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» We gave McDonald’s new honey mustard fries a taste to see if they’re worth your time!【Taste Test】

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We gave McDonald’s new honey mustard fries a taste to see if they’re worth your time!【Taste Test】

Meg Murphy Jul 7, 2016
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Not as bold a combination as chocolate fries, but still a tasty match made in fast food heaven.

While loyal customers will enjoy having an unchanging menu of classic favorites at their restaurant of choice, seasonal and limited-edition menu items are no doubt an ingenious way to keep customers interested and periodically coming back. McDonald’s of Japan are masters of the seasonal menu, it seems, with new menu items coming out nearly every month or so.

Last time they tried out something crazy with their French fries was back in January, with the McChoco Potato, which may have had some people questioning McD’s sanity but in reality, as we found out, the sweet-savory combination was actually a nice match.

This time, however, they’ve stuck to a more recognized pairing with their new Classic Fry Hachimitsu Mustard (honey mustard). Always with a taste for something new, we headed to our nearest McDonald’s on June 6, the day the honey mustard fries became available.

The fries can be bought alone for 330 yen (US$3.30), or can replace a plain order of fries in any value meal for 60 yen ($0.60) extra. When you order the hachimitsu mustard fries, they come served in a specially-designed box – same as the chocolate fries were – with a squeeze packet of honey mustard sauce on the side. You are also provided with a fork for more clean-fingered eating.

The packet of honey mustard sauce is designed for simple, clean dispersion of sauce over the fries. Simply fold the packet in half, squeezing the two pouches together to force the sauce through the opening.

▼ So easy, the packet can be opened and applied single-handedly!

The yellow honey mustard, when applied to the fries, looks strikingly similar to nacho cheese sauce, but the presence of mustard seeds and the pungent vinegary scent makes sure there’s no mistaking the sauce for cheese!

The sauce is creamy and the mustard scent very distinct over the hot potatoes.

Next was the moment of truth — the taste test. With our thoughtfully provided fork, we dug into the saucy pile of fries and took our first bite. The taste of mustard is as strong and distinct as the scent, to the point that the first bite was a little overwhelming. After stirring up the fries a bit, allowing the sauce concentrated on the top to evenly coat the sad, sauce-less fries underneath as well. With the honey mustard distributed more evenly, we took another bite. The taste was still distinctly mustard, yet more subtle this time, allowing the familiar potato-ey saltiness through too.

As it turned out, one of our Japanese writers, Ryou, also happened to grab a box of the limited-edition fries! So, here’s an accounting of his take on the fries as well for comparison.

▼ “Friiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiies!”

Aside from feeling a bit like Winnie the Pooh gobbling down jar after jar of honey, Ryou seemed to enjoy the fries…

▼ “This is…actually way better than expected!”

…and he was pretty pleased with the combination of honey and mustard, saying that the sweet honey drew out the flavor of the mustard. But! That wasn’t the end of his thoughts on the fast food dish — perhaps due to the strong flavor or maybe because of how thick the sauce was, Ryou told us he suddenly felt a violent desire for something to drink while eating the fries. In the end, with the mustard base, he felt the sauce matched the fries well — but was certainly glad to have a glass when done eating.

So, fans of mustard will surely be pleased by this classic mix of flavors. The Classic Fry Hachimitsu Mustard is, like its chocolate-y predecessor, only on sale for a limited time, so if you’re in the mood for a tangy, salty snack, you had better hurry!

Especially in case that adorable Disney bear hears about it…