Eye-catching eggplant emoji sauce bottle for sale in New Zealand

The product you didn't know you needed has arrived. Photo / Supplied

For years Kiwis have held a special place in their hearts for the innocent tomato-shaped sauce bottle, a staple of fish-and-chip meals for generations.

But the family of novelty kitchen items has a new member and the risqué new challenger, arising from the smutty depths of social media, has New Zealanders shocked.

An Auckland woman shared photos on social media of the unusual design, found during a trip to the Mitre 10 Mega store at Westgate, describing it as a "gem".

The design is based on the popular eggplant emoji, primarily used online for content that is not aubergine-related.

Just waiting to be squeezed. Photo / Supplied

Simpler times. Photo / File

One comment below the photo summed it up best: "Nooooooo".

Another said that "what has been seen cannot be unseen".

While many were repelled, others saw the chance to find a cheeky stocking filler.

"Incredible. Just beautiful. I will take 12," wrote one keen consumer.

"Almost tempted to break my no new plastic rule to own this," said another.

One discomfiting detail on the packaging that caught many people's eye was an instruction on how to use the bottle to best advantage: "Shake 'n' Squirt".

Ew. Photo / Supplied

The accompanying photo had some wondering whether there had been a cock-up in the production process, an "awesome act of ignorance".

"They didn't think this out, did they?" opined one Twitter user.

Late-stage capitalism dictates that is likely far from the truth, and a quick check online shows that the product is a popular seller on e-commerce sites around the world.

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