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Does McDonald’s Japan’s new Tsukimi Moon-Viewing shake really taste like a Pucchin Purin pudding?

Oona McGee Sep 25, 2024
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Taste comparison leads us to a new discovery about Japan’s most popular brand of pudding.

As the days and nights get cooler in Japan, it’s finally beginning to feel like autumn, so it’s nice to be able to enjoy the seasonal tsukimi moon-viewing treats while they’re still available. One of the most popular treats this year has been the Tsukimi McShake served up by McDonald’s, which has been praised by fans for tasting exactly like a Japanese purin (“pudding“).

Officially named “Custard Pudding Flavour Tsukimi McShake“, the purin flavour shouldn’t come as a total surprise, but the shake has become a hot topic online for just how similar it is to Glico’s Pucchin Purin, one of the most popular commercially produced puddings on the market.

▼ Ever the sceptic, we decided to try the two treats side-by-side to see if there was any truth to the claims, starting with the McShake itself.

By the time we got the shake back to the office, it had melted a little but the surface was still white and creamy, and scooping out a spoonful revealed that a lot of it was still icy, with a yellowish, pudding-like hue.

Tasting it was a pleasant surprise, as it really did taste like a purin, delivering smooth vanilla and egg flavours that matched the flavour and texture of the silky dessert. However, would these tasting notes be identical to the Pucchin Purin?

▼ Pucchin Purin

▼ Pulling the tab underneath the pot released the purin so we could slip it out onto a plate and taste a mouthful of its glistening goodness.

The first thing that popped into our heads was: “Was it always this sweet?”

Somehow, the egg and caramel flavours seemed incredibly strong, creating an intense sweetness that made it taste more like a candy than a dessert. Still, we kept an open mind, tasting the McShake to compare, but after taking a sip, the purin flavour was far more subtle.

▼ Figuring this might be due to the fact that the McShake was frozen, we decided to create a more even playing field by freezing the pudding.

Taking a spoonful of the frozen pudding, it appeared that the freezing process did help to dial down the sweetness, but we couldn’t deny that the strong and intense flavours were still there.

So in the end, despite our best efforts, we couldn’t agree with the claims that the McShake tastes exactly like a Pucchin Purin. Sure, it tastes like purin, but it actually has a more elegant sweetness and well-rounded flavour than the popular dessert.

We did discover, however, that frozen purin is delicious and now that we’ve tried it this way, we may find it difficult to ever eat it at fridge coldness ever again. So next time you get your hands on a purin in Japan, you might want to try popping it in the freezer to make it taste even better, and as for the McShake, it’s best to enjoy it as it is, while it’s on the menu until mid-October.

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