The Story Behind Rick And Morty's Szechuan Sauce, According To The Co-Creator

Rick Sanchez Rick and Morty Season 3 Adult Swim

Szechuan sauce has become the unofficial mascot for Season 3 of Rick and Morty, and fans have pestered McDonald's and it's employees nonstop to bring back the obscure sauce they sold in 1998 to promote Mulan. Now the story behind how that bit came to be is coming out via co-creator Justin Roiland, who shares his story and love for the sauce in the quote below:

It was a real life story that I fucking love that sauce. It is so fucking good. But I also understand the science of taste buds. [laughs] Actually I don't, I don't understand the science of taste buds. I don't know why I said that. But I think I understand that your taste buds change over the course of your life, much like you shed your fucking skin and change every seven years, or whatever the fuck people say. So who knows? I'll probably taste it and be like, 'Blech. Ugh. Disgusting.' But I don't know. My memory of it is that it was the fucking most delicious thing I've ever had in my life, and I probably ate more McNuggets that year than I probably have in my entire life combined. Because of that fucking disgusting sauce. Delicious.

So Justin Roiland created a fever pitch over Szechuan sauce, and he's not even 100% sure he's going to enjoy it if it comes back? That's probably a nightmare for McDonald's who may actually know the sauce was not that big of a hit, but absolutely hilarious for Roiland and the staff. It's incredible to think that Rick and Morty has such a high level of influence that the mere mention of something obscure like that sparked petitions, speculation, and massive online auctions all over a packet of sauce.

Other creator of Rick and Morty Dan Harmon says during the video that the skit is a play on the obsessive consumerism of Justin Roiland, who really seems to love his products. Harmon says the team has played on this joke once before in "Total Rickall," in a scene where Rick bursts in with a scheme to get rich off of selling limited editions of the Nintendo 3DS. Harmon says Rick's words are almost verbatim of Roiland's in an event that happened one day at the office. After reading that Roiland actually held onto a memory of a sauce he had decades ago, this scenario actually happening in real life isn't that hard to believe:

Rick and Morty is set to return for Season 3 beginning Sunday, July 30 at 11:30 p.m on Adult Swim. Get hyped for Season 3 by checking out our list of things that this coming season absolutely has to answer, or Justin Roiland getting drunk and trying to record lines for Rick. Those who are just wanting an explanation as to why they've had to wait so long, co-creator Dan Harmon gave the scoop a while back about what the hold up was.

For information regarding other great summer programming that's worth a watch, visit our summer premiere guide.

Mick Joest
Content Producer

Mick Joest is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend with his hand in an eclectic mix of television goodness. Star Trek is his main jam, but he also regularly reports on happenings in the world of Star Trek, WWE, Doctor Who, 90 Day Fiancé, Quantum Leap, and Big Brother. He graduated from the University of Southern Indiana with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Radio and Television. He's great at hosting panels and appearing on podcasts if given the chance as well.