We’re getting the shakes just thinking about these delicious-sounding McShakes.

Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido is the site of the amazing Sapporo Snow Festival. But while Hokkaido spends much of the winter under a blanket/sculptures of ice and snow, its status as the largest prefecture in Japan, plus the one with the most arable land, means it’s also the source of many of the nation’s agricultural products.

While potatoes and corn are Hokkaido’s representatives vegetables, on the fruit side of things it’s the island’s melons that get Japanese foodies hearts’ all aflutter. But you won’t have to go all the way to Hokkaido to enjoy them, since later this month McDonald’s Japan will be releasing its new McShake Hokkaido Melon.

The company says its target for the dessert beverage is to recreate the luxurious sensation of biting into a slice of melon that’s had rich, creamy milk poured over it. True to its name, the shake’s ingredients include Hokkaido-grown melon, and in a bit of hometown favoritism, McDonald’s branches in Hokkaido will be the first to start offering them on March 17.

The shakes make their way to other McDonald’s location nationwide a few days later, on March 22. As is the norm for special flavors in Japan, they’ll only be available for a limited time, and McDonald’s has laid out a rather narrow window of opportunity this time, as the Hokkaido Melon shake will exit the menu sometime in he first half of April. Thankfully, though, a small size costs just 120 yen (US$1.10) and a medium a mere 200 yen, making them perfect impulse buys to satisfy your seasonal sweet tooth.

Source: Entabe
Top image: McDonald’s Japan
Insert image: McDonald’s Japan

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