"They Only Sell It for Three Months a Year"... The Must-Try 'Moon-Viewing' Menus You Can't Miss Now [Sunday Culture]

McDonald's Started the Trend in 1991: Launch of the Fried Egg Burger
A Variety of Egg-Inspired Menu Items Released

Happy Chuseok! Did you make a wish while looking at the full moon? Just as it is customary to gaze at the full moon during Chuseok in Korea, Japan also releases seasonal "moon-viewing" menu items around this time. From August through the end of October, limited-time moon-viewing menus appear, including hamburgers, pizza, and beef bowls. The key feature is the inclusion of an egg yolk, evoking the image of a full moon. Today, let me introduce Japan's seasonal autumn specialty: the "Tsukimi (moon-viewing) menu."

The most iconic of these moon-viewing items is the hamburger. It is said that Japan McDonald's pioneered the moon-viewing menu. In 1991, McDonald's conducted a customer poll on "ingredients that would be good in a hamburger," and egg took the top spot. As a result, McDonald's decided to launch a burger with a fried egg. They also determined that autumn, when the heat subsides and egg supply stabilizes, would be the ideal time for its release.

Japan McDonald's limited-time moon-viewing menu items. Japan McDonald's.

Combining the imagery of autumn and the yolk as a full moon, McDonald's introduced the "Tsukimi Burger" featuring a fried egg. According to reports, the developers at the time ate countless fried eggs to find the perfect burger pairing, and even developed a sauce to complement it. Thus, the Tsukimi Burger was born, with a beef patty, fried egg, bacon, and a tomato cream sauce. This combination has been maintained ever since, but this year, for the first time in eight years, the sauce has been renewed to offer a creamier taste with tomato, mayonnaise, and a hint of butter flavor.

Another must-try during this season is the side menu pie. McDonald's always offers the "Tsukimi Pie," which features glutinous rice cake inside. Traditionally filled with sweet red bean paste, this year they released a version filled with custard cream.

The Tsukimi Burger is a major driver of McDonald's autumn sales. Seeing its success, other franchises have joined in developing similar menu items. Pizza franchises now offer pizzas topped with a soft-boiled egg in the center, allowing customers to dip their pizza in the yolk, while tempura rice bowl chains have introduced items topped with fried eggs. Starting in August, social media in Japan becomes filled with posts listing the "must-try moon-viewing menus of the year."

Dalmaji menu presented by Wendy's First Kitchen. It features fried rice cakes on top of the patty. Wendy's First Kitchen.

So, what are the trending moon-viewing menu items in Japan this year? Notably, this year has seen fierce competition, with McDonald's renewing its Tsukimi Burger sauce, and many brands either launching new items or revamping existing ones. Wendy's First Kitchen, formed by the merger of Wendy's and First Kitchen in the United States, has introduced a unique hamburger featuring fried rice cakes on top of the patty. The sauce was intentionally developed as a rich teriyaki sauce. While the combination may seem odd, it's said to be surprisingly harmonious when eaten fresh. Japan KFC has broken the "Tsukimi Burger equals fried egg only" formula by combining chicken burgers with a generous helping of tartar sauce packed with eggs.

It's not just burger chains offering moon-viewing menus. Beef bowl chain Sukiya presents a "Sukiyaki Don" as a moon-viewing menu, featuring sukiyaki ingredients topped with an egg yolk. Beard Papa, famous for its cream puffs, has launched the "Tsukimi Choux," filled with custard cream to represent the full moon and wrapped in glutinous rice cake dough.

Japanese dessert chain Beard Papa promoting the moon-viewing menu 'Tsukimi Choux'. Beard Papa.

While the tradition of gathering with loved ones to view the moon is similar across cultures, the popularity of these seasonal limited-time menus in Japan is a unique twist. Still, the desire to cherish this special time seems universal. Wishing you a joyful Chuseok!