You'll Never Guess What's In McDonald's Thailand's New Ice Cream
You might get the same food at different McDonald's restaurants across the United States, but the same can't be said when you step into different Golden Arches around the world. The chain, which operates in more than 100 countries and serves millions daily, offers up a strong case study in localization — and is known for changing up its menu to appeal to local tastes. This is why you will find a range of vegetarian options in India, beer on the menu in Germany, and specific seasonal offerings in China and Morocco (per Day Translations). So it shouldn't come as a surprise that McDonald's has launched a limited-time offer in Thailand involving two ingredients you'd hardly expect to see in soft-serve ice cream.
Chew Boom first reported on the chain's latest offer, and no, it's not a new McFlurry flavor. It's Chili Paste Pork Ice Cream. This dessert involves McDonald's iconic vanilla soft-serve ice cream base, to which is added a chili paste sauce, and pork floss. According to Serious Eats, sweet, dried fluffy bits of shredded pork is a popular add-on to bread and congee across Asia, but it is mainly consumed as a savory treat.
McDonald's gets creative with its ice cream abroad
The new dessert raised a few eyebrows in Thailand and became the subject of a video feature put together by a British expert who said he had been living in the country for 17 years. While pork floss, by the reviewer's admission, "is on everything and it's everywhere" in Thailand, the unique sundae was, in his opinion, "Not Good but Not Bad either. Flossy pork and chili in many things in Thailand. Glad I tried it, won't be rushing to have anymore!"
The review attracted several comments from viewers who weighed in on the ice cream. One said "This made me salivate! I'd better drop by sometimes" while another responded with "I'm Thai. I haven't tried it yet. I don't know how it's going to be."
This isn't the first time McDonald's has gotten creative with its soft-serve ice cream. There was the Chili Oil Sundae that popped up in China back in 2021, which contains the spicy sundae topping you can only get at McDonald's in China. Like Thailand's Chili Pork, the Chili Oil was a limited edition — and we're not sure if it will make a comeback.
To those who are thinking about trying the flavor, Chew Boom says the one-of-a-kind Chili Paste Pork Ice Cream is available until April 5, 2022.