Friday, July 6, 2012

Update: Leaving New Zealand

After a week of hot springs and hobbit-holes, slip roads and ski slopes, Nana and I are heading back to the US from New Zealand today. It's been an awesome Australasian adventure - where else can you snorkel and ski in the same trip?

It's a long way back, though - expect us to be out of touch (or out of our minds with jet lag) for at least the next 48 hours. See you on the other side!

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Wednesday Weirdness: Corn Pie and Pineapple Pie at Thai MacDonalds

(Nana and I are traveling until July 7, but we've put some Wednesday Weirdness in the pipeline to tide you over until then.)

As mentioned before, Nana and I like to pop into MacDonalds in different countries. This is partly because sometimes you just need some fries, and partly because MacDonalds is an interesting case of finding local differences within global similarities. You see, in each country (or in each region of larger countries like China), MacDonalds tweaks its menu, its interior decorating, and its business model to fit local tastes and dining habits.

For instance, throughout Southeast Asia, diners expect to get fried chicken in their fast food restaurants. Thus MacDonalds in Thailand serves fried chicken, a la KFC.

Local dessert tastes often show up as variations on the (in)famous Hot Apple Pie. Behold: the Pineapple Pie and the Corn Pie. 

Yes, the corn pie is intended for dessert: something like a cross between creamed corn and cornbread.


 We actually liked this one a lot.

The pineapple pie, on the other hand . . .

. . . much, much, much too sweet, with barely a hint of (artificial) pineapple flavor. Blech.

Bonus side note: in Thailand, you get this "plum sauce" when you ask for "sweet and sour sauce." Nana said the flavor was pretty close to the American stuff.