McMuffin
Encyclopedia
The McMuffin is a family of breakfast sandwich
es in various sizes and configurations, sold by the fast-food restaurant chain
McDonald's
. The Egg McMuffin is the signature breakfast sandwich; it was invented by the late McDonald's franchisee Herb Peterson
in the late 1960s and was introduced nationwide in 1972.
, 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 teflon coated ring.
wrote that Herb Peterson
and his assistant, Donald Greadel, the operator of a Santa Barbara, California
, franchise, asked Kroc to look at something, without giving details because it was:
In the 1970s, some McDonald's restaurants served Egg McMuffins all day as a promotion.
Several countries like Hong Kong serve Egg McMuffins around the clock, due to the prominent use of the egg in meals other than breakfast in those countries. US restaurants usually restrict the item to the breakfast menu. This is due mainly because the grill temperature for the beef patties and the eggs are significantly different from each other, according to Herb Peterson in a special episode of Unwrapped
.
The first Egg McMuffin was prepared for sale at the Fairview McDonald's in Goleta, California
(near Santa Barbara) by Clyde W. Froehlich, probably in 1972. Mr. Froehlich is originally from Los Angeles and currently lives in Davis, CA. He was a student at the University of California, Santa Barbara at the time. A sign in the window of the Fairview McDonald's documents that the first Egg McMuffin was cooked there.
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 Mr. Peterson's 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.
) and NRL (Australian National Rugby League
) season 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.
Breakfast sandwich
A breakfast sandwich is a sandwich served for breakfast at fast food restaurants and delis or bought as a fast ready to heat and eat sandwich from a store. Breakfast sandwiches can also be made from scratch in the home....
es in various sizes and configurations, sold by the fast-food restaurant chain
Chain store
Chain stores are retail outlets that share a brand and central management, and usually have standardized business methods and practices. These characteristics also apply to chain restaurants and some service-oriented chain businesses. In retail, dining and many service categories, chain businesses...
McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
. The Egg McMuffin is the signature breakfast sandwich; it was invented by the late McDonald's franchisee Herb Peterson
Herb Peterson
Herbert Ralph "Herb" Peterson was an American fast food executive and food scientist most known for being the inventor of the McDonald's Egg McMuffin in 1972...
in the late 1960s and was introduced nationwide in 1972.
Product description
In the US and Canada the standard McMuffin consists of a slice of Canadian baconBack bacon
Back bacon is bacon prepared from centre-cut boneless pork loin. The name refers to the cut of meat, which is from the back, and distinguishes it from other bacon made from pork belly or other cuts. Unlike other bacon, back bacon is not brined, cured, boiled, or smoked...
, a griddle-fried
Griddle
A griddle is a cooking device consisting of a broad flat surface that can be heated using a variety of means, and is used in both residential and commercial applications for a variety of cooking operations. Most commonly, the griddle consists of a flat metal plate, but in the non-industrialized...
egg
Egg (food)
Eggs are laid by females of many different species, including birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish, and have probably been eaten by mankind for millennia. Bird and reptile eggs consist of a protective eggshell, albumen , and vitellus , contained within various thin membranes...
, and a slice of American cheese
American cheese
American cheese is a processed cheese. It is orange, yellow, or white in color and mild in flavor, with a medium-firm consistency, and melts easily. American cheese was originally only white, but is usually now modified to yellow. In the past it was made from a blend of cheeses, most often Colby...
on a toasted and buttered English muffin
English muffin
A muffin or English muffin is a small, round, flat type of yeast-leavened bread almost always dusted with cornmeal, which is commonly served split horizontally, toasted, and buttered. Muffins are eaten either as a snack alone or as part of a meal.- History :An old English nursery rhyme, "The...
. The round shape of the egg is made by cooking it in a teflon coated ring.
Variants
- Sausage McMuffin - A sausageSausageA sausage is a food usually made from ground meat , mixed with salt, herbs, and other spices, although vegetarian sausages are available. The word sausage is derived from Old French saussiche, from the Latin word salsus, meaning salted.Typically, a sausage is formed in a casing traditionally made...
patty is substituted for both the egg and the Canadian bacon. - Sausage McMuffin with Egg — A sausageSausageA sausage is a food usually made from ground meat , mixed with salt, herbs, and other spices, although vegetarian sausages are available. The word sausage is derived from Old French saussiche, from the Latin word salsus, meaning salted.Typically, a sausage is formed in a casing traditionally made...
patty is substituted for the Canadian bacon and the cheese side of the muffin is switched. - Chicken McMuffin - A breaded chicken patty, lettuce, tomato, mayo and a slice of Cheddar cheese in an English muffin. There is no egg in this McMuffin variant. Available in HungaryHungaryHungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
as part of McDonald's regular breakfast menu . - Bacon McMuffin with Egg - Pieces of bacon are substituted for the Canadian bacon.
- Massive McMuffin — Ketchup, bacon, egg, American cheese and two sausage patties.
Available in New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and some parts of AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. - Mega Muffin: Egg, sausage, bacon, cheese, and ketchup. Available periodically in JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
as a promotion. - Western Omelette McMuffin - Was available in 1990 and 1992; featured a Western omelette (Egg filled with ham, diced onions, and green bell peppers) and American cheese on a toasted English muffin.
History
The McDonald's egg sandwich was invented in 1972. Former McDonald's President Ray KrocRay Kroc
Raymond Albert "Ray" Kroc was an American fast food businessman who joined McDonald's in 1954 and built it into the most successful fast food operation in the world. Kroc was included in Time 100: The Most Important People of the Century, and amassed a fortune during his lifetime...
wrote that Herb Peterson
Herb Peterson
Herbert Ralph "Herb" Peterson was an American fast food executive and food scientist most known for being the inventor of the McDonald's Egg McMuffin in 1972...
and his assistant, Donald Greadel, the operator of a Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
, franchise, asked Kroc to look at something, without giving details because it was:
In the 1970s, some McDonald's restaurants served Egg McMuffins all day as a promotion.
Several countries like Hong Kong serve Egg McMuffins around the clock, due to the prominent use of the egg in meals other than breakfast in those countries. US restaurants usually restrict the item to the breakfast menu. This is due mainly because the grill temperature for the beef patties and the eggs are significantly different from each other, according to Herb Peterson in a special episode of Unwrapped
Unwrapped
Unwrapped is an American television program on Food Network that reveals the origins of foods. It first aired in June 2001 and is hosted by Marc Summers. The show leads viewers on tours of factories and other food-related locations. Popular subjects include candy, breakfast cereal, snacks, and TV...
.
The first Egg McMuffin was prepared for sale at the Fairview McDonald's in Goleta, California
Goleta, California
Goleta is a city in southern Santa Barbara County, California, USA. It was incorporated as a city in 2002, after a long period as the largest unincorporated, populated area in the county. As of the 2000 census, the Census-designated place had a total population of 55,204, however, a significant...
(near Santa Barbara) by Clyde W. Froehlich, probably in 1972. Mr. Froehlich is originally from Los Angeles and currently lives in Davis, CA. He was a student at the University of California, Santa Barbara at the time. A sign in the window of the Fairview McDonald's documents that the first Egg McMuffin was cooked there.
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 Mr. Peterson's 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.
Advertising
The Massive McMuffin was introduced to coincide with the AFL (Australian Football LeagueAustralian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
) and NRL (Australian National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
) season of 1998, when McDonald's Australia launched the Footy Burger (now the Double Quarter Pounder
Quarter Pounder
The Quarter Pounder is a hamburger product sold by international fast food chain McDonald's, originally containing a patty with a precooked weight of a quarter of a pound .-History:...
), Mini Footy Burger (double Cheeseburger
Cheeseburger
A cheeseburger is a hamburger with cheese that has been added to it. Traditionally, the cheese is placed on top of the patty, but the burger can include many variations in structure, ingredients, and composition...
) and Massive McMuffin. The muffin proved so popular that some Australian stores kept the item as a permanent breakfast option.
See also
- McDonald's products
- Burger King productsBurger King productsWhen the predecessor of international fast food restaurant chain Burger King first opened in 1953, its menu predominantly consisted of hamburgers, french fries, soft drinks, milkshakes, and desserts...
- Croissan'Wich
- List of sandwiches