Just recently, Pepsi announced that they would be making a very particular addition to their collection of exciting Japan-exclusive flavors such as sakura, Christmas cake, and yuzu-flavored Japan cola.

We say particular because it's certainly that. The new "Pepsi Zero Karaage Senyo" ("Pepsi Zero exclusively for karaage") is a special formula Pepsi Zero designed to specifically be paired with karaage, Japanese-style fried chicken.

With karaage being "the food of the people" as Suntory put it, we decided to pick up a batch of the crispy and juicy fried chicken and a bottle of the new Pepsi specifically tailored to suit karaage to find out if they were indeed the perfect match!

The first thing you'll notice about the new Pepsi is that it's only available in 600ml, so it's perhaps meant to be paired with heftier servings of karaage. The label itself shows a sizzling batch of Japanese-style fried chicken, and notes that it's "油ギレさっぱり", which is a reference to the dietary fiber added to the Pepsi Zero formula to help cut through the greasiness of karaage and provide for more refreshing complement.

The next thing you'll notice is that the Pepsi is transparent, which is supposed to be a visual reflection of its zero calorie nature to relieve worries of added calories on top of all that karaage you'll be consuming and quenching thirst.

Sampling the new Pepsi on its own, it definitely lives up to its billing of having far less of a cola scent than usual. Also true to what Suntory has said about the new formula is that Pepsi Zero Karaage Senyo is less sweet than even the standard Pepsi Zero. You might even describe it as a club soda but with a familiar Pepsi Zero aftertaste.

We opted to pair it with Karaage Bou, a skewer of karaage nuggets sold by 7-Eleven in Japan.

So how did they fair together? To be quite honest, it's bit hard to tell how "dietary fiber" counters the oil of fried chicken in a taste test, but the new Pepsi Zero Karaage Senyo definitely has a subtle sweetness and a balance struck between flavor and refreshment that makes it an easier cola to wash down hearty karaage down with, without overpowering the crispy and juicy bits of chicken with the heavier spice and sweetness of your usual cola.

All in all, if you're a fan of digging into your fried chicken, karaage or otherwise, with cola, you may actually already prefer that pairing of flavors to begin with. However, Pepsi Zero Karaage Senyo takes off just enough bite from your usual Pepsi to make it worth picking up to help appreciate your karaage's flavor just that much more into between sips if you're in Japan.