"Cow in Mario Kart World Eats Burgers, Steak"

Amid a rare lull in the usual chaos of headlines—no new tariffs, no fresh leaks about Nintendo Switch 2 pricing—we’ve got something delightfully quirky to kick off your Friday. IGN recently attended a Nintendo event in New York and had hands-on time with *Mario Kart World*, the latest entry in the iconic racing series. Among the many reveals was confirmation that the newly introduced Cow character can indeed munch on burgers, steak, and a variety of other food items.

If you’re scratching your head wondering how this came up in the first place, let’s rewind a bit. Nintendo recently announced *Mario Kart World*, which features the Moo Moo Meadows Cow as a playable racer—a huge promotion for a character that used to be nothing more than a background decoration in a single track. Naturally, the internet went wild, generating memes and fan art celebrating the adorable bovine.

But amid the excitement, fans began questioning a curious detail revealed during the Nintendo Direct 2 trailer from Wednesday: Mario eating a burger. Burgers are typically made of beef, and if Cow is now a mainstay character, wouldn’t that raise an eyebrow-raising dilemma? Would Cow eat beef—her own kind, potentially?

“Imagine if the cow gets a transformation costume.” — u/Shinuto94

Well, at the preview event, we finally got our answer. The food items teased in the trailer can be found at Yoshi’s Diner locations scattered throughout the race courses. These spots function like drive-thrus, where racers can pull up and grab a bag of take-out just like they would collect an item box. Inside these bags are various food items—burgers, steak kebabs, pizza, donuts, and more.

And yes—you guessed it—Cow can eat them all.

“Yes, Cow CAN eat steak in Mario Kart World.” — IGN (@IGN) April 4, 2025

During our play session, we saw Cow indulge in several of these food items, including the infamous burger. What remains unclear is whether these meals actually grant her any special effects. While other racers seem to change costumes upon consumption, Cow doesn’t appear to undergo any visible transformation. Is she simply enjoying a tasty snack? Could there be a hidden power-up tied to her burger-eating habit that Nintendo hasn't yet disclosed? Or maybe these are plant-based alternatives—veggie burgers and Beyond Meat kebabs, perhaps?

IGN reached out to Nintendo for clarification, but so far, no comment has been received. We’re choosing to believe it’s because they’re busy hosting their New York event rather than any reluctance to address what might be one of the most unusual questions ever posed to their PR team.

In the meantime, feel free to check out our full preview of *Mario Kart World*. The video version even includes a guest appearance by our favorite burger-loving Cow. Enjoy!