How The McFlurry Inspired An Instant Hiccup Cure
The McFlurry is one of the most loved desserts from McDonald's. It was created in Canada in the 1990s (via CTV News). The franchisee behind the dessert, Ron McLellan, mentioned that he definitely didn't predict that his dessert would get so much love from McDonald's fans. "I never expected that my creation would circle the globe with countries mixing together their own unique flavors," he said.
An intriguing thing about this dessert is that it always comes equipped with a unique spoon that does seem like it could be a straw, but isn't one. However, the design of the McFlurry spoon does serve a purpose. A McDonald's staff member gave out more details on Tumblr, writing, "we fill the cup with ice cream, we dump the Oreos on top, we stick the spoon in, we put the entire thing in a machine and use the spoon to stir your McFlurry."
The spoon is more useful than you think. It has even inspired someone to find a hiccup cure, as per Mashable.
It is an innovative solution
Let's face it: Nobody likes being forced to deal with annoying hiccups. But what if there was a way to stop them quickly with minimal effort? Well, we'd jump on the bandwagon! According to Mashable, a neuro-intensive care physician from the University of Texas, Dr. Ali Seifi, has come up with a solution for those pesky hiccups. His eureka moment happened when he saw his son eating a McFlurry. He noticed how the straw was basically difficult to work with. His son had to use a lot more "suctioning force" to get to the ice cream, which made his diaphragm contract.
This was plenty of inspiration for Seifi, who then worked on creating an L-shaped straw titled the HiccAway that is similar to a McFlurry spoon. It works by making you use extra force to suck liquids through the straw, a move that helps the brain hit the reset button and makes hiccups go away.
Each HiccAway is priced at $14. "If you're someone who really hates having the hiccups, this device will work wonders for you. The best way to get rid of hiccups is with HiccAway. After just a few sips through our device, you will notice instant relief from your hiccups," a description on the brand's site reads. What a neat solution!