New limited-edition dessert fans the flames of a longstanding chocolate war. 

McDonald’s has a variety of items on its menu that you’ll find in countries around the world, and one of them is the frozen soft serve dessert known as the McFlurry.

One thing you won’t find at every McDonald’s though, is the Kinoko no Yama to Takenoko no Sato McFlurry, which is coming exclusively to McDonald’s stores around Japan. This is massive news to any Japanese chocolate lover, as Kinoko no Yama (literally “Mushroom Mountain“) and Takenoko no Sato (“Bamboo Shoot Village“) are two of the countrry’s most iconic chocolates.

▼ Kinoko no Yama are shaped like mushrooms…

▼ …and Takenoko no Sato are shaped like bamboo shoots.

While the chocolate-covered cookies might seem similar, you wouldn’t want to fall into the trap of thinking they taste the same, because these treats are at the centre of what’s known as the “Kinoko-Takenoko War“. This playful, long-running rivalry began when fans became increasingly vocal about their favourite variety, aligning themselves with either the “Kinoko Faction” or the “Takenoko Faction”. It’s a debate so strong that makers Meiji even hold national popularity contests known as the “General Election” to find out which treat reigns supreme.

▼ The Kinoko Faction, out looking for votes.

While the two treats are usually pitted against each other as rivals, McDonald’s is doing the unthinkable by bringing them together in the Kinoko no Yama to Takenoko no Sato McFlurry, which translates as the Mushroom Mountain and Bamboo Shoot Village McFlurry.

The rivalry even forms the basis of the commercial for the new McFlurry, where Mahina from seven-member girl group HANA performs a rap and dance about it, with the lyrics, “A McFlurry with Mushroom Mountain? Bamboo Shoot Village? Both!”

Mahina cleverly combines the words “Kinoko” and “Takenoko” together in the commercial, referring to them jointly as “Kinotake“, a term we’ll no doubt be hearing between mouthfuls when people get to try the new dessert.

▼ The McFlurry will retail for 370 yen (US$2.33).

It’s nice to see the chocolate rivals come together to form a friendly village of flavours, but what fans will think of the unexpected coupling is yet to be seen. Curiosity is likely to get the better of everyone though, so you’ll want to get in quick to try the Mushroom Mountain and Bamboo Shoot Village McFlurry while it’s available from 21 January until the end of March.

Source, images: Press release
Photos©SoraNews24
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