While in our Westernized culture many believe fast food to be the opposite of fancy, as other cultures vary in their fast food preferences. American McDonalds is seen as a cheap and timely food option for American’s on a busy workday or as a yummy treat. In other countries, such as China, McDonalds has a range of options, tailoring to a different market. Featured in a BuzzFeed video I watched (https://youtu.be/94WyFXTPzvs), I noticed some options included Bubble Tea and Honey Chicken with Rice. Even though these items may not be shown as top tier, having these items on a fast food menu may be of higher value in an Eastern market. I questioned how these items would be perceived of they were added to American McDonalds menus. In personal preference I would love to try McDonalds foods from across the globe, believing that McDonalds would be successful marketing a new range of cultural products.
When I visited Canada last summer my parents heard that the local McDonalds served poutine, a popular Canadian dish (fries topped with gravy and cheese curds). Since we tried the dish at a fancy restaurant at an earlier time period on the trip, we wanted to try the “McDonalds” version. Since we were not poutine “experts” we thought the dish was well prepared. I questioned how a Canadian would react to the same dish that we tried.
Shown in our story, “After Cowboy Chicken Came to Town” by Ha Jin, fast food is valued in other cultures. For example, the company in the story catered weddings and became successful with that business. If a wedding in America catered this type of food (such as McDonalds) guests may feel that the wedding was cheap. If I attended a wedding in an Eastern country and was served this I would be shocked by the differed reactions.