13.131 Arrabbiata Ricotta Chicken Burger

 Cycle 13 – Item 131

16 (Mon) May 2022

Arrabbiata Ricotta Chicken Burger

1.5

at McDonald’s

(E-Mart)

-Seongsu, Seongdong, Seoul, Republic of Korea-

solo

Arrabbiata Ricotta Chicken Burger is a McDonald’s item.  Deep-fried chicken patty + bacon + ricotta + mayo + “arrabbiata sauce” + lettuce + sesame seed bun.   Exclusive to the Korean market.

The caption reads: “The Italian taste loved by Koreans.”

Arrabbiata Sauce is an Italian condiment.  Made by simmering tomatoes + garlic + dried chili flakes in olive oil.  The term means “angry” in Italian.   In Korea, any spicy sauce in an Italian context is referred to as “arrabbiata” (in the same way that any spicy sauce in an American context is “cajun” or in a Chinese context is “Sichuan”).

Trying to imagine how Koreans would react if other countries commercialized the Korean flag.

Meh.  For starters, it was so sloppily constructed – including the ass-backward wrapping that reveals the sandwich upside down upon unwrapping (see also 12.061 McChicken Mozzarella; 12.041 Meat Chili Beef Burger) – that every bite contained different random combinations of components, eventually falling apart, thus impossible to know what the actual flavor profile was designed to be.  Generally, I found that the mild character of ricotta was overwhelmed by the sauce – just a sweetish spicy ketchup.  The bacon felt intrusive, both texturally and in flavor, as well as its lazy placement.  It’s so absurd that Italians shouldn’t be offended.

A small scoop of ricotta on one side of the sandwich.
Most of the sauce was one the outside.

But, the ricotta is an interesting idea to explore further at home.

(See also GLOBAL FOOD GLOSSARY)

(See also FAST FOOD)

(See also RESTAURANTS IN KOREA)

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