Burger King 'black burger' with squid ink goes on sale today
Burger King will begin selling a new black burger in Japan Friday. What makes the special Burger King black burger sauce? Squid ink.
Burger King employee Rumi Sekine shows the Kuro Diamond burger, right, and the Kuro Pearl burger at its Shibuya restaurant in Tokyo. The international hamburger chain in Japan will launch the two new "kuro burger," or "black burger" menus that sport buns, cheese, and sauce all in black color starting Sept. 19, 2014, for a limited period.
Koji Sasahara/AP
For Burger King, normal condiments aren't enough. So it's adding a new one ... squid ink.
Friday, Sept. 19, Burger King will begin selling the new Kuro Burger, a burger that is black from bun-to-bun, in Japan. The ingredients that dye the burger black aren't exactly your normal burger-and-fries fare. The bread and cheese will be blackened using bamboo charcoal. A garlic and squid ink sauce will be smothered over the black cheese and meat.
The Kuro Burger comes in two versions: Diamond and Pearl. The Diamond version will include lettuce, tomato, and onion. The vegetables will retain their original colors.
In early August, Burger King announced the return of Chicken Fries to its stores. Chicken Fries were dropped from the menu in 2012, and since then, customers have been calling for its return.
“Literally from the day Chicken Fries left the menu there has been an incredible outcry on social media to bring them back,” Eric Hirschhorn, Burger King's chief marketing officer, told Burger Business. Accompanying the revival is a huge media campaign.
Burger King will air original TV spots from the 2005 launch only on Thursdays in a nod to the popular “Throwback Thursday” fad on, yes, social media. Additionally, Burger King has teamed with eBay for a fan page through which Chicken Fries fanatics can buy a variety of apparel and accessories. The eBay page will go live on August 12. Profits from the merchandise go to the chain’s McLamore Foundation.
Hoping to buy the new Kuro Burger? You're going to have to make plans to go to Japan. Burger King says it has no plans to bring the black burger to the US.