Make-them-yourself Pokémon frappes arrive at Japanese convenience stores, can be mixed at home too

Japanese convenience store FamilyMart gave us not just one, but two reasons to stop by on April 28, with the release of a pair of Pokémon-themed dessert drinks. Additions to the chain’s Famima Frappe line, these two new beverages are tie-ins with Pokémon Pokopia, the town-building Pokémon spinoff in which you play as a community-minded Ditto, and both the Strawberry and Ramune Soda Famima Frappe flavors feature Ditto and Pikachu on their packaging.

▼ That might look like a Lapras on the left, but it’s actually a shapeshifted Ditto.

As with other Famima Frappes, these are stocked in the freezer section as frozen drink bases. You grab your cup, make your payment, and then actually go over to the in-store coffee machine to get a squirt of milk to complete the drink. However, this means that if you want to sip your Pokémon Famima Frappe in the comfort of your own home, you’ve got to play a game of beat the clock, rushing home before the frappe gets all warm and melted, right?

It turns out, though, that you actually can enjoy a freshly made Pokémon Famima Frappe at home, as long as you’ve got milk there too.

Finishing the production process at home is pretty simple. First, remove the plastic film covering the top of the cup and give the container a few squeezes to break up some of the frozen base. You don’t want to completely crush it, so a gradual, gentle motion, like you’re kneading dough, is ideal.

Next you’ll need to add 70 milliliters of cold milk. In the case of the Pokémon Famima Frappes, though, you won’t really need a measuring cup, because adding 70 milliliters of milk should bring the liquid right up to the line at the top of the illustrated Pokémon artwork.

Finally, give the mixture a few nice stirs with a straw. Even if you don’t make your Famima Frappe in the store, they’ll still give you the thick straw and lid to attach after mixing the drink, if you want them, for that professional-grade feel.

So how do they taste? Delicious! The Strawberry Famima Frappe is a classic strawberry milk flavor, of the kind that’s been popular in Japan for generations, with bits of fruit and strawberry-flavored gelatin for an extra tart accent in the flavor profile. The Ramune Soda version, meanwhile, has the apple/citrus taste associated with this pale blue color in the Japanese sweets world. The ice crystals are larger than with the Strawberry Famima Frappe, making the Ramune Soda version feel part-way between a drink and a cup of shaved ice.

Both flavors are priced at 360 yen and are on sale for a limited time.