McFlurry International - China

In China, the McFlurry is known as 麦旋风 mài xuànfēng or "McDonald's whirlwind." The summer of 2010 saw the introduction of the classic Oreo McFlurry to China (there were only sundaes and ice cream floats before then). It was the only variety available at that time. As McDonald's caters its menu for its local customer base, it was surprising to see no specific flavor had been added for the Chinese palate.

In January 2011, in Harbin, China, the McFlurry for 黑莓酱味 hēiméi jiàng wèi or "blackberry jam flavor" appeared on the marquis for 10RMB. The server advised that you can get a discount for ordering two, which was about 15RMB. The photo of the "blackberry" did not depict the blackberries commonly known in North America, but looked a bit like blueberries. It was unclear exactly which berry this was or if it was native to China. In any case, along with the "blackberry jam," the McFlurry had bits and pieces of Oreo cookie mixed in. This seemed to be an appealing combination: fruity berry flavor with crunchy chocolate cookie bits all mixed in to McDonald's brilliantly white soft-serve. The server eagerly went to work, but was so stingy on the portion of soft-serve dispensed and the scoop of Oreo cookie that the actual serving of McFlurry with "blackberry jam flavor" barely reached the half-way point of the cup. The taste and the flavor of the actual McFlurry made up for its disappointing portion. The blackberry jam did not taste artificial in any way and was not over-sweetened, which gave the dessert a fresh taste. The pieces of Oreo cookie were so tiny, it just added crunch to the McFlurry so that each bite had a different texture. This is an excellent start to unique McFlurry flavors in China.