If you clicked on this article because you thought there was going to be a green tea flavour beverage inspired by mecha (giant fighting robots in anime), I’m sorry to disappoint you. Meccha is Japanese slang meaning very or really. The word started off as Kansai dialect and spread to the rest of Japan. Its origins make it the perfect word to use for the Osaka-only Starbucks special new matcha range, hinting at the potent flavour of the beverages.

The new drinks will be exclusive to 105 branches in the Osaka area to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Starbucks in Osaka. We usually think of Kyoto as Japan's epicentre of tea culture, due to Uji, the most famous green tea producing area. But Osaka has it's own claim to fame when it comes to tea. The city of Sakai is the birthplace of the most famous historical tea master, Sen no Rikyu, who had a profound influence on traditional Japanese tea ceremony.

In honour of Osaka's historical links to tea culture, the 20th anniversary drinks will contain over 1.5 times the usual amount of matcha powder to give an intense green tea boost to the flavour.

The Osaka Meccha Matcha Frappuccino features a photogenic colour contrast of a pure white vanilla base with rich green matcha piled on top. The crowning glory is a heaping of whipped cream with caramel sauce, chocolate sauce and even more matcha powder on top.

There's also the Osaka Meccha Matcha Latte, which takes the idea of the beloved Matcha Tea Latte to the extreme with the Meccha Matcha rich flavour and the whipped cream and sauces on top. It's available as either a hot or cold drink. As a special celebration of Osaka culture, the cup has various Osaka dialect words and slang incorporated into the design.

If you happen to be in the Osaka area and want an intense matcha experience give them a try! The range is only available for a short time from 12th to 21st October.