This McDonald’s France Menu Is Giving Us Serious FOMO

We admit it, proudly, loudly (within limits), and repeatedly: we love special fast food menu items. Seriously, as long as they’re available for like, more than one single day, there’s a significant chance most of us will drop whatever blah-blah responsible task at hand if we’re offered the chance to go try the new Caesar-ified menu at McDonald’s or Burger King’s new-and-improved chicken nuggets. There’s just something about a bit of savings, a new dipping sauce, the fleeting transcendence of the Chicken Caesar Snack Wrap that makes that… U-shaped endlessness of drive-thru dining feel just a bit fancier.

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Inevitably, of course, McDonald’s France has out-fancied us: they have a limited time summer menu featuring very fancy, unique, ultra-luxe European cheese called Raclette d’Emmi.

Would You Like Fancy Fromage With That?

We’d settle for a toy (or a cool beret?). But for their limited time menu, McDonald’s France is partnering up with la Suisse in two marquee sandwiches―the McRaclette (burger) and the McRaclette Chicken. More on those later. Because what’s Raclette d’Emmi? 

Basically, it’s like if all the cheeses that go into fondue to make it meltingly perfect were just one cheese. A semi-hard cow’s milk cheese made in Switzerland, raclette is specially formulated to melt in such a way that it oozes ooey-gooey when held over a heat source. En Francais, “racler” means “to scrape,” because as the cheese slowly melts, guests (or banquette servers etc) scrape the melting cheese free let it cascade like a creamy avalanche onto their plates (which usually include some crusty bread, potatoes, those French baby pickles called “cornichons,” cured meats, etc.).

Raclette d’Emmi (de McD’s)

McDonald’s France isn’t just doing something très European by using Raclette in their limited time menu. It’s actually an exquisitely well-designed cheese for cheeseburgers. Not only does Raclette have that lovely (non-oily) meltiness, it’s just a hint nutty and so very buttery―kind of like American cheese. 

As for the… McSandwiches it’s currently available on, there’s the McRaclette, with a crustier (also Swiss-made) bun, a beef patty, pickles, onions, Raclette, and a special Raclette Sauce. And it’s basically the same formula for the McRaclette Chicken and McRaclette Chicken Bacon, with a similar (square-ish!) crustier bun than we’re used to stateside, plus buttery oozing raclette, a raclette sauce, cornichons, and onions. To be honest, considering how many of us love American cheese―and subtler, nutty Swiss cheese―on our burgers―and since you can buy your own Raclette here―even if you can’t get to France anytime soon, you might think about incorporating this cheese into your next ‘cue. (Bonus points: you get to show off your fancy French accent.)