Slippery oily film. Starbucks now has coffee with special additives.

American coffee chain Starbucks launches a new line of drinks with Oleato. The most important thing: a spoonful of cold-pressed olive oil added to the coffee. Does this taste?

Coffee and olive oil, you can’t do that. Or is he?

If you believe Starbucks, these two ingredients go very well together. Because the American coffee chain is introducing a new range of drinks to its Italian subsidiaries this week under the name Oleato.

Oleato drinks aren’t just about flavors. Each serving actually contains a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. This makes an additional 120 calories. Manufacturers do not see this as a problem, but rather as an advantage of the healthy unsaturated fatty acids that olive oil brings with it.

According to nutritionist Daniel Haines of Biel’s Paramediform, a spoonful of olive oil is harmless. “You don’t gain weight that way,” says the nutritionist. Olive oil is known for its unsaturated fatty acids. These help the body absorb fat-soluble vitamins. It can have a positive effect on lowering cholesterol levels.

Slippery film of oil in the cup

Starbucks makes no other health claims about the drink. The company hopes that the taste will win people over.

According to CNN correspondent Danielle Weiner Brunner, who tasted the beverage in New York, you can see the slippery film of oil in a cup without having to squint. I loved the first sip, but after that the olive oil taste was way too much.

Olive Oil Coffee is also expected to launch in Southern California, the UK, the Middle East and Japan later this year. It is not yet clear if and when the new creations will be available in Swiss Starbucks stores.

According to Starbucks, CEO Howard Schultz was instrumental in launching Olive Oil Coffee. Because last year, Schultz met olive oil producer Tommaso Asaro, who introduced him to the practice of eating a tablespoon of olive oil every day. Asaro is the chairman of the United Olive Oil Company, through which Starbucks acquires olive oil. This marked the end of Schultz’s 40-year career at Starbucks.