November 22, 2024

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New "Taste of Korea" products, including the Jinju Pepper Cream Cheese Burger, are on display. (McDonald's Korea)

McDonald's Korea has introduced new items under its "Taste of Korea" lineup -- including a cheeseburger and a chicken muffin featuring locally sourced peppers -- highlighting its commitment to collaborating with rural areas across the country.

In its fourth edition since 2021, this year’s Taste of Korea lineup focuses on peppers produced in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province, in the Jinju Pepper Cream Cheese Burger and Jinju Pepper Cream Cheese Muffin.

“McDonald’s Korea has continued the Taste of Korea series, with the commitment to collaborating with rural farmers, contributing to society and the local community, and promoting the brand both domestically and internationally,” said Yang Hyoung-keun, public affairs director of McDonald’s Korea, during a press conference at a Seoul branch on Wednesday.

"I hope this year's new lineup will successfully appeal to consumers in Korea and gain enough popularity to be launched in overseas branches," Yang added, noting that McDonald's Korea is open to launching the domestic items overseas by communicating with other international branches.

Yang Hyoung-keun (second from right), McDonald’s public affairs director, speaks during a press conference at a Seoul branch on Wednesday. (McDonald's Korea)

The Jinju Pepper Cream Cheese Burger features pepper cream cheese and pepper horseradish sauce, along with two beef patties, bacon, tomato and lettuce. This new product took one year and three months to develop, involving three processes: product concept development, consumer feedback-based evaluation and product development.

Baek Chang-ho, head of the Korean unit's item development team, highlighted the balanced taste of the spicy pepper and cream cheese. “Given that spicy flavors are gaining global popularity recently, we aimed to bring the balanced taste of pepper and cream cheese to appeal to a broader audience.”

According to McDonald's Korea, Jinju was chosen for this year’s main concept due to the city's reputation for producing the largest amount of peppers in the country, ensuring sustainable procurement. The company secured approximately 5 tons of Jinju peppers for the initial batch.

Since beginning the Taste of Korea program in 2021, McDonald’s Korea has sold over 20 million items featuring locally sourced ingredients, including garlic, green tea-fed pork and green onion in the previous lineups. The company also sources fresh ingredients such as tomatoes and lettuce locally, totaling about 16,000 tons annually.

By Hwang Joo-young (flylikekite@heraldcorp.com)