Bloomberg has a very interesting article about how McDonald's is making inroads into the Indian markets. The majority of the country is Hindu, so that means no beef. A substantial minority is Muslim, so that means no pork. So what exactly do you order at a McDonald's there? Why a McAloo Tikki, a McVeggie sandwich (pictured above) or a Pizza McPuff, of course. Burgers are strictly vegetarian, and are made from mashed potatoes, peas and spices. The cooking of vegetarian items is done in a separate kitchen, and no onions are garlic is used to satisfy one subgroup which eschews root vegetables. Cleanliness is also key to keeping the locals happy.
The chain famous for hamburgers tailors its menus to local tastes, which means no beef in India because the majority of its 1.22 billion people are Hindus and revere cows. It also doesn't serve pork items in deference to Muslims.
Instead, it offers vegetarian and chicken dishes with items starting at about 40 U.S. cents. All restaurants have separate kitchens for vegetarians, including those who don't eat root vegetables like garlic and onions.
"It really doesn't make sense to sell beef in a country where 85 percent of the population doesn't eat it or will even shun a restaurant where beef is served," Bakshi said. "About 70 percent of the menu in Indian outlets doesn't exist anywhere else in the world."
Some items, including the McAloo Tikki and Pizza McPuff, were exported to restaurants in the Middle East. While locals expect the different menu, foreigners used to a Big Mac can be taken aback by a Chicken Maharaja Mac.
So why don't we get a McAloo Tikki or other vegetarian items here in the states? Maybe it's just the great names getting to us, but we think they'd be a hit.
