In the US and Canada the standard McMuffin consists of a slice of Canadian bacon,[4] 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.[5][3]
There is also a vegetarian version named "McMuffin Egg & Cheese", in countries like France and Germany. Since 2019, it is available all day long in France.[6]
History
The sandwich was invented in 1972.[7] Former McDonald's President Ray Kroc wrote that Herb Peterson and his assistant, Donald Greadel, the operator of a McDonald's Santa Barbara franchise in Goleta, California,[8] asked Kroc to look at something, without giving details because it was:
... a crazy idea — a breakfast sandwich. It consisted of an egg that had been formed in a Teflon circle with the yolk broken, and was dressed with a slice of cheese and a slice of grilled ham. It was served open-faced on a toasted and buttered English muffin. The advent of the Egg McMuffin opened up a whole new area of potential business for McDonald's, the breakfast trade.[5][3]
One reason the sandwich was served open-faced was that a small tub of strawberry preserves was provided, along with a knife. The sweet and savory approach did not catch on (at least in the US), although a packet of strawberry preserves will still be provided upon request.
^National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Health and Medicine Division; Food and Nutrition Board; Committee to Review the Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium (2019). Oria, Maria; Harrison, Meghan; Stallings, Virginia A. (eds.). Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium. The National Academies Collection: Reports funded by National Institutes of Health. Washington, DC: National Academies Press (US). ISBN978-0-309-48834-1. PMID30844154. Archived from the original on May 9, 2024. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
^"Egg McMuffin Inventor Dies At 89". Los Angeles: KCBS-TV. Associated Press. March 27, 2008. Archived from the original on March 29, 2008. Retrieved March 28, 2008. Tilghman came up with idea for the signature McDonald's breakfast item in 1972