If It Takes 9 Seasons or 97 Years, I’ll Come Back for More Mulan McNugget Sauce!

Rafael Monkarsh, Student Life Editor

Earlier this year, zealous fans of the popular TV show Rick and Morty stormed McDonald’s restaurants on an October day history will not soon forget.

These fans were awaiting the comeback of a certain dipping sauce. Riots broke out as restaurants ran out of the prized sauce due to an underestimation of the popularity of the event.

Many exalted the sauce’s unique flavor, reminiscent of a time so far in the past many who sought the condiment never experienced its introduction.

By now, many of you likely know that I am talking about Szechuan sauce. Disney’s animated feature film Mulan came out in 1998, and at the time Disney was involved in a partnership with McDonald’s. To celebrate the film’s release, McDonald’s introduced a Szechuan teriyaki dipping sauce to accompany their critically-acclaimed Chicken McNuggets. Soon, however, the Szechuan name was razed from menus across the globe.

About a year ago, the now-infamous name was revived by none other than the Adult Swim show Rick and Morty. One episode, released in April of 2017, featured a world created by protagonist Rick Sanchez for the almost-sole purpose of tasting Szechuan sauce in the only realm it was still available: his mind.

Throughout the episode, Sanchez made many references to the sauce and it’s superiority to other McNugget dips. After the episode aired, the show’s cultish fans essentially took to the streets, coming together to demand that McDonald’s re-introduce Szechuan sauce to the menu.

Eventually, the fast-food giant acquiesced to the fans’ demands, and sent certain restaurants a very limited supply of the sauce, leading to widespread chaos. Hoards stormed the Golden Arches across the nation as reports of violence brought this happening to mainstream media.

Several months after what can be considered a disaster, McDonald’s announced they would be distributing millions of Szechuan sauce packets to restaurants everywhere starting February 26, 2018.I took this opportunity to purchase some of this famed sauce and see how well it paired with Chicken McNuggets.

It was a rainy evening as I sat in my car in the drive-through line at my local McDonalds. That particular McDonald’s had been at that location, just off the Kanan Road exit on the 101, for decades. I recall driving by it on our way into the San Fernando Valley and hearing my mom reminisce about her stops there, years before Szechuan sauce was even a dream in a McDonald’s marketing executive’s mind.

Once it was my turn at the iconic fast-food speaker, I ordered my Chicken McNuggets combo meal with a Sprite, and when the gentleman on the other line queried if I would like a sauce, I proudly asked for Szechuan sauce, and he obliged. Even two weeks later, there were still packets in stock.

Soon the aroma of deep-fried chicken-like product and french fries filled my Subaru Forester as I drove home and anticipated what spiritual journey awaited me, encapsulated in the brown bag sitting only two feet to my right. I took a sip of my Sprite and put the throttle on.

The aroma that had filled my car just moments before now spilled into my room as I opened the brown McDonald’s bag. I noticed I had not one, but two packets of Szechuan sauce. Not to act in any hasty manner, I opened one and set the other aside for future consumption.

As soon as the packet was open, I stuck a McNugget fully into it, ensuring that enough of the sauce made it onto the crispy nugget so I could experience the full flavor. My first observation about the sauce was its consistency: it was not thick, and q uite transparent. This led me to worry about how tasty it might be, but my fears were soon calmed.

I can say that the Szechuan sauce fully lives up to the insane amount of hype it has received. It pairs excellently with the classic, salty McNuggets, and was happily washed down by my Sprite.

Overall, the combination of Szechuan sauce and Chicken McNuggets earns a perfect 5/7 RafiStars. I personally look forward to my next visit, and can only hope that Szechuan sauce remains on McDonald’s menus,, and as long as it does, I will return, lusting for more.