McDonald’s and the “authentic” travel argument
A few weeks ago, I came across a blog post titled “Authentic Travelers Don’t Eat McDonald’s.” At first, I was ready to post a comment of my disagreement. But as I read further, I realized the author was rebutting the title statement. There’s nothing wrong with indulging in the occasional Westernized meal, he argued. Sometimes, after a long time on the road, you just want something familiar.
While I never eat fast food at home, my husband and I actually make a point to eat McDonald’s once in every country we visit. We’ve grilled beef with gauchos in Argentina and sampled puffin and whale in Iceland, but we’ve also munched McNuggets and fries in both of those countries. In addition to being a silly tradition we’ve shared since our first trip together, we actually think it provides a different look at the local culture. Local culture….at McDonald’s? Yes, really.
Sure, most of the items at McDonald’s are staples that are consistent across the globe. But some items vary depending on the country. Canadian McDonald’s franchises serve Poutine. The Deluxe breakfast in Hawaii comes with Spam. Rice and beans are available in Costa Rica. Burgers in Chile are topped with avocado. Israeli McDonald’s locations make the McKebab and outlets in India sell the Chicken McTikka. All of these are obviously more Westernized versions, but they certainly won’t be found at your corner McD’s.
And who’s to say that eating at a Tokyo noodle bar dive with a bunch of backpackers provides a more “authentic” experience than chatting with local teenagers over an Ebi Fillet at McDonald’s? What matters more than where we eat is how we connect with another culture. Of course I want to sample all the local specialities when I travel, but having one meal at McDonald’s doesn’t make me a less conscientious traveler.
Get out of the tourist bubble and make an effort to understand, respect, and connect with the locals and their culture. If you do that, who cares if you enjoy the occasional Big Mac?
Photo credit: loremipsum via Flickr
November 4th, 2009 at 2:12 am
Not a big fan of junk food and McDonald’s in particular, if I am in doubt about local cuisine, I can always rely on big mack. In Moscow , for example, it’s also cheaper than at some local restaurants.
November 4th, 2009 at 10:17 am
Sigiriya should have been named one of the Wonders of the World, long ago, and now there is a proposal to name it as the Eighth Wonder of the Ancient world
Sri Lanka’s World Heritage site Sigiriya or Sihigiriya, the ‘Mount of Remembrance’ and its symbolic significance in the light of the philosophia perennis.
Come To Srilanka To Watch This World Heritage temple
November 4th, 2009 at 11:11 am
Going to American fast food restaurants in other countries could be fun. The menu will have food choices that you will not find in America. It could be one way for apprehensive travelers to try something new. Plus, you could always write about your experience. McDonald’s may not be the healthiest, but they are a global company which started out as a dream.
November 5th, 2009 at 3:24 am
Visiting mc donald it’s also an easy way to change the big notes…
November 5th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
You’ll hear plenty of Western travelers brag about “being the only Westerner” in a restaurant as proof of their adventurous, local-minded eating; this is also proof to them that the restaurant they chose must be good. I confess, I’ve said it, though I always hate myself a little bit afterward.
Even though I almost never eat fast food when home in the U.S. (and even then, it’s usually In-N-Out), in China I ate once at a McDonald’s and twice at a KFC. They were the only food I could find. I hadn’t eaten a Big Mac ever in my life before chowing down in China.
All three times, my husband and I were the only Westerners in there. We were approached by curious locals, had our pictures taken, and were generally gawked at. The cashier even had to dig up their dusty English menu so we could point to what we wanted.
In no way is it one of my treasured travel moments, but sometimes you just gotta eat!
November 9th, 2009 at 9:45 pm
The only thing you can eat is food.
McDonald’s isn’t food.
Therefore no one “eats” McDonald’s.
😀
November 11th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
[…] Flip side from last week — McDonald’s and the “authentic” travel argument […]
August 30th, 2013 at 4:44 pm
I’m sure there’s going to be a lot of people who will argue otherwise and even try to bash me for saying this, but I’m going to say it anyway since I have that right (last time I checked, anyway)
McDonalds is just one of the many fast food chains across the world that mass produce genetically modified toxin-ridden “food” that does a whole lot more than just clog your arteries. Aside from the obvious fact that the food is far from “low-fat” and will indeed raise your cholesterol to astronomical levels, there’s also the fact that they are selling people food containing extremely dangerous chemicals that even bacteria wouldn’t eat. There’s also their incredibly unsanitary food preparation methods. I’ve had over a dozen friends who have worked at different McDonalds from California all the way to Iowa that have repeatedly told me how horrifyingly unsanitary and filthy their food preparation practices are. Horror stories about raunchy, rotting meat being left unrefrigerated for weeks, stories of grease pits (or whatever the hell you call those big tubs full of grease that they cook practically everything in) that haven’t been cleaned in months, etc. I dare say that if you’re stupid enough to eat this “food”, you probably deserve to have all those years shaved off of your lifespan (and the lifespan of your future offspring, who will undoubtedly inherit the genetic mutations that occur as a result of consuming this garbage that you so lovingly refer to as “food”). As for the rest of us who actually have brains in our skulls, I’ll take my chances cooking my own god damn food, or go to a decent restaurant (i.e. one that doesn’t have a “dollar menu”) that actually serves quality meals. Remember, you get what you pay for.
P.S. I literally couldn’t stop laughing for a good 5 minutes after reading this article. You seriously travel to other countries so you can eat the same poisonous crap they serve us here in the United States? They make those McTikkas and McKebabs with the same toxic crap they use to make McNuggets in the US. Of course, you’re free to poison yourselves as much as you desire, and I sure as hell ain’t stopping you. Just thought I’d point out how absolutely hilarious that is. And people wonder why folks in other countries think we’re so stupid…