Fast Food Localization

liuzhou · January 13, 2018

Successful, global fast food chains, as we know, localise their food to the particular territories they operate in. I thought it may be interesting to see some examples.

Pizza Hut, here in China, is currently offering this.

The 'headline' reads "Nine Tastes Together" and the sub says something like "China Come Together". So, it's a gastronomic trip around China.

The 9 sections of the pizza are (L-R, Top- Bottom):

Xinjiang Cumin Lamb (Mutton)
Shaanxi Cured Beef
Harbin Red Sausage
Sichuan Gongbao Chicken (Kung-Po Chicken)
Beijing Duck
Shanghai Fried Shrimp
Yunnan Mushrooms
Macao Roast Pork
Cantonese Char Siu

Did I eat it. Certainly not. Sounds and looks terrible!

What have they come up with in your neck of the woods?

**Shelby** · January 13, 2018

I actually don't think that "pizza" looks too bad.....maybe because it's 3 in the morning here and I have the worst flu/cold or something that I've had in years and I'm high on cough syrup.....

I wonder if there is a sauce on there? Also, I wonder if it truly comes out looking like that with everything in those perfect sections.

Come on, Liuzhou, take one for the team and order one

liuzhou · January 13, 2018

41 minutes ago, Shelby said:

I wonder if it truly comes out looking like that with everything in those perfect sections.

If it does, it'll be a first.

41 minutes ago, Shelby said:

Come on, Liuzhou, take one for the team and order one

I have standards. Astonishingly low standards, but standards nonetheless.

Edited January 13, 2018 by liuzhou (log)

Thanks for the Crepes · January 13, 2018

Well we have biscuits available from McDonald's here in the South, and I think @rotuts or perhaps someone else located more northerly has said they are unavailable up there. That is nothing like the weird manifestations of pizza that seem to come out of Asia, though. Corn on pizza, really? and it seems very popular.

liuzhou · January 13, 2018

1 hour ago, Thanks for the Crepes said:

Corn on pizza, really?

Yeah! Corn on everything. I hate corn!

I've given up eating any kind of pizza in China. They have no idea what it is. Even when I insist on no corn. I get corn! I lied and said,

"I am allergic to corn and I will probably die from analectic shock if you serve me even one tiny fragment, then my family will sue you for everything you will ever earn in your miserable life," I claimed

"Oh, you mean you only want a little corn."

No! I want zero corn. Less than zero"

"Maybe you prefer a durian pizza slathered with ridiculous amounts of sweet Japanese mayonnaise, instead"

At that point, Yum Foods! and I parted company. I mean "Yum Foods!"? Apart from being a blatant lie, does anyone over 11 years-old use"yum" as a real word?

Duvel · January 13, 2018

3 hours ago, Shelby said:

Come on, Liuzhou, take one for the team and order one

I have some negotiations scheduled in Shanghai in two weeks. If it's still available I'll give it a try. I enjoy these "local" renditions, even if they don't compare with the real thing ...

And corn - yes, on basically every pizza in Japan, together with kewpie mayo (hello, Pizza-La) or on every pizza for my four-year old that I make for him

chromedome · January 13, 2018

I can't help but picture an Asian tourist looking down incredulously at an artisanal Neapolitan-style pie and grumbling "I don't know what the hell you call that, but it ain't pizza!"

Duvel · January 13, 2018

11 minutes ago, chromedome said:

I can't help but picture an Asian tourist looking down incredulously at an artisanal Neapolitan-style pie and grumbling "I don't know what the hell you call that, but it ain't pizza!"

Make no mistake: a lot of people here are well acquainted with was is authentic in different European countries, because in cities like Hong Kong, Singapore, Shanghai or Tokyo you will find fantastic recreations of those dishes. And they value and appreciate it for what it is.

That does not mean that the mainstream flavour (and that is what the fast food chains are catering for) will demand for something else ...

Edited January 13, 2018 by Duvel (log)

liuzhou · January 13, 2018

8 minutes ago, Duvel said:

Make no mistake: a lot of people here are well acquainted with was is authentic in different European countries, because in cities like Hong Kong, Singapore, Shanghai or Tokyo you will find fantastic recreations of those dishes. And the value and appreciate it for what it is.

Tgat does not mean that the mainstream flavour (and that is what the fast food chains are catering for) will demand for something else ...

Indeed. The best pizza I ever ate outside Italy was right here in town. The place was operated by a local who had lived in S. Korea for many years. S. Korea knows its pizzas. He had come home to semi-retire and made stunning pizzas (without corn or Kewpie).

No one bit. The place was near empty every time I went and, inevitably, after about a year it closed down. Three months later, Pizza Hut opened and there were long lines down the block to eat garbage. I wept.

Edited January 13, 2018 by liuzhou (log)

chromedome · January 13, 2018

10 minutes ago, Duvel said:

Make no mistake: a lot of people here are well acquainted with was is authentic in different European countries, because in cities like Hong Kong, Singapore, Shanghai or Tokyo you will find fantastic recreations of those dishes. And they value and appreciate it for what it is.

That does not mean that the mainstream flavour (and that is what the fast food chains are catering for) will demand for something else ...

Oh, I don't doubt for a moment there are Asian aficionados of Western food, just as there are Westerners with a deep expertise in - and appreciation of - Asian food. I was amused by the "reverse-purist" aspect of the whole thing, is all.

In one of Neil Gaiman's novels the main character's mom recovers from cancer and wins the lottery, so she moves to China because she loves Chinese food. She left after a few months though, because the Chinese didn't do it properly.

suzilightning · January 13, 2018

Interesting....

Just finished reading the Shake Shack book which includes recipes (meh) but more interesting to me was the philosophy and how they adapt their recipes to local areas. For example they have a butcher make halal meats for the Doha and other middle east locations and rely on local distributers to put their spins on ingredients they use in various dishes. As I was reading it Johnnybird asked if I had heard of them and if I thought it was worthwhile to add the stock to our portfolio. HELL YES!!!!!

liuzhou · January 20, 2018

Next door to the Pizza Hut I mentioned in the first post is a KFC place (This happens a lot. It's the same company, after all) and today they were pushing this.

It's chicken and crayfish/crawfish burger or roll. ¥23 a hit ( approx $3.60 US).

The first two characters at the top, 吮指 shǔn zhǐ, is the Chinese for 'Finger-lickin' and then it says '13 delicacy crayfish burger/roll'. The smaller print below mentions the chicken.

I don't know if this is local only or a staple KFC, internationally. I've never eaten KFC in my life.

heidih · January 20, 2018

I am very interested in Roy Choi and Daniel Patterson's idea of local fast food: Locol http://www.welocol.com/about-us/

Going toe to toe with the big guys like McD and KFC in price and raising the bar in food quality; in financially challenged neighborhoods

**Shelby** · January 20, 2018

3 hours ago, liuzhou said:

Next door to the Pizza Hut I mentioned in the first post is a KFC place (This happens a lot. It's the same company, after all) and today they were pushing this.

It's chicken and crayfish/crawfish burger or roll. ¥23 a hit ( approx $3.60 US).

The first two characters at the top, 吮指 shǔn zhǐ, is the Chinese for 'Finger-lickin' and then it says '13 delicacy crayfish burger/roll'. The smaller print below mentions the chicken.

I don't know if this is local only or a staple KFC, internationally. I've never eaten KFC in my life.

Ok. No. Just. No.

Definitely a local only for you.

Unlike the pizza, I am begging you not to try this lol.

liuzhou · January 20, 2018

3 minutes ago, Shelby said:

Ok. No. Just. No.

Definitely a local only for you.

Unlike the pizza, I am begging you not to try this lol.

Fear not. I have no intentions of doing so. I just have to pass the place almost every day and see these strange alternatives to food.

kayb · January 20, 2018

Looks to me like a helluva waste of crawfish. Not to mention not doing much for your chicken, either.

Not a KFC fan. Though they make good biscuits. I'll give them that.

Duvel · January 20, 2018

6 hours ago, kayb said:

Looks to me like a helluva waste of crawfish. Not to mention not doing much for your chicken, either.

That is because it's a KFC "idea" ? Or because the combination is odd ? I had crawfish etouffee over fried chicken last month in Baton Rouge and I liked it, so I don't find the concept too horrendous...

Alex · January 21, 2018

Here in West Michigan -- where my students always tried, always unsuccessfully, to be granted an official "excused" for opening day of firearms deer-hunting season -- Arby's has offered a venison sandwich.

Quote

Along with the venison sandwich, the company also announced it is testing an elk sandwich at three locations in Colorado, Montana and Wyoming.

liuzhou · January 21, 2018

Chengdu, Sichuan, China

kayb · January 21, 2018

3 hours ago, Duvel said:

That is because it's a KFC "idea" ? Or because the combination is odd ? I had crawfish etouffee over fried chicken last month in Baton Rouge and I liked it, so I don't find the concept too horrendous...

Crawfish etouffee over a number of different fried proteins is good. Catfish PonchartrExain, for one example.

I was referring mostly to KFC's ability to take a number of things that ought to be good -- fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, gravy -- and render them absolutely nasty.

Except, as mentioned above, biscuits.

liuzhou · January 23, 2018

Went past a local McDonald's today and spotted this. I'm no expert on their 'products', but I guess this isn't served globally.

These are their breakfast offerings. Left to right: Pickled vegetable, bamboo shoot and chicken congee. (酸菜脆笋鸡肉粥), Century egg and chicken congee. (皮蛋鸡肉粥) and Salted egg yolk and chicken congee.(咸蛋黄鸡丝粥).

I have no idea who the three "chefs" in the picture are, but I'd bet heavy money that they don't work for McDonald's.

Edited February 11, 2018 by liuzhou (log)

liuzhou · February 6, 2018

They are at it again. Pizza Hut are now promoting this for the upcoming Chinese New Year (February 16th sees in the Year of the Dog).

This monstrosity is shaped like a traditional Chinese coin, a symbol of prosperity, the main wish expressed in New Year greetings. It must be all that communism. Most of the text is about money rather than food. They want your money and what they sell is only notionally food!

As far as I can make out, it appears to feature abalone, shrimp and broccoli. The Chinese small print is saying that if you want more details, see the in-restaurant menu. No! I am not going in!

88元 is $14 USD, but has been chosen, not for any economic reason, but because 88 is a very lucky number in Chinese superstition.

Edited February 9, 2018 by liuzhou (log)

DianaB · February 11, 2018

On 21/01/2018 at 2:34 AM, kayb said:

Crawfish etouffee over a number of different fried proteins is good. Catfish PonchartrExain, for one example.

I was referring mostly to KFC's ability to take a number of things that ought to be good -- fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, gravy -- and render them absolutely nasty.

Except, as mentioned above, biscuits.

From memory (not been to KFC in a while) the UK branches don’t offer mashed potato, green beans, gravy or biscuits. Basically it’s variations on chicken and chips.

chromedome · February 11, 2018

No green beans here in Canada, and I'm not sure when they started offering biscuits and mashed but those certainly weren't available when I was growing up. The only sides I recall are fries and the three vile salads.

**Shelby** · February 11, 2018

On 2/6/2018 at 1:09 AM, liuzhou said:

They are at it again. Pizza Hut are now promoting this for the upcoming Chinese New Year (February 16th sees in the Year of the Dog).

This monstrosity is shaped like a traditional Chinese coin, a symbol of prosperity, the main wish expressed in New Year greetings. It must be all that communism. Most of the text is about money rather than food. They want your money and what they sell is only notionally food!

As far as I can make out, it appears to feature abalone, shrimp and broccoli. The Chinese small print is saying that if you want more details, see the in-restaurant menu. No! I am not going in!

88元 is $14 USD, but has been chosen, not for any economic reason, but because 88 is a very lucky number in Chinese superstition.

Interesting. I wonder what the crust is made of .....or maybe dredged in..... It looks like panko crumbs all around the circumference.

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