McDonald's created Szechuan sauce in 1998 as a limited promotion for Disney's animated film Mulan, then retired it. The sauce exploded back into the spotlight when Rick and Morty made it Rick's all-consuming obsession in the show's 2017 season three premiere, sending fans on a real-life hunt for a packet. McDonald's answered the frenzy with limited re-releases in 2017 and 2018, drawing huge lines and selling out fast. Today the Mulan sauce lives on as meme shorthand for hype over any rare or limited-edition fast-food item.