McDonald's

McDonald's Bringing Back Szechuan Sauce, Which Was So Popular It Caused Riots

What to Know

  • McDonald's will ship 20 million packets of Szechuan Sauce, a condiment that came and went 20 years ago
  • It returned for one day in 2017, inspired by the show "Rick and Morty," and heavy demand led to riots
  • The chain will also bring back the minty green Shamrock Shake, an annual tie-in to St. Patrick's Day

America, if you like oddly colored but strangely tasty semi-liquid products, today is your day.

McDonald's said Thursday it will bring back Szechuan Sauce, the dipping sauce that caused riots over its one-day availability last October. It will also bring back the Shamrock Shake, its minty seasonal favorite.

The chain will ship 20 million packets of the spicy, salty sauce to stores, starting next week. It announced the release on a new website that also features a three-part podcast series on the public's obsession with the chicken tender companion. 

The sauce has its own backstory - it was a limited-time promotional tie-in for the movie "Mulan" in 1998. The animated series "Rick and Morty" features a character who fawns over the condiment, which led to a petition for the Golden Arches to bring it back.

Never one to miss a good promo, McDonald's brought it back for one day last year - but badly underestimated demand, which led to furious crowds that in some places required police intervention.

"We want to make this right," the chain tweeted on Oct. 8, promising to bring the sauce back in greater quantities soon. 

To wash down the spice of Szechuan Sauce, McDonald's has re-released the Shamrock Shake, a minty milkshake that comes back every year around St. Patrick's Day. To promote the release, the company launched an app that lets users find the closest store selling the drink. 

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