Energy 300 kcal (1,300 kJ) Sugars 16 g Fat 18 g (37%) | Carbohydrates 30 g (10%) Dietary fiber 2 g (8%) Saturated 5 g (24%) | |
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The McMuffin is a family of breakfast sandwiches in various sizes and configurations, sold by the fast-food restaurant chain McDonald's. Introduced in 1972, the Egg McMuffin is the signature sandwich invented by Herb Peterson.
Contents
Product description
In the US and Canada the standard McMuffin consists of a slice of Canadian bacon, a griddle-fried egg, and a slice of American cheese on a toasted and buttered English muffin. The round shape of the egg is made by cooking it in a white plastic ring surrounded by an outer metal structure.
Variants
Available in New Zealand.
History
The McDonald's egg sandwich was invented in 1972. Former McDonald's President Ray Kroc wrote that Herb Peterson and his assistant, Donald Greadel, the operator of a Santa Barbara, California franchise (located at 3940 State Street), asked Kroc to look at something, without giving details because it was:
Peterson had first presented the Egg McMuffin at the Santa Barbara franchise without the knowledge of McDonald's Corporate, which at the time served only lunch and dinner at all their locations. When Corporate discovered the unauthorized breakfast offerings, it initially reprimanded him and threatened him with a number of penalties for breaking the franchise agreement.
The first McDonald's Corporate-authorized Egg McMuffin was served at the Belleville, New Jersey McDonald's in 1972.
In the 1970s, some McDonald's restaurants served Egg McMuffins all day as a promotion.
In several cities, such as Hong Kong, Sausage & Egg McMuffins are served around the clock, because of the prominent use of the egg in meals other than breakfast in those countries; the muffins and sausage patty there are softer than the usual variant to suit local customers. Until 2015, US restaurants usually restricted the item to the breakfast menu. This is mainly because the grill temperature required to cook beef patties is significantly different from the temperature at which eggs are cooked, according to Herb Peterson in a special episode of Unwrapped. Because of this, beef patties and Egg McMuffins cannot be cooked on the same grill, meaning that to keep Egg McMuffins available all day, a store would have to have a separate grill dedicated specifically to Egg McMuffins; this would either mean sacrificing a grill that could have been used for beef patties or buying an additional grill.
Cultural impact
An attendant at president Donald Trump's "Thank You" speech in Orlando lampooned Independent politician Evan McMullin's last name as "McMuffin", a reference to the McDonald's breakfast item of the same name.
Advertising
The Massive McMuffin was introduced to coincide with the Australian Football League and Australian National Rugby League seasons of 1998, when McDonald's Australia launched the Footy Burger (now the Double Quarter Pounder), Mini Footy Burger (double Cheeseburger) and Massive McMuffin. The muffin proved so popular that some Australian stores kept the item as a permanent breakfast option.
In the Philippines, to celebrate the annual National Breakfast Day, they distribute free McMuffins for the first 100 customers in all branches nationwide from 6 am until supplies last, with optional McCafe coffee for an additional charge.