McDonald's Newest Menu Item has Fans Divided: Find Out What the Outrage is All About
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Whether you’re buying a quick snack, a complete family meal, or a late-night burger craving, a classic Maccas meal quells junk food cravings and hits the spot like no other.
Recently, the fast food chain announced the release of its Summer Menu for 2023. But one addition has sent Macca’s loyal customers into a heated debate – and it’s all because of its name.
The new menu has been the talk of the town since its announcement – with some Macca’s fans poking fun at the ‘Aussie’ burger after the egg (which appeared in previous versions) was taken off the menu.
But that wasn’t the end of it.
The debates have now taken over social media forums with an unexpected twist, with outrage forming over the use of the name ‘potato scallops’ on the new menu.
Although the term is embraced by Macca’s fans in the majority of Australia, in other parts of the country like Victoria and South Australia customers prefer the term ‘potato cakes’ or ‘potato fritters’ instead. No hate here members, but as NSW residents we will say, ‘potato cake’? Really? Potato fritters we can accept, but come on, folks. These aren’t cakes.
‘I have only known them as potato scallops and I’m 72 years old,’ shared one woman.
‘Potato cakes always, I have, however, learned to tolerate the scallop name due to marrying a Queensland husband and wanting to stay married,’ another quipped.
A third disagreed: ‘Neither, they are bloody fritters.’
Thousands have commented on the name, with people from Victoria claiming the only true scallop is a shellfish.
‘If you were to eat a scallop, you would be eating a creature from the sea. If you were to order a scallop, you would get the creature from the sea. It is a potato cake,’ one suggested.
However, one person fiercely disagreed with this statement: ‘Potato scallops are made from scalloped potatoes (a cooking term for thin slices) they don't resemble a cake at all.’
Another agreed and said people don’t just say ‘scallops’ when ordering, they say ‘potato scallops’ to clarify.
Others have boycotted the potato fritters/scallops/cakes entirely because of the confusing name.
‘I won't touch potato scallops but I would have smashed some potato cakes. I reckon I would give these a rating of 0 out of ten based on their average name alone,’ one man said.
It appears McDonald’s had predicted the great debate over the controversial name, and even made a video of three people disagreeing over it.
Fritters, scallops, or potato cakes? It seems that this debate has been around for ages. But why are Aussies arguing over a simple name? In a 2015 Linguistics Roadshow survey, a team of experts discovered just how strong regional divides are when it comes to certain words. The ‘potato scallops’ name was the most debated term of the experiment.
University of Queensland linguistics expert Dr Rob Pensalfini said that the divide was created by several factors, including brands and ethnicity in the area.
‘The one I always remember is this weird horrible sliced meat, apparently called luncheon [in Queensland]. It's called devon in Victoria, it's called fritz in South Australia and polony in Western Australia,’ he shared.
The doctor admitted that the study was ‘fascinating’ because it provided a deeper insight on how terms vary from town to town.
What do you call them, members? Let us know in the comments below! But please keep in mind, this debate is just for fun, so let’s not let it get too heated!
Recently, the fast food chain announced the release of its Summer Menu for 2023. But one addition has sent Macca’s loyal customers into a heated debate – and it’s all because of its name.
The new menu has been the talk of the town since its announcement – with some Macca’s fans poking fun at the ‘Aussie’ burger after the egg (which appeared in previous versions) was taken off the menu.
But that wasn’t the end of it.
The debates have now taken over social media forums with an unexpected twist, with outrage forming over the use of the name ‘potato scallops’ on the new menu.
Although the term is embraced by Macca’s fans in the majority of Australia, in other parts of the country like Victoria and South Australia customers prefer the term ‘potato cakes’ or ‘potato fritters’ instead. No hate here members, but as NSW residents we will say, ‘potato cake’? Really? Potato fritters we can accept, but come on, folks. These aren’t cakes.
‘I have only known them as potato scallops and I’m 72 years old,’ shared one woman.
‘Potato cakes always, I have, however, learned to tolerate the scallop name due to marrying a Queensland husband and wanting to stay married,’ another quipped.
A third disagreed: ‘Neither, they are bloody fritters.’
Thousands have commented on the name, with people from Victoria claiming the only true scallop is a shellfish.
‘If you were to eat a scallop, you would be eating a creature from the sea. If you were to order a scallop, you would get the creature from the sea. It is a potato cake,’ one suggested.
However, one person fiercely disagreed with this statement: ‘Potato scallops are made from scalloped potatoes (a cooking term for thin slices) they don't resemble a cake at all.’
Another agreed and said people don’t just say ‘scallops’ when ordering, they say ‘potato scallops’ to clarify.
Others have boycotted the potato fritters/scallops/cakes entirely because of the confusing name.
‘I won't touch potato scallops but I would have smashed some potato cakes. I reckon I would give these a rating of 0 out of ten based on their average name alone,’ one man said.
It appears McDonald’s had predicted the great debate over the controversial name, and even made a video of three people disagreeing over it.
Fritters, scallops, or potato cakes? It seems that this debate has been around for ages. But why are Aussies arguing over a simple name? In a 2015 Linguistics Roadshow survey, a team of experts discovered just how strong regional divides are when it comes to certain words. The ‘potato scallops’ name was the most debated term of the experiment.
University of Queensland linguistics expert Dr Rob Pensalfini said that the divide was created by several factors, including brands and ethnicity in the area.
‘The one I always remember is this weird horrible sliced meat, apparently called luncheon [in Queensland]. It's called devon in Victoria, it's called fritz in South Australia and polony in Western Australia,’ he shared.
The doctor admitted that the study was ‘fascinating’ because it provided a deeper insight on how terms vary from town to town.
Key Takeaways
- Maccas fans are furious over the naming of a new potato-based menu item.
- The new potato scallop name has caused heated debates – with people across Australia and New Zealand each having their own preference for what it should be called.
- Common terms for the potato scallops include ‘potato scallops’, ‘potato cakes’, and ‘potato fritters’.