There is something magical about going away and eating the local delicacies. Whether that is trying food you’re more than familiar with in its’ native country (pizza in Italy for example) or a new dish you’d never heard of before. Eating the local food is one of my favourite aspects of travelling.
However, I do always make a point of visiting a McDonald’s when I’m away and looking at the menu to uncover foods on offer we don’t have at home.
That famous yellow M is a prominent symbol in most of the places I’ve been to. In fact, McDonalds operate in 119 countries worldwide. Notable omissions from the McDonald’s empire include North Korea and Iceland.
I’ve been told they don’t serve fries alongside your meal in Indonesian McDonald’s, opting for a localised rice side instead.
When in Switzerland, we noticed chicken wings on the McDonald’s menu – which are an option in Italy and Germany also.
Though it was Germany really elevated my experience of McDonald’s abroad. They offered a ‘Pizza Mac’, which was a burger with pizza sauce and cheese on the top bun – and it was delicious. It genuinely tasted like pizza too.
The McDonald’s I visited in Berlin also offered scampi with delicious Mary Rose sauce, albeit it may have been a limited edition as I can’t find imagery of it online.
Italian McDonald’s offered a variation of loaded fries – with melted cheese and melted cheese with bacon as options.
Morocco (and presumably the Muslim world) is home to halal beef, and McBeef wraps in addition to the traditional hamburger.
In the Netherlands, their love of Mayonnaise is shared with McDonalds with it being the most popular dip that they offer in the Northern European country.
The menu in Slovakia didn’t beer too far from Ireland’s, but their desserts were catered to more local food, with a pastry Jahodová taštička with molten chocolate and caramel inside. However I believe the filling is rotational depending on the season, with cream/fruit options available in the summertime.
Not to stop with food, we pleasantly found out they also serve beers in Italy, and with the public drinking laws you are able to order some beer to go to sip on alongside your midnight snack on the way home from the bar (the red Birra Moretti is a good shout).
And if there isn’t anything new that jumps out at you – you can always just get Le Big Mac to emulate the iconic Pulp Fiction scene.
In the comments box below, please share any items from the McDonald’s menu you have experienced abroad which isn’t offered for you back home.
