The Newest Sundae From McDonald's China Has A Divisive Topping
McDonald's has wowed fans across the world in part thanks to their diverse dessert menu. According to Tally Press, Japanese diners can pick up Pumpkin Oreo McFlurries around Halloween, Denmark locations sell Toblerone McFlurries, and patrons in Hong Kong can pick up Lilac Sweet Potato Soft Serve ice cream that comes in an Oreo waffle cone. Chinese McDonald's now plan to jump aboard the dessert train and offer local shoppers something sweet and unique. While this new item broadens the menus at McDonald's locations across China, not every diner has come to terms with the dessert's toppings.
According to Mashable, diners can dish out approximately $1 for an ice cream sundae topped with cilantro. The plastic cups of ice cream feature classic vanilla soft serve and come doused with a neon green cilantro syrup and sprinkles of cilantro. Some might find the taste of this offering almost minty due to the heavy amounts of the herb seen in the dessert, but others might wretch at the idea of cilantro-heavy ice cream. One user on Twitter noted, "I bought one, pretty good. But it is more like lime and mint, but not cilantro." While reviewers and some users on social media have found something to like in this find, not everyone has loved the offering.
A polarizing ice cream topping
McDonald's diners can't come to a consensus over this bright green dessert. Over on Reddit, some couldn't stand the idea of this treat, saying, "I hate cilantro. Tastes like soap," and "I like cilantro, but I'm not sure I'd try this." Another tweet read, "This is a crime against humanity. We should have boycotted the Olympics."
Some of the cilantro hate might stem back to a genetic trait certain people have. According to Forbes, some folks have a genetic marker that makes the herb taste soapy, dirt-like, and even metallic. Ice cream and dirt don't mix, and it only makes sense that this dessert proves particularly unattractive for those who find cilantro disgusting on a biological level. Diners stateside can take heart knowing that the ice cream currently only exists in China, and the promotion featuring the item ends on February 25 (via Mashable). For all the cilantro-haters out there, keep your fingers crossed that this item stays on the other side of the Pacific Ocean for now.