Step into a fast food joint in China,
and you’ll know you aren’t in a regular McDonald’s.
You’ll find lotus root and preserved vegetables in some burgers,
and even cilantro in ice cream sundaes.
At KFC for example, it’s not fried chicken for breakfast.
You’ll get noodles,
deep-fried dough sticks, dumplings, and soy milk.
There’s peppercorn-flavored roast chicken.
You can actually taste the ginger, but it's not spicy.
where we uncover the stories of the food we eat.
In this season, we’re going back to basics,
to the building blocks of Chinese flavor.
Let's talk about fast food in China.
It wasn’t that long ago
when western fast food chains were unknown in China.
American fast food giant KFC opened its first branch in China only in 1987.
only in 1987.
Three years later, McDonald's opened its first store in Shenzhen.
But today, fast food is huge in China.
In 2021, it was home to over 8,000 KFC
4,000 McDonald's outlets.
Their secret weapon?
A menu that’s always changing and catering to local palates.
It says “big fried dough stick.”
It’s tasty.
It’s meat zongzi (sticky rice dumpling).
Two burgers,
one box of fried marinated chicken bones,
and a drink.
Meet Stefanie, a travel blogger in Chengdu.
When food from one country goes to another,
there’s always some degree of change to fit the local culture.
Stefanie took us on a fast food hunt in the city.
First stop, KFC.
Dine in.
One zongzi.
Okay, I’m done.
KFC in China is known for its classic Chinese breakfast menu.
There’s congee, fried dough sticks, and tea eggs.
It’s also known for selling different Chinese snacks
in different cities.
In Chengdu, they sell beef rice noodles,
a common noodle dish in southwestern China.
And zongzi comes around during Dragon Boat Festival season.
What flavor is this?
Wow!
Whoops. I dropped it. What should I do?
Where are the chopsticks?
It’s tasty. It’s meat zongzi.
I feel like it had been cooked for too long.
The color looks real though.
It’s the same as the ones I eat at regular restaurants.
But it’s stiffer and more rigid than the usual fried dough stick.
It says “don’t worry, big fried dough stick.”
But it’s small.
Now, I’m eating beef congee. I think it’s not bad.
They made it the local way and they added pepper in it.
I can taste it.
That’s a big slice of beef.
In May, McDonald’s launched a new menu
inspired by the country’s popular night markets.
I feel like it’s very meaty and juicy.
I ordered a set of two hamburgers,
one box of fried marinated chicken bones, and a drink.
This deep-fried chicken is one of the most popular items.
It’s quite tasty. It has a braised meat flavor.
It’s very chewy, better than what I expected.
Can I open it and eat the meat right away?
The sauce is spicy.
It’s spicy at first, then a little sweet afterwards. It’s tasty.
There’s a piece of spicy lotus root inside.
The hamburger (tastes like) the spicy marinated duck necks
we usually buy from street stalls.
And the lotus root tastes like the cold appetizers we eat.
I didn’t expect them to go so well with the hamburger buns.
The meat is tender and the sauce is flavorful.
I actually don’t think McDonald’s burgers are great,
but this one is really not bad.
It’s not just burgers and sides that are special in China.
Fast food chains get creative
with their desserts and drinks as well.
Like this ginger and coconut flakes ice cream.
Some people say it tastes like ginger milk pudding,
a classic Cantonese dessert.
So you can actually taste the ginger, but it's not spicy.
I think it’s the sauce here.
I think it's the best ice cream I've had in McDonald's
compared to all those Oreo ones or something else.
Now let’s try this.
This one, I’m not sure what’s the English word for it.
It's (made with) Indian gooseberries, a fruit from Chaoshan.
It’s very sour and very popular in China.
I don’t think it’s as great as the ones from the other stores.
What do the locals think about fast food in China?
Usually, you expect to get fried chicken and burgers
from fast food restaurants,
but then suddenly there is fried dough stick and soy milk.
It’s a bit weird.
I like the local small-scale diners and breakfast shops more.
I think KFC and McDonald’s are a bit off.
I don’t really like to eat fast food, but if they adapt to my lifestyle,
I may slowly change my mind.
They don’t just sell fast food.
They also acknowledge the local culture.
For example, they collaborate with local brands
and make souvenirs. Young people like them.
It’s not just a food brand but a brand that embraces pop culture.
The campaigns these fast food brands run,
usually featuring popular celebrities, often go viral.
I think it’s quite interesting that they’re jumping
on whatever that’s trendy.
This is their (marketing strategy) to grab people’s attention.
I’m very surprised by their creativity.
I feel they’re sincere and I think their brands are maturing.
But I prefer local traditional food.
If KFC introduces hot pot one day, I think I’ll try it.