October 19, 2015, 8:54 am | Read time: 4 minutes
Gray burger, ice cream with bacon, beer with cream: for this fast food offered by snack bars around the world, you need a strong will.
Melted cheese, juicy meat, and a lukewarm waffle make your mouth water. But do gray burgers, ice cream with crispy bacon, and a pizza crust filled with sausages also entice hungry mouths? What seems like a culinary misstep and is dismissed by some as a marketing gimmick is actually offered by various fast-food joints from the U.S. to Japan as a snack in between meals.
TRAVELBOOK presents nine of these rather strange creations:
1. The Gray Burger: “Soggy” might be the word some use to describe the buns at common fast-food chains. This perception is likely to be reinforced by the sight of the “Modern China Burger.” Available only at McDonald’s in China, the burger has a light gray color with black speckles–making it look quite unappetizing. It’s simply a soft steamed bun made from flour, water, and yeast.
2. The Black Burger: Not gray, but jet black is what you’ll find at Burger King. Since fall 2014, a black burger version has been available in Japan, and now a Whopper is also–literally–on everyone’s lips here. The color comes from vegetable charcoal, and the barbecue sauce is baked right into the bun. Whether the spooky burger actually tastes good or is just a Halloween joke is up to each person to decide.
3. McSpaghetti: Pasta with tomato sauce–perhaps the simplest dish in the world. For those who don’t even have time for that, the Italian kitchen classic can be enjoyed at McDonald’s in the Philippines. There, the spaghetti comes in a cardboard box. If that’s not enough, you can order a breaded and fried chicken drumstick on the side. What would Italians say about this quirky creation?
This isn’t the only quirky creation from McDonald’s. The fast-food giant offers several dishes around the globe that would likely never appear on the menu of its German branch.
4. Kitkat Sandwich: Attention sweet tooths: In Japan, there are not only crazy Kitkat creations (such as with green tea) but also a sandwich with the crispy bars. The fast-food restaurant First Kitchen offers a light bun filled with two Kitkat bars, cream, and candied orange pieces. What a calorie bomb!
5. Ice Cream with Crispy Bacon: Burger King introduced the Bacon Sundae to the U.S. market and fast-food outlets in summer 2012. The chain placed crispy fried bacon on its sundae ice cream. The specialty is now also available in other American fast-food restaurants. Want a visual taste? Here’s what the ice cream looks like:
6. The Pizza with Hotdogs in the Crust: As if a pizza weren’t already calorie-rich enough, parts of the U.S. and Australia offer the so-called Hot Dog Stuffed Crust Pizza, which, as the name suggests, has hotdogs in the crust. Alternatively, you can get the crust filled with mini cheeseburgers or cheese bites, which are dough rolls filled with melted cheese, at Pizza Hut locations.
7. The Root Beer Float: Ever tried root beer with a cream topping, known as a Root Beer Float? You can test it at the American chain A&W’s restaurant. Root beer is a type of malt beer, non-alcoholic and carbonated. The twist: a sweet creamy vanilla topping is added to the drink. Cheers!