Friday, September 28, 2012

BK's Black Burger and McDonald's KitKat Strawberry Flurry (Product Info.)

There are two things to mention today. One is that, on Friday, September 28, Burger King is offering a limited edition burger with a black bun. This has been mentioned in a lot of other news outlets that are far bigger than my blog so I don't want that to be the only focus of this post. The burger is to bring attention to the fact that it is Burger King's 5th anniversary in Japan. The thing is, it's not really their 5th anniversary. Burger King was in Japan far earlier, but they failed and disappeared then returned. They opened their first business in 1982 and closed in 2001, so this celebrates the last 5 successful years from 2007-2012. It's a little like Liz Taylor's two marriages to Richard Burton and pretending the first time never happened.


Image taken from Burger King Japan's press release on their web site.

The burger's bun is black because it has been mixed with squid ink. I'm sure that'll get your mouths watering. There is also something about bamboo charcoal being used to bring out the flavor of the burger and the bun. Some outlets are mistakenly reporting that the buns are black because of the charcoal, but I think that's a mistake as they'd have to be burned to a crisp to be so black due to any sort of cooking. There's also paprika as part of the flavor profile.

If I were still in Japan, I wouldn't touch this with a 10-foot pole because I don't eat beef. My husband probably would have tried it, but I'm guessing even he might have been put off by the notion of squid ink in his food. I'm sure that it's far less disgusting than it sounds, but it sounds fairly gross. Anyway, by the time you read this, the burger will be finished since it'll only be available in limited quantities for one day.

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Image taken from McDonald's web site.

On the side of BK's rival, McDonald's, there is a somewhat more compelling item. They're selling a "MacFlurry" which is blended with strawberry sauce and little bits of KitKat. I don't know if it is a coincidence, but this is being released on the same day as the black burger (September 28). It's available for 230 yen ($3.07) from 10:30 am and can't be had at all shops, but it will be around for longer than a single day.

The image makes it appear that the bits of KitKat are actually pretty tiny. This isn't surprising since too much candy in it would make the result too sweet for Japanese tastes. The big focus is on the strawberry sauce. If anyone in Japan gives this a try, I'd be curious about the sweetness level and the textural aspects. It seems like very little of the wafers would come through with such specks of KitKat as shown here.
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6 comments:

  1. thegypsieSeptember 28, 2012 at 10:17 AM

    I am very curious about trying sweets in Japan. I like sweets but not anything TOO sweet. I may actually enjoy their version of Mc Flurry. Thanks for sharing. Does squid ink have a yucky taste?

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  2. Orchid64September 28, 2012 at 12:20 PM

    I can't recall ever tasting squid ink, to be honest. I think once, a very long time ago, I may have eaten something utterly gross which contained it, but I can't recall the taste.

    Still, to my mind, squid ink = black urine. ;-)

    I think you would like their McFlurry. I taught a guy who worked at McDonald's headquarters and he told me that their shakes and ice cream were formulated for less sweetness, but more creaminess (they had a higher fat content).

    Thanks for commenting!

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  3. Japan-AustraliaSeptember 28, 2012 at 5:47 PM

    Yes, it is to celebrate their 5th come back anniversary in Japan. The burger’s buns are blackened with the use of bamboo charcoals (たけすみ)and the sauce features mayonnaise and a special dark ketchup coloured and flavoured with garlic and squid ink (いかすみ).

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  4. Allie, Peeps2September 28, 2012 at 8:04 PM

    I so miss having new McFlurry flavors every month, although I suppose my waistline doesn't. :) The best was the McShokora (sp?) McFlurry, which was a regular Oreo one with chocolate sauce. Now I live in the US and can get them custom made whenever I want! HA!

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  5. NatSeptember 29, 2012 at 6:58 AM

    I just had the new McFlurry KitKat & Strawberry this afternoon, and was very surprised that you have already featured the product information! You're so on to it! ;)

    I brought my McFlurry for 190 yen as discount coupon is available for those who have the McDonald app on their iPhones. I did enjoy McDonald's new product, and found that it wasn't too sweet. Actually, for me, I found it to be a bit sour on my first bite, but then after two or three spoons, I started to enjoy the creamy flavor, as well the KitKat bits. The only part I was disappointed on was the KitKat. I initially thought that they would actually put broken KitKat pieces in there, but later found out that they weren't. I think that if they were broken KitKat pieces, it would have been tastier because the bits didn't give enough 'wafers texture' in my opinion. However, I really did enjoy the strawberry sauce mixed with the rather milky ice-cream. I would definite go back for another.

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  6. glitter beastSeptember 30, 2012 at 6:56 AM

    i tried the burger!
    to be honest it wasn't much different from a "normal" tasting burger. did taste a bit charcoal-y, like as if it had been made on an actual outdoor charcoal bbq. the sauce was a bit tangy, didn't taste much of the garlic (and squid ink doesn't have much flavor anyway). the black sauce made it a bit messy to eat.

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Some people have been abusing the privilege of being allowed to post anonymously, so, unfortunately, I've had to disable anonymous commenting capability. My apologies to the well-intentioned who post as anonymous but the bad apples have spoiled it for everyone.