McDonald's Norwegian French Fry Alternative Has Us Ready To Jump On A Plane
Ignorance is bliss for those American consumers that don't yet know about McDonald's sweet potato fries. To those who are still unaware: we're sorry to burst your bubble. The fries, available at McDonald's locations in Norway and Sweden since 2018, have been the subject of envy for those who encounter them in their travels or happen across their sweet existence online. One Twitter user wrote: "I can't get over the fact that Norway McDonald's [has] sweet potato fries." Others posted pictures of their orders at McDonald's in Sweden as proof, as though the fries might otherwise sound too good to be true.
"As if our regular fries aren't sweet enough, we now also serve Sweet Potato Fries!" the official McDonald's Norway website reads, advertising the novelty menu item. Aside from their tempting orange color, the fries look crispy on the outside and appear to be more thickly cut than their normal white potato siblings. According to the ingredients list, they are seasoned with paprika, turmeric, and salt.
The global menu item has popped up at other McDonald's locations in the Netherlands and Singapore, and were even offered in 2019 at the McDonald's restaurant headquarters in Chicago to showcase the franchise's global menu. However, the only countries where they have a permanent home appear to be Sweden and Norway.
The global McDonald's FOMO is real
As for why the sweet potato fries haven't arrived on American soil, the speculation continues. In 2021, crop scientist Dr. Sarah Taber mentioned sweet potato farming in a Twitter thread about U.S. agriculture: "But McDonald's won't pick up sweet potato fries because they move so many fries that they'd burn through every sweet potato in the U.S. in weeks." Fair enough, and it accounts for why the considerably smaller markets of Sweden and Norway were able to pull it off.
@callmebelly I LOVE McDonald's here wow 🤩 #mcdonalds #fastfood #norway
But it's not enough that Norwegian McDonald's gets sweet potato fries, they also have a variety of other envy-inducing menu items. A 2022 TikTok video featuring the sweet potato fries mentioned a honey mustard dipping sauce that was "creamier" than the U.S. version. The TikTok also featured other special menu items at McDonald's Norway, including hot wings, a veggie burger, and something called "chili cheese tops" — fried bits of cheese and chopped chilis that look similar to jalapeño poppers. Thanks for rubbing sweet potato fry salt on the wound, Norway.