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Which sauce goes best with the new shrimp nuggets from McDonald’s Japan?

Oona McGee Oct 2, 2023
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The Puripuri Ebi Purio needs a flavour boost, so we get creative with the sauces.

On 20 September, McDonald’s surprised everyone by adding a new type of nugget to its menu called the Puripuri Ebi Purio. (“Tender Shrimp Purio”).

The “Purio” in the name plays on “Filet-O” from “Ebi Filet-O”, the chain’s shrimp burger in Japan, so everyone had high expectations for the new release. However, when we tried the nuggets last week, they were tasty but they didn’t quite live up to our expectations, falling short with a light flavour that needed an extra boost.

▼ The garlic and black pepper in the fried nuggets is surprisingly subdued.

One way they could’ve been improved was if they’d been sold with a specially made sauce to accentuate the shrimp flavour. The chain is yet to release any type of sauce to pair with the Purio, though, so we’re taking matters into our own hands today by trying them again, this time with eight different sauces to find out which makes for the best combination.

So let’s get straight to it by starting the taste test with…

1. Lemon Juice

This classic pairing of lemon juice and seafood was a no-brainer, with the zesty zing of citrus adding a tasty, refreshing lift to the nuggets.

2. Ketchup

McDonald’s staff were kind enough to give us a tub of ketchup when we requested it, and we were pleased to find that the sweet and sour tomato flavour went well with the shrimp. This combination is one that’ll appeal to a wide variety of palates, including those of children.

3. Mayonnaise

The rich, decadent flavour of mayonnaise makes the nuggets taste sinfully good. Mellow yet addictive, this is another great combination, although we can imagine that after a while it would start to make your stomach feel full and heavy.

4. Wasabi

This provided a very refreshing aftertaste, but it’s so intense it drowns out the taste of garlic. Still, if you’re not that crazy about garlic, that might be a good thing.

5. Mustard

The acidity and spice here is just right, allowing the flavours to harmonise perfectly together without taking anything away from the original taste.

6. Sushinoko

Usually used to create vinegared rice for sushi, this powdered vinegar seasoning was a creative partnering that ended up being too out there for our tastes. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great either.

7. Sriracha sauce

This hot chilli sauce, made with ingredients like chili pepper, vinegar, garlic, sugar, and salt, has a mild spiciness and garlic flavour that goes well with the Purio. Highly recommended for those who love spicy food!

8. Buldak sauce

This fiery red sauce from South Korea is usually used to coat chicken, but it goes equally well with the shrimp nuggets. This sauce is hot, punchy, and filled with garlic, proving that a garlic-based sauce makes a good partner for the purio.

Out of the eight types of seasonings we tried, our top three are as follows:

1. Mustard
2. Lemon Juice
3. Sriracha sauce

These are just our personal preferences, of course, but for us, the acidity of these condiments paired well with the deep-fried nuggets, adding some much-needed freshness and a punch of flavour at the same time.

It’s the first time in 15 years that McDonald’s has added a new shrimp-based item to its side menu in Japan, so this might just be the beginning of a new series of unusual nuggets in Japan. On sale in packs of five for 260 yen (US$1.76), the Puripuri Ebi Purio will be on the menu for a limited time until late October.

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