13 McDonald's Global Menu Items We Wish Were in the US

13 McDonald's Global Menu Items We Wish Were in the US

The golden arches of McDonald's are among few symbols that are as easily identifiable anywhere. Apart from Antarctica, almost every continent has a McDonald's among the more than 41,000 outlets across the globe; in about two-thirds of all countries on Earth.

You might not consider visiting a fast-food restaurant so prevalent and uniform back home when on travel overseas. Look carefully, though; although the outside of an overseas McDonald's may seem familiar, the menu inside often reflects the particular tastes and cultural preferences of the nation you are visiting. McDonald's promotes each nation to create their menus to suit local tastes, cultural preferences, and dietary limitations, therefore this is because of that. McDonald's India, for instance, offers more vegetarian choices instead of beef products, and sites in mostly Muslim countries typically have more halal menu items.

McDonald's method of localised menus produces several interesting dishes we wish we could taste in the United States. Search for McSpaghetti, McFalafel, or McMolletes ordering location here. Discover more about these only worldwide McDonald's menu items by reading on.

Poutine: Canadian Standard

McDonald's first overseas store opened its doors in Richmond, British Columbia in 1967. Just in Canada, McDonald's currently has more than 1,400 outlets. Apart from the sporadic limited-time promotion, the Canadian menu selection is almost exactly like its U.S. equivalent; one main distinction is poutine.

This deep brown gravy-covered pile of crispy fries coated in squeaky cheese curds is the indulgent late-night fare. Originally a fast supper at eateries, poutine started in the French-speaking province of Quebec and is now Canada's unofficial national dish. From fine dining restaurants to the most basic fast-food chains, including McDonald's, poutine is on menus everywhere throughout the nation.

McDonald's Canada offers a classic poutine in several sizes as well as luxury toppings including spicy Buffalo chicken or other seasonal specialities. Want to do poutine right at home? Follow our classic recipe; just be sure that cheese curds are as squeaky as possible.

Paneer (India), spicy

Thanks in part to the culinary customs of the nation, McDonald's India has one of the most varied and distinctive menus available anywhere. The Pew Research Centre estimates that over 40% of Indians identify as vegetarians, while almost 80% restrict their diets' meat intake. Since most of the generally followed religions in India have dietary rules and customs, this relates on the food of the nation — and indeed, that includes McDonald's menu options as well.

Among McDonald's vegetarian sandwich choices, the McSpicy Paneer stands out as one of best. Imagine paneer as a solid, creamy Indian cheese if you're not familiar with its taste. Though richer and creamier in taste, its texture is like tofu's. Though McDonald's has raised paneer to a whole new level of fast food perfection with the McSpicy Paneer sandwich, paneer is a staple in many popular meals including palak paneer.

On a typical McDonald's bun, McDonald's McSpicy Paneer comprises a thick, breaded paneer patty covered with a spicy tandoori-style sauce along with lettuce and onions. McDonald's skilfully adjusts their menu to fit local tastes while still maintaining the fast-food style and maximum flavour.

Krekt (Netherlands)

Although croquettes came from France, they have been a mainstay of Dutch cuisine from the 18th century. Usually formed with a pork ragout, covered in breadcrumbs, and deep-fried till golden brown, these crispy nuggets are known locally as kroketten. In the Netherlands, these crunchy morsels are a common frozen or fast-food snack; McDonald's developed the McKroket to appeal to Dutch tastes.

The McKroket Sandwich seems shockingly basic; there is not even lettuce, onions, or tomatoes visible. But the kroket itself—one thick beef ragout patty deep-fried to perfection—is the main emphasis. This pattie comes on a simple bread and is topped with a creamy whole-grain mustard sauce. After a night in Amsterdam, we picture this straightforward sandwich would be the ideal late-night dinner.

Want to create your own McKroket right here at home? To match the size of a hamburger bun, try modifying a classic small croquette recipe—like our cheese and herb one here—and remember to top it with some creamy mustard sauce for the whole impact.

Croqu McDo (France)

Though they are not well-known for their fast food, the French most surely know how to create a basic yet tasty lunch. One excellent example of this is the croque monsieur; it's not surprising that McDonald's France would choose it for their menu under Croque McDo. Made of two slices of toasted white bread covered with gruyere cheese, deli ham and maybe some bechamel sauce if you're feeling fancy, a classic croque monsieur is a mainstay of French cafés, bistros and brasseries. To get a gooey-on-the-inside, crispy-on-the-outside excellence, the sandwich is then broiled with shredded cheese on top.

McDonald's France offers a fast-food variation of the croque monsieur, simplified. Though it regretfully lacks the broiled cheese on top, it does include a wonderful mix of smoked gammon squished into two slices of soft, toasted bread and gooey Swiss cheese. The simplicity of a Croque McDo would be much appreciated on American menus; it is small, flavourful, and fulfilling.

Netherlands: Bitterballen

Although McDonald's in the Netherlands has a popular fast-food dish called the McKroket, bitterballen goes a step farther as a traditional Dutch snack. Present on the side with mustard, these small deep-fried spheres are loaded with a pungent cheese ragout. A fantastic noon or late-night snack, they are far more bite-sized than the full-sized McKroket. Actually, bitterballen are somewhat well-known as a borrelhapje, or "drinking snack," in bars and taverns all around.

While many McDonald's outlets around Europe provide beer—including Germany and Spain—the Dutch McDonald's regretfully does not have beer on the menu to go with its delicious drinking appetisers. All you have to do is stop on your way to or from the pub to fully experience Netherlands.

McAloo Tikki ( India )

Among all the McDonald's India unique menu items ranked in Tasting Table, the McAloo Tikki sandwich stood out as not only the most reasonably priced but also the tastiest. "Aloo" translates to potato; "tikki" is a tiny patty; together they make the basis of this vegetarian burger.

Comprising potatoes, peas, and spices, the McAloo Tikki patty has a crunchy breadcrumb exterior. Tucked within a typical McDonald's burger bread, it is topped with onions, lettuce, and a sweet tomato sauce. The ultimate effect is a fast-food style deliciously satisfying sandwich combining conventional Indian tastes.

For this traditional snack, we advise upgrading to a multi-millet bun if you get the chance to test this in India for more texture. Want to experiment at home? The mouthwatering basis for your own homemade McAloo Tikki sandwich is our crispy stuffed aloo tiki recipe.

Teriyaki McBurger ( Japan)

McDonald's first restaurant opened in Japan in the Ginzo area of Toyko in 1971; it has been creating its own unique menu ever then. Although McDonald's Japan is well-known for its seasonal menu items—such as the Tsukimi "moon-viewing" burger returned every fall—there are also a few particularly noteworthy products kept on the menu all year long. Among the most famous is one McBurger, Teriyaki.

Traditional Japanese teriyaki differs somewhat from the Western variation of teriyaki sauce. Teriyaki is the name of a cooking method used in Japan whereby meat is grilled or under grill using a sweet soy-flavored marinade, called basting. This glaze historically calls for soy sauce, mirin, and sake. Here in the United States, meanwhile, teriyaki is typically considered as a syrupy, sweet and salted sauce fit for almost anything.

With its teriyaki burger—a basic beef patty drowned in a Western-style teriyaki sauce—McDonald's Japan draws influence from both techniques. All placed on a sesame seed bun, it's topped with lettuce and a zesty lemon mayo. The outcome is fast-food Japanese and American cuisine in a rich mix.

Le Ricche Cheese & Bacon Italy

When you stop to consider it, it's a little confusing that McDonald's American menu does not feature cheesy fries. After all, poutine is already a staple with our Canadian neighbours up north and Americans are known for their highly processed cheese products. Although they would be a natural addition to American menus, for now you will just have to jet over to Italy for the McDonald's cheesy fries of your fantasies.

Now enter McDonald's Italia's wonderfully indulgent snack, Le Ricche Cheese & Bacon. Starting with a foundation layer of world-class thin, crispy fries, they are topped with liquid cheddar cheese and adorned with bacon bits. Ultimately, the dish comes out somewhat more American than anything you would actually see on an American McDonald's menu.

Apart from cheesy fries, Italian McDonald's presents more regionally inspired cuisine including a burger with gouda cheese, a balsamic vinaigrette sauce and a pistachio McFlurry. McDonald's still sells salads in Italy, a product once provided by American restaurants but dropped lately due to low sales. Le Ricche is one food, though, that would most likely find favour on American menus.

Japan's Ebi Filet-O

McDonald's Japan tried to increase sales in 2005 by adding a new kind of burger to the menu: the Ebi Filet-O, a prawn patty covered in crunchy tempura. Inspired by the famous Filet-O-Fish, the ebi, or prawn, burger proved to be an instant smash in Japan, helping its sales and became a feature of the menu ever since.

Made on a regular McDonald's baguette with lettuce and a Thousand Islands-style sauce, the Ebi Filet-O sandwich is somewhat simple but a welcome change from usual fast food cuisine. The freshness of the tempura makes it exceptionally appetising as a fast-food sandwich.

McDonald's Japan has even debuted limited edition Gohan Ebi Filet-O variants of the sandwich in recent years, substituting fried rice buns for bread buns and driving Japanese patrons into frenzy. Although these rice buns aren't on the menu right now, McDonald's Japan is well-known for regularly substituting goods, thus maybe they will make a long-awaited comeback soon. You may try making this special Japanese sandwich at home using a rice bread and a prawn burger patty in the interim.

Mac spaghetti (Philippines)

McSpaghetti truly came from the United States, unlike most of the menu items on this list. Originally launched somewhere in the late 1980s and early 1990s, McSpaghetti was never especially popular in the United States, although some franchise owners kept serving it until perhaps 1996.

McSpaghetti unexpectedly acquired second life today in the Philippines, where it now sits on the menu permanently. McSpaghetti fits perfectly in the gastronomic scene of a nation renowned for its passion of sweet spaghetti prepared with banana ketchup topped with hot dog slices. At McDonald's, it's presented as a side dish with a chicken drumstick meal.

McSpaghetti is also still ordered one location in the United States: the World's Largest Entertainment McDonald's in Orlando, Florida, close to Disney World. As the name would imply, this is an unusual location noted for its wide range of arcade games and enlarged menu. You may create real Filipino-style spaghetti with our recipe here while we wait for McSpaghetti to fully resurfaced in the States.

McFalafel, Egypt

Made using fava beans instead of more famously Middle Eastern-style chickpea falafel, the McFalafel is a popular vegetarian wrap honouring the Egyptian ta'meya at McDonald's Egypt.

Originally unveiled in 2001, the McFalafel transforms the street food classic into a fast-food meal. The covering. Inside a tortilla, burrito-style, three crispy falafel patties seasoned with herbs and spices are garnished with tomatoes, lettuce, onions, pickles, and drizzled with tahini sauce.
We believe the United States Given the dearth of acceptable vegetarian choices on the menu right now, McDonald's could definitely profit from a McFalafel. Unbelievably, even McDonald's hashbrowns and fries are not vegetarian friendly. As a meat-free dinner, the McFalafel might satisfy America's shifting taste sensations.

McMolutes from Mexico

Breakfast sandwiches from McDonald's are a much-loved beginning to the day everywhere. One nation, though, provides an open-faced variation that's a definite way to start the morning. Order McMolletes at McDonald's in Mexico: three rolls topped with pico de gallo with refried beans and cheese. Being a vegetarian and protein-packed snack, it's a wonderful energy boost and yet another delicious meal we wish we had in the States.

While the McDonald's McMolletes seems to base its classic molletes on English muffin halves, toasted bolillo rolls divided in half are used in most cases. Try preparing molletes at home with some toasted bread, canned refried beans, shredded cheese, and fresh salsa if you're not soon heading to Mexico and you'll have an international McDonald's-worthy breakfast. As an aside, refried beans are a really underappreciated sandwich spread that both offer smoothness and protein. We could all apply this sandwich trick for both lunch and morning sandwiches.

Cheddar McMelt Brazil

Examining McDonald's worldwide menus reveals one clear lesson: it's rather startling that U.S. McDonald's isn't yet following the melted cheese trend. Only Brazil, where cheese obsession is a real prenomenon, enjoy gooey cheese quite like this. That is most clear nowhere than in the cherished Cheddar McMelt. Nestled inside a whole-wheat bun, this fan-favorite sandwich is an appealing mix of a beef patty topped with a mountain of sweet caramelised onions and a liberal dish of melted cheddar cheese. Not lettuce, not tomato; just a basic sweet and savoury mix with all the appropriate elements.

Why then has the Cheddar McMelt never settled permanently on American menus? Unbelievably, it first surfaced in the United States in the middle of the 1980s and then returned briefly in 2014. Though it's now a forgotten artefact of McDonald's past, it's still running strong in Brazil, much like McSpaghetti is.

Seeking one right now? Whether homemade or fresh from the can, you can quickly copy the Cheddar McMelt at home using your preferred burger patties, lots of sautéed onions, and a thick cheddar cheese sauce.