Hungry Jack's Caramel Shake

The Caramel Shake at Hungry Jack's is $5.80 and 1,110 kJ, with 42.7g of sugar and 45.3g of carbs. It sits just above the Strawberry Shake and just below the Chocolate on the range.

Caramel is the shake flavour that most rewards a good version and most punishes a poor one. Proper caramel is sugar cooked until it browns, which produces bitter and nutty notes alongside the sweetness. A caramel syrup that has not been cooked is simply sweet, and the difference is immediately obvious in something as plain as a milkshake.

Against dairy, caramel works better than it does against almost anything else. The salt and fat in milk balance the burnt sugar notes, which is why salted caramel became a fixture and why caramel milkshakes have been on menus since milkshakes existed.

At 1,110 kJ it carries a similar load to the other standard shakes, and like all of them the dairy fat makes it effective against chilli heat.

Who it suits: anyone who finds chocolate too rich and vanilla too plain. It is the middle path in the shake range and a common default for adults.

Compare against the Biscoff Shake at $6.40, which takes the caramel and biscuit direction considerably further.