4 ms·

I think the biggest flaw is that the Big Mac you are served in Switzerland is not really the same Big Mac you are served in the US. It's a cute form of compari

I think the biggest flaw is that the Big Mac you are served in Switzerland is not really the same Big Mac you are served in the US. It's a cute form of comparison but indeed should not be used as a policy tool.

chucksta 5y ago
I actually eat McD's specifically at least once while traveling internationally to see how much it changes. Anecdotal but its been my experience the core items taste and appear strikingly similar everywhere, and that's ~10 data points across the world.
- samatman 5y ago
  Did you happen to sample Japan? I ask because I didn't get around to it; there's just too much good food in Japan and I wasn't there long enough. But I did have a Wendy's burger, and I can tell you: it's not the same burger you get in the States. It's much better. For a given ingredient, it will be inadequate in the US, in Japan, they are all food, like you might get from a bistro. That made me curious about McDs, but not curious enough to blow an entire precious meal on it.
  - selectodude 5y ago
    I've had a Big Mac in Japan. Like GP, I too have tried a Big Mac in probably a dozen different countries because I'm a strange dude who loves traveling and Big Macs. It was a little smaller and modified for local tastes (more spice, less special sauce) but overall pretty much the same.
    - chucksta 5y ago
      I like checking out grocery stores too, I find both are a good comparison for what normal life is like
  - jtmarl1n 5y ago
    FWIW, I had a short layover in Japan in 2017 and had the McNuggets & fries at the airport. They were identical. The biggest difference was the size of the drink that came with the meal.
  - chucksta 5y ago
    Yeah I went out of my way the last day there, I almost missed it for the same reason. It's pretty amazing how consistent it is
  - csa 5y ago
    I lived in Japan for several years. The Big Mac in Japan is very tasty and definitely edible. In the US, almost every one I have had is disgusting and sloppily made. Iirc, I had one good one at one AM or so. I’ve given up on trying them. Egg McMuffins in Japan were also better. Not sure why. I can eat them in the US, and sometimes they are good, but at least half the time I regret ordering it. Note that these are all retrospective comparisons. I’m guessing the main differences were bread quality, freshness (not under the lamp for long), and meticulous sandwich construction. McDs was a valid option for a quick bite in Japan (maybe once a month?). I expected something similar when I returned to the US. I was sadly disappointed.
larkost 5y ago
It really is. I happened to stay for a week in the house of the man who owned the company that (at that time) provided all of the cheese for McDonalds in all of Europe, except Russia. His plants were subject to lots of random inspections where they would not only taste-test the cheese, but chemically and mechanically examine it to ensure that it was the same as was being produced in the rest of the world. I think that the confusion might be that McDonalds has a lot of "local" menu items that you can only find in those countries (e.g.: beer in Germany, wine in France). Those items are very different, but the "core" items, like the Bic Mac in question, are very much the same across the world. I should note that there are a few cheats to this. For example what is called the Quarter Pounder in the U.S. is slightly tweaked in Europe, and I think that is usually called something like "Hamburger Royale", so there is that. But that could go either way depending on how you see it.

chucksta 5y ago

I actually eat McD's specifically at least once while traveling internationally to see how much it changes. Anecdotal but its been my experience the core items taste and appear strikingly similar everywhere, and that's ~10 data points across the world.

samatman 5y ago
Did you happen to sample Japan? I ask because I didn't get around to it; there's just too much good food in Japan and I wasn't there long enough. But I did have a Wendy's burger, and I can tell you: it's not the same burger you get in the States. It's much better. For a given ingredient, it will be inadequate in the US, in Japan, they are all food, like you might get from a bistro. That made me curious about McDs, but not curious enough to blow an entire precious meal on it.
- selectodude 5y ago
  I've had a Big Mac in Japan. Like GP, I too have tried a Big Mac in probably a dozen different countries because I'm a strange dude who loves traveling and Big Macs. It was a little smaller and modified for local tastes (more spice, less special sauce) but overall pretty much the same.
  - chucksta 5y ago
    I like checking out grocery stores too, I find both are a good comparison for what normal life is like
- jtmarl1n 5y ago
  FWIW, I had a short layover in Japan in 2017 and had the McNuggets & fries at the airport. They were identical. The biggest difference was the size of the drink that came with the meal.
- chucksta 5y ago
  Yeah I went out of my way the last day there, I almost missed it for the same reason. It's pretty amazing how consistent it is
- csa 5y ago
  I lived in Japan for several years. The Big Mac in Japan is very tasty and definitely edible. In the US, almost every one I have had is disgusting and sloppily made. Iirc, I had one good one at one AM or so. I’ve given up on trying them. Egg McMuffins in Japan were also better. Not sure why. I can eat them in the US, and sometimes they are good, but at least half the time I regret ordering it. Note that these are all retrospective comparisons. I’m guessing the main differences were bread quality, freshness (not under the lamp for long), and meticulous sandwich construction. McDs was a valid option for a quick bite in Japan (maybe once a month?). I expected something similar when I returned to the US. I was sadly disappointed.

larkost 5y ago

It really is. I happened to stay for a week in the house of the man who owned the company that (at that time) provided all of the cheese for McDonalds in all of Europe, except Russia. His plants were subject to lots of random inspections where they would not only taste-test the cheese, but chemically and mechanically examine it to ensure that it was the same as was being produced in the rest of the world. I think that the confusion might be that McDonalds has a lot of "local" menu items that you can only find in those countries (e.g.: beer in Germany, wine in France). Those items are very different, but the "core" items, like the Bic Mac in question, are very much the same across the world. I should note that there are a few cheats to this. For example what is called the Quarter Pounder in the U.S. is slightly tweaked in Europe, and I think that is usually called something like "Hamburger Royale", so there is that. But that could go either way depending on how you see it.