I feel like we've earned a break from the whirlwind of news about tariffs and Nintendo Switch 2 pricing, so let's dive into something a bit more fun for your Friday: IGN had the chance to play Mario Kart World at a Nintendo event in New York this week, and they confirmed a delightful detail—yes, the new Cow character can indeed eat burgers and steak, along with many other tasty treats.
If you're scratching your head wondering what this is all about, let me fill you in. Recently, Nintendo announced Mario Kart World, which introduced the Moo Moo Meadows Cow as a playable racer. The internet has been buzzing with excitement, spawning countless memes and fanart celebrating this adorable character, who was previously just a fun background element in a single Mario Kart track.
However, as news of Cow spread, fans noticed a potential, erm, issue, highlighted in the Nintendo Direct 2 trailer from Wednesday. In it, Mario is seen eating a burger. Burgers are typically made of beef, raising the question: Would Cow, whose kind are ostensibly a source of beef, consume beef herself? Fans were eager to find out.
Imagine if the cow gets a transformation costume. byu/Shinuto94 inmariokart
Well, at the Nintendo preview event, we got our answer. The food items seen in the trailer are obtainable at Yoshi's diner locations scattered throughout the courses. These function like drive-thrus, allowing racers to grab a bag of take-out just as they would an item box. There's a variety of food inside, including burgers, steak kebabs, pizza, and donuts.
And yes, Cow can eat them all.
Yes, Cow CAN eat steak in Mario Kart World. pic.twitter.com/qN5PZ9IIM4
— IGN (@IGN) April 4, 2025
During our session, we also saw Cow enjoying a number of other items, including burgers. We're still a bit unsure about what these items actually do for Cow—other racers change costumes when consuming them, but Cow doesn't seem to experience any effects. Is she eating beef simply because she enjoys it? Could there be a secret power-up she gets from burger consumption that we're not yet aware of? Or perhaps these are veggie burgers and Beyond meat kebabs?
IGN reached out to Nintendo to try and clear up these questions, but we haven't heard back yet. I'm sure it's because they're busy at their New York event, and not because this is a slightly unhinged question to pose to their PR team. Yeah, that's probably it.In the meantime, be sure to check out our preview of Mario Kart World, the video version of which features an appearance by our friend Cow.
