McDonald's Japan Debuts A Cheese Smoothie For Fall

McDonald's Japan must take pleasure in making the rest of the world drool with envy at its seasonal, limited-time menu items. This year it followed cherry blossom McFlurries with wasabi-mayo dipping sauce, and then outdid them both by giving away five whole days of free coffee. Now it's time to introduce the new menu items for fall, and this time the company surprised customers by rolling out a new fruit and cheese smoothie.

According to Sora News 24, the new Fluffy Cheese Mousse and Mixed Berry Grape Smoothie at McDonald's Japan will go on sale on September 20. It's designed to straddle the line between summer and autumn by combining the fresh, chilly fruit smoothie with a creamy mousse made of mascarpone cheese.

Mascarpone is a smooth, creamy Italian cheese that's often used in desserts. It's one of the primary ingredients in tiramisu and cannoli. Mascarpone recipes also include soups, pasta dishes, and risotto.

The smoothie is prepared in layers, with a thick base of whipped cream tipped with a grape and mixed berry smoothie. That's topped with a mound of fluffy mascarpone cheese mousse and finished with berry syrup and a few whole cranberries and blackcurrants. The rich cheese and sweet fruit are designed to be eaten together so the end result is sweet and refreshing, but also luxurious and creamy.

The new smoothie goes on sale on September 20 and will be available at McCafé units around Japan until the end of October, when it will almost certainly be replaced by a new winter menu item that's just as good. There's always a chance it will come back next year, and not wind up as one of the embarrassing McDonald's menu items you'll never see again.