Burger King Introduces a Burger with Black Bun, Sauce, and Cheese in Japan

Blackboard. Blackberry. Black widow. But a black burger?

Yup. A dark-colored hamburger — that isn't burnt — is now being sold in Japan by fast-food giant Burger King. Called the Kuro Burger, it features a black bun, meat with black pepper, and black cheese. The bread and cheese contain bamboo charcoal, popular in Japanese cuisine. The sandwich also has an onion-and-garlic sauce made dark with squid ink. But don't be alarmed — squid ink is commonly used for cooking, food coloring, and flavoring. The other use is confined to the ocean.

Burger King is offering Japanese customers two varieties of the Kuro — the Pearl and the Diamond. The Kuro Pearl is filled with basic ingredients (listed above); the Kuro Diamond is spruced up with lettuce, tomatoes, and onions, which add a little color to the dark sandwich.

Is the Kuro the first dark take on the American classic? No. The French delivered their own version of the coal-black burger not too long ago, in a galaxy not too far, far away. In January 2012, the French fast-food chain Quick introduced a similar option in time for the release of "Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace 3D." Again, it was a black-bun burger but with two tiers, along the lines of McDonald's Big Mac. And it was probably better than the movie it was celebrating.

Burger King's Kuro Pearl and Kuro Diamond are available only in Japan, for a limited time.