This Is The Only Place You Can Get McDonald's Durian McFlurry
It's the beginning of March, so you know what that means. It's the time when McDonald's once again rolls out the fan-favorite Shamrock Shake, a minty green milkshake that is as coveted as a pot of leprechaun gold. With a history that includes the Philadelphia Eagles, 18-karat gold cups, and Grimace's Irish uncle (via Vox), the Shamrock Shake has certainly earned a place in McDonalds' Milkshake Hall of Fame — if such a thing even exists.
But mint-flavored milkshakes aside, McDonald's has a pretty expansive dessert menu you may have never heard about before — nor have you ever tasted, as a large majority of these items are located outside the United States. In Japan, you could purchase a KitKat McFlurry (via Japan Today), or if you're lucky, the Oreo Chocolate Pie (via HypeBeast). In Paris, aside from Royales with Cheese, you could can get a macaron from the Champs-Elysées McDonald's (via Eater).
In Singapore, however, there's a special McDonald's McFlurry that combines a beloved Singapore fruit with the chain's creamy soft-serve to make an exotic treat. The only drawback, however, is the smell.
It uses durian fruit, which has a foul odor
Grown mainly around Singapore and Southeast Asia, the spiky exotic fruit known as a durian is described as having a taste that's a cross between a sweet custard or caramel and vanilla (via Cookist). This delicious taste is overshadowed only by one thing: the smell. It's described as a "combination of gym socks, onions, and turpentine" (via Smithsonian), leaving one's breath smelling as if they had been "French-kissing your dead grandmother," as Anthony Bourdain so vividly described. So, why in the world would McDonald's sell such a foul-smelling treat?
According to Today Online, this McFlurry is made of a durian syrup created with real D24 durian sauce and soft-serve ice cream. The smell, they noted, isn't as pungent as one would expect, but would still be noticeable if one was very close to the cup. The taste, according to the Weekender, is surprisingly rather sweet, with the custard-like taste of the fruit melding nicely with the vanilla ice cream. The only drawback they noted, however, was having an "artificial" taste of durian for a while after consuming the McFlurry.