Canned milkshakes? Nothing special. Canned Pancakes? Bizarre. Put ’em together and you’ve got something that’s especially bizarre: Hotcake Milkshake from Morinaga!
Pancakes or hotcakes ("hotto-keiki") made from Morinaga’s powdered mix are a Japanese institution much like Bisquick or Aunt Jemima in North America. Undoubtedly, more than a few Japanese long for the buttery, maple-infused taste of a Morinaga hotcake breakfast at inconvenient times and places. The solution, sort of, is this semi-literal variation on Carnation’s popular Instant Breakfast drinks.
It’s not the same, of course – Instant Breakfast comes in flavors like Chocolate, Strawberry and Vanilla containing what Carnation says are the average vitamins, minerals and calories you’d get from an average healthy breakfast.
Morinaga, on the other hand, simply strives to imitate the taste of breakfast (and a Morinaga Hotcake breakfast at that) without worrying overly much about vitamins and so forth. They’re not seeking to provide a substitute for brekky, in other words, just a reminder of its glorious, soothing flavor.
Each can of Morinaga Hotcake Milkshake contains 280 grams (10 oz) and costs 120 yen or about $1.40 when it goes on sale September 8th. It’s unknown whether the product will quickly fade from Japan’s ever-changing bizarre soft drink scene like countless other offerings but if Morinaga is smart they’ll export it to the USA and add a little bacon flavoring – it’ll be a huge hit, and not just to the waistline! (via TokyoMango and Walker Plus)
