McDonald’s Japan’s new Tsukimi Moon-Viewing Pie receives mixed reviews online

New dessert divides the nation. 

Every autumn, people in Japan look forward to tsukimi (literally “moon-viewing“), a custom that honours the beauty of the harvest moon, which looks particularly bright and beautiful at this time of year. In the past, people used to celebrate by eating tsukimi dango (“moon-viewing dumplings“) while gazing at the night sky, but in recent years, fast food chains have been turning the tradition on its head with their own limited-edition offerings.

McDonald’s is one such chain that honours the autumn moon, and while their Tsukimi Burgers have been popular for many years, in 2019 they wowed customers by adding a Tsukimi Pie to the lineup. This sweet honours the tradition of tsukimi dango by featuring mochi, the sticky rice cake commonly used to make dumplings, in its filling, and this year it’s combining it with two other very Japanese ingredients, in what they’re calling the Kinako Mochi and Anko Tsukimi Pie.

“Kinako” is roasted soybean flour, while “anko” is red bean paste, and if you open the pie that’s exactly what you’ll find inside, with the kinako appearing in paste form atop the layer of mochi.

Previously, McDonald’s served up its Tsukimi Pie with only red bean paste and mochi in the filling, so the addition of a third ingredient is a new development for the chain.

If you love the nutty, toasted taste of kinako then you’re in for a real treat, because this pie is strong on those flavours. Despite being a paste, it actually tastes like the powdered form of kinako, delivering an intense level of flavour that makes its presence known upon first bite before lingering long in the aftertaste.

▼ The kinako is so pronounced you might be mistaken for thinking this is a roasted soybean pie rather than a Tsukimi Pie.  

This flavour profile is great for kinako lovers, but it does have some drawbacks for lovers of the more traditional red bean-and-mochi combination, as indicated by comments currently doing the rounds on social media platforms. On one hand, some people are praising the triple-flavour combination for its taste and ingenuity, while others are lamenting the fact that they can’t enjoy the simpler two-filling version, saying it was perfect the way it was.

In our opinion, the new pie is delicious, with the kinako helping to dial up the traditional Japanese flavours, but we can still see the appeal of the plainer Tsukimi Pie. Still, with the mixed response to the dessert online, we have our fingers crossed that the chain might respond by including this one and the original version on the menu for tsukimi season next year. For now, though, the Kinako Mochi and Anko Tsukimi Pie will be available at the chain until mid-October, priced at 190 yen (US$1.32), along with a whole other range of moon-viewing menu items.

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