One of the best and most amusing things about globalised companies is when they pass into the fourth stage of expansion: when they introduce local variants on their otherwise homogenised products.
I know lots of you have mocked the British staple Pizza Hut topping; sweetcorn.
And some seem to think it's unnatural to have Baked Bean pizza (what is wrong with, essentially, beans on toast?).
I remember with alarm the chicken tikka massala burger in many London McDonald's.
But I will always be grateful to Starbucks for the little slice of heaven that is Cheese and Marmite panini.Even if the Guardian called it "one of those cocktails of fat, carbohydrate and yeast extract".
What are your favourite local variants in globalised companies?
6 comments:
I would have to say Australia changed the way I will eat burgers for the rest of my life. Hungry Jacks (a Burger King knock-off) had the Aussie burger, which essentially is a burger with all the basics, but topped with delicious Beetroot. Who knew Beetroot was the magic ingredient to the perfect burger. Every deli, restaurant and pub serves the stuff on their burgers, sandwiches and wraps. McDonalds even had the McAussie variant, loaded with Beetroot. Thankfully, Vegemite has not caught on yet.
The only local variant in Missoula Starbucks is the glaring newstand
substitution of The Missoulian for The New York Times which I'd grown to expect in all SBC joints this side of the Atlantic. Never would have realized how closely I'd forged dual expectations. That said, the greater issue of Starbucks and global ethics has got me thinking. Expect an entry soon.
My neighbourhood DQ has an almost tolerable addition of poutine.
Not a food, but a new variation of the US 7-11 franchise where in Japan there are rows of refrigerated salads--lettuce, bean, chicken and seaweed--fresh sandwiches (changed a couple of times a day), take-away pastas, curries and riceballs. Not a BigGulp in sight, but loads of healthy-ish lunch choices for CHEAP...boy, I miss that!!!
I thought you hated Marmite, Pete.
Starbucks converted me. Isn't that ridiculous? I used to have fights with my brother when he would leave the lid off and the smell would be in the room.
But then, I used to hate most foodstuffs. After I grew to like cheese, I grew to like things that went well with cheese. Marmite's turned out to be one of those things.
Post a Comment