For a brief, wondrous moment in time, it seemed McDonald's Japan was releasing a delightful (and inedible) novelty: french fry-scented perfume.
In early March, the fast food giant's Japanese arm took to X (better known as Twitter) with a photo of what appears to be three fragrances. Text overlaid on the image suggests that the trio of scents will smell like plum nori seaweed salt, garlic black pepper mayo seasoning, and McDonald's famously fragrant fries.
Google roughly translates the tweet to: "I made a perfume that smells like potatoes!"
Of course, onlookers took the post at face value. After reports that McDonald's Japan was dabbling in fragrance began spreading, the company was forced to issue a statement clearing things up: "The image was posted as part of a promotion for the limited-time flavored fries product, and we would like people to enjoy the scent of fries and flavors," a spokesperson told Food & Wine. "This perfume is not actually manufactured or sold."
Bummer!
Food-like fragrances aren't exactly a new-fangled concept. The past year has seen a surge in interest in gourmands, a perfumery term used to describe fragrances that smell edible — typically, like pastries and other desserts.
In the interest of generating buzz, brands have put their own twist on the gourmand. In 2022, The Idaho Potato Commission released a limited-edition perfume, dubbed Frites By Idaho, mimicking the aroma of fried potatoes. (It sold out.) And in 2023, KFC launched Eau D’uardo, a fried chicken perfume bottled in a drumstick-shaped flacon.
If you're really craving a savory perfume, there are a few options on the market. Officine Universelle Buly offers a fragrance with notes of sweet potato and carrot, and Hilde Soliani — the famed Italian perfumer — has crafted scents that smell like butter and oysters.
