The McRib is a barbecue flavored pork sandwich periodically sold by the international fast food restaurant chain McDonald's. It was first introduced to the McDonald's menu in 1981, following test marketing the year before. After poor sales, it was removed from the menu in 1985. The McRib was reintroduced in 1989, staying on the menu until 2005 in many countries. From 2006 until 2019, it has generally been made available for a short time each year in most markets where it is sold, typically during the fall season, although is a permanent menu item at McDonald's restaurants in Germany and Luxembourg. The sandwich, as well as the cultural phenomenon of "chasing the McRib", were the main subject of The Simpsons episode "I'm Spelling as Fast as I Can", in which it is parodied as the "Ribwich" and gains a cult following.