully with the chocolate, all wrapped up in a rich and creamy, ice cream-like texture. It was a delightful sensation, and the occasional crunch of the chocolate shavings added a nice surprise in between mouthfuls.

It was such an exquisite balance between mint and chocolate that we’d describe it as the golden ratio of choc mint. It’s by far the best chocolate mint product we’ve ever tasted, and so good it has the power to move a chocominto fan to tears.

As a home-grown coffeehouse that tends to sit in the shadow of Starbucks, Tully’s is often coming out with unusual releases to stay in the competition. The Chocolate Mint Shake is a great example of that, and a good reminder that sometimes the best finds can be found in the shadows.