McDonald’s Hong Kong: Black and White Burgers
After archrival Burger King debuted its first black-bun burger in 2012, the Golden Arches released its yin-and-yang creations in 2013.
The Black Burger had a black squid ink bun dotted with white sesame seeds wrapped around two beef patties, bacon, mashed potatoes, lettuce and truffle sauce. The White Burger had a white bun covered in black sesame seeds sandwiching a chicken patty, bacon, mashed potatoes, lettuce and pepper mushroom sauce.
Despite their contrasting taglines — “Dare to be plain” for the White Burger and “Dare to be dark” for the Black Burger — they shared the same $2.27 price.
MCDonald’s Malaysia: the Chicken McRib
The McRib has drawn criticism in the US because while it has “rib” in the name, the pork patty is confusingly bone-free.
Undeterred, McDonald’s took the absurdity to the next level in Malaysia, where Islam is the dominant religion and pork is completely off the table as a result. Micky D’s swapped in chicken, but kept the shape and sauce, creating a new kind of meat product that could not possibly exist in the natural world.
McDonald’s Singapore: the Durian McFlurry
The frozen treat is familiar to diners in the US. But what is a durian? It’s a spiked melon-sized fruit that is banned from the mass transit system in Singapore because of a distinct smell that has been likened to “rotten onions, turpentine, and raw sewage.”
Let’s hope it tastes better than it smells.
McDonald’s Philippines: Chicken McDo with McSpaghetti
What food combination could be better than peanut butter and jelly? Why, crispy fried chicken and spaghetti with meat sauce, of course.
At least, that’s the case in the Philippines, where you can get this completely non-classic combo for a mere $2.89.
Wendy’s Japan: The Foie Gras Rossini Burger
When Wendy’s returned to Japan in 2011, the chain decided to make a splash with a string of upscale burgers.
Its crowning achievement was the Foie Gras Rossini Burger, which was topped with two slabs of fatty goose liver and what appeared to be black-truffle butter. Based on the classic French dish, which is basically filet mignon topped with foie gras and truffle butter, the fast food interpretation went for a mere $16.
Burger King Japan: The Windows 7 Whopper
Talk about an odd product promotion. In 2009, Microsoft teamed with Burger King to create this seven-patty burger to mark the launch of Windows 7.
The towering $8 burger came in at an unstable 5-inches in height, which was an odd pairing given that the software that was replacing the notoriously unsteady Windows Vista.
Pizza Hut Korea: Coconut shrimp pizza
This doesn’t sound like the weirdest combination in the world until you watch the commercial.
As classical music plays, a live shrimp is seen trying to make its way to the front of a fish tank in pursuit of some unknown treat. The shrimp hustles and bustles, trying to reach the unseen goal until the camera pans out to reveal a coconut hanging on a string.
“And the shrimp gets the coconut!” the ad exclaims as a laser shoots the coconut and the entire apparatus explodes to reveal the pizza in question.
Dunkin Donuts China: Dry pork and seaweed donut
Want a doughy treat without the sugar?
Then this doughnut — covered in dry, dehydrated pig mixed with flecks of seaweed — might pass for a pork bun. Or not.
Domino’s France: Bacon Groovy pizza
This special edition pizza in 2012 tested the limits of even the biggest bacon lover.
Covered in creme fraiche, roast chicken, onions, barbecue sauce and yes, bacon, it is hard to imagine feeling “groovy” after eating this stomach punch.
Starbucks UK: Cheese and Marmite panini
To the uninitiated, Marmite is a pungent, oozing black paste that is created from a by-product of brewing beer.
The salty goop has become a staple food product in Britain, where its odd flavor has earned the official tagline “Love it or hate it.”
It is only natural then for Starbucks to create a sandwich consisting of cheese, bechamel sauce and Marmite for its UK retail stores.
McDonald’s India: Sausage McMuffin with Egg
What’s so odd about a sausage, egg and cheese sandwich?
For starters, the sausage is made from chicken, which hints at a general pattern found throughout McDonald’s menu in India: beef is verboten.
Instead, McDonald’s has adapted many traditional menu items and created entirely new ones to sell to a huge Hindu population, a religion that holds cows to be sacred.