The Rewards of le Big Mac

Travel Blog • Michael Yessis • 06.14.06 | 8:15 AM ET

Rolf Potts’ Traveling Light column about McDonald’s over at Yahoo! has stirred up much conversation in the last few days. That’s what happens, I guess, when you tout the virtues of eating at the Golden Arches while traveling abroad. “Look closely ... and you’ll discover that (despite their placeless ambience) the McDonald’s in far-flung places are culturally discernible from the McDonald’s you’ll find in Modesto or Milwaukee,” he writes. “In India, for example, a McDonald’s serves chicken Maharaja Macs’ instead of Big Macs (due to Hindu and Muslim taboos against beef and pork), and a door-greeter is often available to assist the middle-class clientele. Moreover, as any Pulp Fiction fan will note, Paris McDonald’s offer the option of ordering a frothy beer with le Big Mac.”