Eggs run wild for this ever-evolving Japanese tradition.
As we head towards autumn in Japan, the change of seasons brings with it one of the country’s most famous seasonal events: Tsukimi, or “Moon Viewing”. Traditionally, Tsukimi, which takes place on 25 September this year, involves seasonal foods like round dango rice dumplings, which people enjoy while gazing at the moon. With modern lifestyles these days, though, the tradition has evolved somewhat, with fast food chains now adding limited-edition Tsukimi items to the menu, usually featuring a fried egg, due to the way the egg resembles the full moon.
One of the collections we look forward to most every year is the “Torori Tsukimi” series (“torori” means “melty”) from KFC Japan. This year the chain is going all out with the moon-viewing, giving us five limited-edition menu items, three of which are marked as new, with four containing a fried-egg-style omelette filled with a rich and melty egg-yolk sauce.
▼ “新” means “New”
Starting with the more familiar items, which are so popular they’ve become something of a standard release every year, we have the Torori Tsukimi Filet Burger (590 yen [US$3.95]) and the Torori Tsukimi Twister (490 yen), both of which get an eggy upgrade.
▼ The Twister adds teriyaki sauce and mayonnaise for even more melty enjoyment.
The two new burgers take things a step further, with “Kobore Tartar” (“kobore” means “spilling out”) and wafu katsu (“Japanese-style cutlet”) being key ingredients in addition to the egg.
▼ Torori Tsukimi Wafu Katsu Burger Kobore Tartar (640 yen)
▼ Torori Triple Tsukimi Wafu Katsu Burger Kobore Tartar (990 yen)
This towering burger stacks three eggs on top of each other, creating what KFC describes as “an egg-filled burger with plenty of visual impact”. Though the chain bills this as a new release, it was available at seven KFC locations last year (we know because our own reporter Mr Sato tried it). Due to glowing reviews, the chain decided to roll it out at all its branches around Japan this year, so more people can enjoy the triple tower of moon-viewing enjoyment.
▼ Rounding out the collection is the Omochi to Noko (“rich”) Custard no Tsukimi Pie (320 yen, or 450 yen for two)
The dessert also gets an eggier upgrade to qualify as a new release this year, with 20 percent more custard filling compared to its last appearance. The custard is made with Madagascar vanilla beans and is paired with a chewy mochi filling, all wrapped up in crispy pie pastry.
This year’s campaign also comes with a deliciously over-the-top concept video, starring T.M.Revolution frontman Takanori Nishikawa as “T.M.G. Revolution”, with “T.M.G.” standing for “tamago” or “egg”.
The new 30-second video will be released on 26 August, alongside a commercial called “Eggs Run Wild”, starring Japanese model and television personality Shiori Sato.
KFC’s new Tsukimi collection proves you can never have too much egg during moon-viewing season, and it’ll be available while stocks last from 26 August.
Source, images: Press release
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