McDonald's South Korea Has A Burger With 2 Patties You Won't See In The US

It is a quiet comfort to know that wherever you travel in the world, you can go to any McDonald's and find a familiar, fairly standardized menu. That said, McDonald's in other countries also offer fast food versions of local flavors, often as burgers reflecting regional tastes and culinary trends. While you can't purchase these items in the U.S., if you find yourself in South Korea, you can get a "Shrimp Beef Burger." This burger consists of a breaded shrimp patty, a beef patty, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, and a spicy, creamy sauce on a toasted bun.

The Shrimp Beef Burger is an example of "surf 'n' turf," which combines seafood and red meat for a main course. McDonald's takes this a step further by forming the shrimp into a patty before breading and deep-frying it, giving a welcome, warm crunch that contrasts with the smoother bite of beef. The burger is then finished off with the requisite toppings, the classic McDonald's sesame seed bun, and the aforementioned special sauce popularly known as "Toowoomba sauce" in South Korea.

Toowomba sauce has been popular in South Korea in recent years, despite having little to do with the country or Australian town it is named after. It was originally created and popularized by Outback Steakhouse, the Australian-themed, Florida-based restaurant chain. Toowoomba sauce is offered as a selection on the pasta section of its menu and took off in South Korea. And how could it not? Toowoomba sauce contains cream and some form of chili powder. In South Korea, the sauce often incorporates gochugaru, a red chili powder and Tajin alternative that Sunny Anderson can't get enough of. It's is usually cooked with mushrooms and shrimp.

This spicy and creamy sauce is an obvious pairing for the shrimp in the McDonald's Shrimp Beef Burger, capitalizing on the tastebuds of trendy South Koreans. Add on the hefty bite of a beef patty, and you have a meal that is a perfect fusion of popular American and Asians flavors.