When the news broke recently that Mickey Ds was getting ready to roll out a special meatless sandwich, it caused quite a stir. Speculation about this much-anticipated development basically boiled down to: When can consumers actually sink their teeth into this groundbreaking creation? Short answer: Some time in 2021.

Yet, the worlds largest fast food company isnt exactly new to the ever-growing trend toward meat alternatives.

Here are a few plant-based bestsellers served at McDonalds around the globe.

The Veggie Deluxe Burger is served at McDonald's in the United Arab Emirates.

A staple on McDonalds menus in the UAE, the star of this sandwich is the secret sauce. Its a tandoori sauce that brings some heat to the deep-fried veggie patty made with seasoned legumes. Tomato slices, shredded lettuce and onions are the fresh toppers.

And by the way, all ingredients used in the United Arab Emirates are 100 percent Halal-certified.

You'll have to travel to the United Kingdom if you want to order McDonald's Veggie Dippers.

The goujon-shaped gems are also prized for being gluten-free. The long list of ingredients includes yellow split peas, rice flour, gram flour, maize flour, amaranth flour, maize starch and teff flour, as well as a sun-dried tomato pesto.

McDonald's in Norway offer a Veggie McSpice on its menu.

Launched in 2017 in Norway, this crunchy patty uses kidney beans as its backbone. The vegan mixture is seasoned with cayenne pepper, tomato powder and cumin, served in between the signature sesame buns. The sandwich is vegan when its ordered without the cheese.

Granted, none of those options are going for the juicy, meat-like quality of the McPlant. Theyre entirely different animals. But catering to consumer requests in various markets around the world actually helped move the latest project along.

Ian Borden, President, International at McDonalds, said in an investor update presentation in November: As we have worked to better understand customer demand, some markets around the world have tested plant-based products. Informed by those learnings, we have created a delicious burger that will be the first menu option in a plant-based platform we are calling McPlant. McPlant is crafted exclusively for McDonalds, by McDonalds. In the future, McPlant could extend across a line of plant-based products including burgers, chicken-substitutes and breakfast sandwiches.

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McDonalds McPlant Isnt The Fast Food Giants First Vegan Sandwich - Forbes