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While it doesn’t have nearly as many outlets as McDonald’s, MOS Burger, or Lotteria, Japan’s Becker’s hamburger chain provides a more upscale dining experience. Sure, it’s still fast food, but Becker’s prides itself on high quality ingredients, such as its fresh-baked bread, and relaxing ambiance.

Still, without the huge advertising budget of its larger rivals, Becker’s often flies under the radar of burger fans. They’ve got our undivided attention right now, though, as the chain is about to start selling venison burgers.

Over the past few years, Becker’s has teamed up with agricultural outfits in East Japan to provide special menu items with locally produced gourmet flourishes. Come November, you’ll be able to order a Shinshu Jibie Venison Burger, with the meat in its 100-gram (3.5-ounce) patty sourced from Nagano Prefecture.

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Nagano also makes a non-carnivorous contribution to the sandwich in the form of abalone mushrooms, which are said to have a taste resembling the pricy shellfish they take their name from. The burger is cooked to order, and gets an extra dose of flavor from a sauce made with venison and red wine.

In addition to full-fledged hamburger restaurants, Becker’s corporate parent also runs a chain of Beck’s Coffee Shops, where the Shinshu Jibie Venison Burger will also be sold. In addition, Beck’s Coffee Shop locations will be offering the Shinshu Venison Jibie Dog, which swaps the burger’s patty for a venison sausage while still using the same kind of sauce.

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The new menu items go on sale November 1, with the burger costing 690 yen (US$6.30) and the venison dog 480 yen. Both will only be around for a limited time, though, so if you need to harden your heart before you can eat a deer, we recommend spending the coming weekend repeatedly watching the scene where Bambi’s mom dies, until it starts to produce a rumble in your stomach instead of a tear in your eye.

Source: Entabe
Top image: Jef B
Insert images: Becker’s, Jef B