Of all McDonald’s stores I’ve been to around the world (including Australia, Singapore, and the UAE), Japan has the MOST exotic menu items!
It’s true! McDonald’s Japan is a rabbit hole of exotic menu items that typically reflect the seasons through traditional Japanese flavors and ingredients.
Indeed, there is an endless list of unique menu items you can only get at McDonald’s branches in Japan. However, in this article, I’ll simply be hand-picking the most exotic menu items that reflect Japanese culture and heritage.
5. Tsukimi Pie
First up is an autumn special that only comes around during the Moon Festival season. The Tsukimi Pie is a red bean paste and mochi pie part of McDonald’s Japan’s Tsukimi menu.
While the outer pie crust is identical to the classic apple pie, the interior boasts a sweet red paste made from Japanese azuki (sweet red bean) and mochi (Japanese rice cake). It’s significantly less sweet than the apple pie and definitely suits older customers with lower sugar tolerance.
4. Ume Nori Shaka Shaka Fries
Of all the unique savory goods I’ve had from McDonald’s in Japan, the Ume Nori Shaka Shaka fries are by far the most exotic. Combining the sour taste of ume (pickled plum) and the salty sea taste of nori (seaweed), this common Japanese delicacy has been turned into a powdered seasoning for your McDonald’s french fries!
If there was an award for the “most Japanese-tasting item,” this one certainly takes the top spot. It’s the kind of taste that people either love or hate, but for me, it was quite charming. The first taste hit me like “This is weird!” but was quickly followed with “Why can’t I stop eating it?” Definitely worth a try!
3. Uji Matcha Frappé
Sourcing its ingredients from Uji, the matcha green tea capital of the world, the Uji Matcha Frappé boasts a high-quality beverage that is both delicious and soothing. Full of antioxidants (and all that other tea stuff), it’s one of those drinks that doesn’t make you feel quite as bad as drinking a sugary chocolate shake.
Nevertheless, the Uji Matcha Frappé still carries its fair share of sugar and calories, but there’s no doubt that green tea is a healthier flavor-alternative to chocolate. As far as I know, this McCafe drink is not available at McDonald’s branches outside of Japan, hence I would classify it as an exotic menu item by all definitions.
2. Matcha Mochi Pie
As spring arrives in Japan, there’s been a surge of sakura (cherry blossom) flavored items in convenience stores, cafés, and restaurants. Well, if you thought McDonald’s would release a sakura item too, you thought wrong!
For whatever reason, McDonald’s Japan is celebrating the cherry blossom season with the Matcha Mochi Pie. Featuring a delicious crunchy exterior as per the standard McDonald’s pies, this one comes with a rich matcha green tea paste and a lightly sweetened mochi rice cake paste for a very “Japanesey” flavor dynamic.
1. Azuki Milk Frappé
Alongside the Matcha Mochi Pie came the Azuki Milk Frappé in celebration of Japan’s spring season. The pink colors certainly had me fooled thinking it would be cherry blossom flavored, but it was in fact made of azuki or “sweet red bean” with a sprinkle of matcha green tea powder on top.
I put this drink as the number one item as I have never seen a beverage made by McDonald’s where they quite literally put sweetened bean toppings on the top. Truly a drink that you’d expect to find only in an Asian café or restaurant, I quite enjoyed the subtle sweet and “beany” taste of the Azuki Milk Frappé (despite not being a huge azuki fan).
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