If you’ve traveled outside of the U.S. and had a hankering for McDonald’s, you’ve likely noticed that things aren’t always exactly the same. One of the chain’s secrets to success, thanks to the innovations of Ray Kroc, the first franchisee-turned corporate owner, was making menu items uniform and consistent across all locations so customers could always trust they would get what they expected. While these practices hold true today within the U.S., it’s no secret that locations abroad tend to have some unique variations. The world-famous chain doesn’t just have interesting locations around the world – some of its staple menu items have their own distinct tastes depending on where you are.
The iconic Big Mac, which was created in 1967 by franchisee Jim Delligatti in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is known for its two meat patties with a slice of bun in between, a slice of cheese, lettuce, onion, and the pièce de résistance, the special Big Mac sauce. But, different countries have different tastes and different dietary preferences, so the uniform Big Mac you’ve come to love in the U.S. will have some slight — and some not so slight — differences around the world. With the sandwiches, which are available in one form or another in more than 100 countries, many things impact the flavor, from the amount of sugar used in the sauce to where the ingredients, such as the beef used in the patties, are sourced.
The location impacts the flavor
Some differences go way beyond the flavor of the ingredients, and the differences between U.S.-based fast food chains and their international counterparts are worth exploring on your next vacation. Sometimes the nuances are small, like in the U.K., where the secret sauce recipe is the same, but the amount used is different.
Other differences are much more pronounced. In Israel, for example, you won’t find cheese on a Big Mac for religious reasons (Kosher dietary laws prohibit meat and cheese to be either cooked or consumed together). The Indian version won’t feature beef, as consuming cow is prohibited by Hinduism, the predominant religion of the country. A Big Mac there will have chicken patties instead of beef.
While McDonald’s requires its locations around the world to maintain its consistency and quality standards, the company makes a point to respect the religious and cultural distinctions of its franchise’s host countries. Because of this policy, McDonald’s franchises in different countries are able to take their own liberties when developing menu items, as long as the company’s universal quality standards are met.
