Fast-Food Menu Items You'll Find Only Abroad

Just because some of the world's biggest fast-food chains originated in the U.S. doesn't mean the iconic food items they created were perfected there. Predictably familiar names, such as McDonald's and KFC, diversify their international offerings to suit local tastes, even if that means adding Hershey's chocolate to a Whopper. Which of these unique menu items found only in other countries would you like to see make the leap to the U.S.? Tell us in the comments.

Related: International Food Chains America is Missing Out On

Some items are seasonal, may not be available at all locations, or may be discontinued.

Where to Find It: Burger King, Thailand

If pouring chocolate syrup all over a burger makes you involuntarily heave, it's best to stay out of Burger King in Thailand. There's a new Chocolate King menu, and it includes some predictably delicious Hershey-laden items, including a chocolate-filled pie and a chocolate sundae. But there's also a Hershey's chocolate burger that includes a stomach-churning mix of beef, cheese, fried onions, bacon, and chocolate sauce on a chocolate burger bun. You can pair it with a side of Choco Fries, which are exactly as they sound: French fries covered in Hershey's chocolate syrup. At least the Hershey's milkshake doesn't include any horrifying surprises.

Related: Biggest Fast-Food Flops of All Time

Where to Find It: Pizza Hut, Taiwan

Pizza-crust haters might have a reason to eat an entire slice in Taiwan: Oreos. Pizza Hut's inconspicuously named No. 1 Salted Chicken Pizza includes whole Oreos baked into the outer crust. The cookies are topped off with a sprinkle of melted Parmesan cheese, naturally, though the pizza is topped with spicy popcorn chicken, tempura, and fried squid rings. If you happen to be in Taiwan, you can order this dinner-dessert hybrid for less than $14 — a bargain.

Related: Things You Never Knew About Pizza Hut

Where to Find it: KFC, Singapore

If you order a side of mac 'n cheese with your bucket of chicken when you visit Colonel Sanders, KFC Singapore's limited-time Mac 'n Cheese Kentaco simplifies your order in an unusual way. The "taco shell" is made entirely of crispy fried chicken, and the filling is creamy macaroni and cheese.

Where to Find It: Domino's, Japan

Domino's in Japan has unveiled a 34-topping pizza separated into four quadrants, including three different sauces. In everything-but-the-kitchen-sink fashion, the toppings include octopus, mussels, asparagus, mayonnaise, rice cakes, and beef ribs. There are also more pedestrian additions, including two kinds of pepperoni.

Where to Find It: McDonald's, China

Cilantro haters of the world are collectively retching at this McDonald's sundae in China. It starts out innocently enough with vanilla soft serve, but it's also doused with a disturbingly lime-green sauce and a hefty pile of dried cilantro leaves. Some testers report that the cilantro sauce tastes more like mint and lime, which even cilantro lovers can probably agree probably tastes better than the world's most divisive herb. Twitter, of course, had some thoughts. "I puke a little every time I look at it," one user said. Another proclaimed it "a crime against humanity."

Where to Find It: McDonald’s, Thailand

Turns out that China doesn't have a monopoly on weird McDonald's ice cream. McDonald’s locations in Thailand introduced a dessert to, um, really sink your teeth into. Chili paste pork ice cream was on the menu through April 2022. The spicy, meaty treat featured vanilla soft serve topped with chili paste and shredded pork floss, which is supposed to have a light and fluffy texture. We never thought we'd say it, but … maybe it's better if the ice-cream machine stays broken?

Where to Find It: Popeyes, Singapore

Who doesn't love exploding fried chicken? Popeyes in Singapore offered bone-in fried chicken with a sweet and spicy sauce made from tomatoes and chili peppers, but that's not the fun part — customers were also given a container of "fizzy seasoning" to sprinkle on their chicken prior to eating. For anyone who ate Pop Rocks as a kid, this might be a familiar taste sensation. Fizzy Pop Chicken was available in late 2021 for a limited time.

Where to Find It: Pizza Hut, Taiwan

Be careful what you post on social media, because restaurant chains are paying attention — and they'll whip up weird new foods you may (or may not) actually want. After Pizza Hut Taiwan discovered preserved eggs and a street food made with sticky rice and pig's blood were generating tons of buzz, it decided to put both on a pizza in mid-2021. Amazingly, the stunt worked. Sales for the pizza broke a previous record set in 2019 for durian pizza — and one was bought every 8 seconds. The new pizza sold out just four days after it launched. 

Where to Find It: Burger King, Japan
Burger King celebrated its five-year anniversary in the Japanese market with the release of the eye-catching Kuro burger, its bun colored stark black with bamboo charcoal. Only a year later, it unveiled the Kuro Ninja burger, featuring an enormous bacon tongue protruding from either side of the bun. Two of Burger King's other Japan-specific offerings are the Garlic Meat Beast burger and the BK Ringo, topped with cinnamon-spiced grilled apples and cinnamon mayo.

Where to Find It: Burger King, Europe
Select Burger King outlets throughout Europe, including in the U.K. and as far south as the island of Cyprus, offer fried nuggets filled with hot, chili-spiced cheese. It's unclear why Burger King hasn't yet introduced these melty jalapeno popper-esque sides to its U.S. menus.

Where to Find It: McDonald's, Germany
One distinctive McDonald's offering in Germany is a platter of currywurst, a street food dish of steamed and grilled sausage served with curry-spiced ketchup. The German sausage specialties don't end there, however; there's also the pun-tastic Nürnburger, featuring little more than three pork sausage links on a bun.

Where to Find It: Pizza Hut, U.K.
Starting in 2012, international Pizza Hut locations in the U.K., Canada, Australia, and South Korea began offering another stuffed-crust pizza, this time with hot dogs baked into the dough. This excessive crossover of two American fast-food staples appeared in U.S. stores briefly in 2015, with a different shape accommodating many miniature weenies and regular or salted pretzel crust options.

Where to Find It: Dunkin', South Korea
Dunkin' seriously diversifies its menus to suit local tastes in many countries. In South Korea, the menu boasts donut hole-like bagel balls filled with your choice of red bean, green tea, red velvet, or tomato-flavored paste. It also offers red bean or kimchi-filled doughnuts and glutinous rice sticks, and, on the savory side, a jalapeno and bulgogi beef-stuffed hot bread.

Where to Find It: McDonald's, The Netherlands
The Dutch-originated McKroket sandwich features a deep-fried patty of mixed ground beef and cheese topped with a mustard sauce. McDonald's locations in the European nation are also more accommodating to dietary restrictions, offering gluten-free burgers and vegetarian fried "chicken" sandwiches.

Where to Find It: McDonald's, Netherlands

For dessert, Netherlanders can try McFlurries flavored like strawberry cheesecake or stroopwafels, a crisp cookie originating from the city of Gouda made with two wafers and a thin layer of caramel in between. The international offering was only briefly made available in the Miami area during a promotion in 2018.

Where to Find It: Burger King, Europe
Burger King locations in Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands offer this sub-sized sandwich consisting of three beef patties topped with chili sauce, jalapeno, and melted cheddar. An alternate version comes with barbecue sauce and onion rings and, unlike some of the other items on this list, the sandwich seems palatable (if fatty) enough to make one wonder why it isn't also a staple at U.S. Burger King shops.

Where to Find It: McDonald's, Australia
In Australia, McDonald's — or Macca's in the local parlance — gets fancy with its fry options. In addition to the truffle-infused variety, it also has loaded fries topped with guacamole and salsa, bacon and cheese sauce, or sweet chili and sour cream. It's also launched a line of "gourmet" burgers that come slathered with truffle mayo.

Where to Find It: KFC, Africa
KFC has the most established market presence in South Africa, but it also caters to other African nations with offerings such as spicy jollof rice, a staple one-pot West African dish available as a side at their Nigerian locations. KFCs in Negeria and in other nations where spicy foods are the norm also generally place more emphasis on their hot and spicy fried chicken recipes.

Where to Find It: McDonald's, China
In 2012, McDonald's locations in China unveiled the mashed potato burger. Topped with bacon and mashed potatoes, advertising for the burger targeted the "manly man." And on Chinese breakfast menus, you may find a twisty pasta dish in broth and veggies, topped with your choice of boneless chicken or sausage and egg.

Where to Find It: Burger King, Japan

Japanese Burger Kings offered this seasonal burger featuring slices of fried kabocha squash – often referred to as Japanese pumpkin  for a limited time back in fall of 2012. Menu items you can find any time of year at the chain's Japanese restaurants include fried cheese bites, a hash brown-topped Whopper, and hot dogs.

Where to Find It: Pizza Hut, India
Starting in 2014, Pizza Huts in India began selling a pizza-flavored version of the rich dish biryani, which comes topped with a seasoned crust and a side of masala gravy. When it comes to its pizzas, some toppings you'll only find in India include soy protein chunks, paneer cheese, baby corn, and Lebanese-spiced chicken.

Where to Find It: McDonald's, Mexico
If you're eating breakfast at a McDonald's south of the border, you might try the McMollete: three open-faced sandwiches topped with refried beans, cheese, and pico de gallo salsa. Its version of the traditional mollete substitutes an English muffin for crusty bolillos and processed American cheese for Monterey Jack.

Where to Find It: KFC, Philippines
This menu item is worth noting if only for how inexplicable it seems to foreigners unfamiliar with Filipino cuisine. It's a chicken sandwich with a slice of American cheese draped inconveniently over the top bun rather than inside, bearing some similarity to ensaymadas — pastries topped with shredded cheese. Other Filipino KFC offerings include Kung Pao chicken bowls, sweet sauced spaghetti, and the Maki Twister chicken wrap made with Japanese mayo, mango, and cucumber.

Where to Find It: McDonald's, New Zealand
At McDonald's locations in New Zealand, the Kiwiburger is the chain's take on a typical New Zealand hamburger, which comes topped with fried egg and red beetroot slices. Because red beetroot isn't used in any other McDonald's products, the sandwich has been subject to intermittent discontinuations. Kiwi customers can then default to other distinct menu items like the Spicy Nashville Chicken Burger or the NYC Benedict Bagel sandwich.

Where to Find It: Domino's, France, The Netherlands
Kebabs are a major street food throughout Europe, so Domino's locations in some countries capitalize on their popularity by putting the components on a pizza. Supplementing the standard fixings of tomato sauce and mozzarella are red onion, chicken kebab, and a drizzle of creamy garlic sauce.

Where to Find It: KFC, China
KFC got the jump on competitors when it opened its first Chinese location in 1987. It remains the nation's biggest fast-food chain by catering extensively to regional tastes and dining customs. Menu items unfamiliar to Westerners include sweet egg tarts, seaweed rice bowls, congee rice porridge, and sushirittos. There's also the Dragon Twister, in which a thin, pancake-like exterior is filled with spring onions, sweet bean sauce, and a Peking duck-style chicken filet.

Where to Find It: McDonald's, Middle East
Also called the McKebab in Israel or the McTurco in Turkey, this pita sandwich is one of McDonald's flagship offerings across the Middle East. It comes with either grilled chicken or beef and lamb meatballs called kofta. Other versions, offered for a limited time or only in certain regions, contain extras like halloumi cheese, eggplant, and sujuk sausage.

Where to Find It: Subway, U.K.
The English have an enduring love of Indian cuisine given their colonial history with the country — not to mention the U.K.'s sizeable population of people of Indian descent, in part a result of that history — which is why Subways in the U.K. offer this sandwich with tikka masala-spiced chicken breast. Other unique proteins offered include slices of Spanish chorizo and a veggie patty made with soy, carrots, corn, and red peppers.

Where to Find It: KFC, India
KFC menus in India may be a bit more recognizable to Americans, but with some new vegetarian options courting the nearly 40% of Indian households that don't eat meat. Both the Veg Zinger sandwich and veg rice bowl replace the chain's signature chicken with breaded, deep-fried patties derived from a melange of vegetables such as corn, carrots, peas, and potatoes.

Where to Find It: McDonald's, India
As many in India are vegetarian or don't eat beef for religious reasons, Indian McDonald's locations lack almost all of their U.S. menu staples and carry numerous meat-free main dishes instead. The McAloo and McVeggie sandwiches, for example, contain homemade veggie patties made from chickpeas and a blend of peas, carrots, potatoes, peppers, and spices, respectively, while the McSpicy Paneer is built on a spiced, breaded slab of the firm, yet mild Indian cheese and tandoori sauce.

Where to Find It: McDonald's, Europe
McDonald's may have more international menu variations than any other fast food chain, but the one Americans may envy most is the presence of beer and wine at the majority of its restaurants in central and western Europe as well as South Korea. The availability of such beverages is reportedly based on consumer demand, but one can also presume that because alcohol carries more social and legal stigma in the U.S., selling it might go against the kid-friendly image McDonald's tries to cultivate domestically.

Where to Find It: Subway, India
Like McDonald's, Subway had to make its menu a little more veg-friendly to gain a foothold in the Indian market. In addition to chicken tandoori and kofta options, a sandwich with a lentil-based veggie patty is also available. Other meat-free options include paneer tikka with marinated cheese cubes, hara bhara kebab with spinach-based patties, and even a Mexican-inspired veggie patty made with kidney beans and Latin seasonings.

Where to Find It: McDonald's, Canada, Brazil, France
When it comes to breakfast, only select McDonald's diners around the world have the option of a sweet pastry in addition to the standard savory muffin sandwiches. In Canada, that's the chocolate hazelnut croissant, while the Brazilian version comes with just chocolate.

Where to Find It: Dunkin', China
Dunkin' has had some trouble getting off the ground in China, but not for lack of effort. It broadened its palate and maximized online buzz with a pork floss and seaweed doughnut — not too far removed from all the bacon-infused desserts Americans enjoy — as well as other, less novel flavors, such as white chocolate, almond choco crunch, and death by chocolate.

Where to Find It: McDonald's, India
Few of international McDonald's items are so singular yet tempting to American tastes as the chicken McCurry Pan, which consists of a rectangular bread bowl filled with chicken and vegetables in a tomato-curry sauce. But it's available only in India, along with the double-decker Chicken Maharaja Mac, the Hindu-friendly version of the Big Mac.

Where to Find It: McDonald's, Japan
Instead of the apple-pie pockets, McDonald's stores in Japan sell a similar dessert filled with gooey baked taro, bacon and potato, or s'mores fixings. Unsurprising for a nation that's largely unparalleled in bizarre culinary concoctions, Japnese McDonald's locations carry numerous singular main dishes too, such as the Idaho burger with an onion-flaked bun, bacon, mustard seed sauce, and a potato patty; the Sakura Teritama burger with pork patty, over-easy egg, and a cherry blossom-infused bun, and a whole line of fried egg-topped tamago burgers.

Where to Find It: Wendy's, Japan
Wendy's tries to depict itself as more sophisticated than similar burger chains. This corporate self-image reached new heights when Wendy's relaunched in Japan with a duck liver pate-infused burger on its menu. Costing the equivalent of $16, the steeply priced sandwich was joined by others featuring avocado and wasabi or porcini mushrooms and grilled chicken.

Where to Find It: McDonald's, Japan
One of McDonald's Japan's more limited menu items is this sandwich with a patty made from snow crab and mushrooms — both popular ingredients in Japan — and served on ciabatta bread. But the croquette burger is reportedly more tasteless and goopy than its gourmet-sounding pedigree might suggest.

Where to Find It: McDonald's, Japan
One of the tastier-sounding items unique to McDonald's Japan, the cheese katsu burger features a deep-fried pork cutlet patty filled with melted cheese. This tasty-sounding but limited availability menu item is so popular that an occasional re-release is enough to generate international headlines akin to the McRib in the U.S.

Where to Find It: Subway, Germany
This McRib-like sandwich is another menu item that seems tailored to appeal to the U.S. market. Alas, it can only be found at Subway sandwich shops in Germany.

Where to Find It: McDonald's, Philippines
One of the most unexpected items on McDonald's menus in the Philippines is this two-piece meal of fried chicken, which comes with an optional side of McSpaghetti. Garlic-flavored rice is another side dish absent from U.S. McDonald's locations, and for breakfast, Philippines McDonald's offer poached egg and longaniza, a chorizo-like sausage.

Where to Find It: McDonald's, Philippines
Filipino and Taiwanese McDonald's locations sell beef and fried chicken varieties of the McRice burger with dried rice cakes subbed for standard buns — a gambit that won't sound too wild to anyone that's ever tried a ramen burger stateside. Hong Kong locations offer a similar rice cake chicken sandwich, though it's called the Kao Fan Burger.

Where to Find It: McDonald's, Canada
Poutine is a well-known Canadian dish consisting of French fries topped with gravy and melted cheese curds, so naturally, McDonald's in Canada have come up with its own version. For curious Americans who want to try this dish without crossing the border, try the McDonald's at the corporate headquarters in Chicago where international menu items are made available on rotating schedules.

Where to Find It: McDonald's, Canada
The other major novelty you'll find on Canadian McDonald's menus is an Atlantic lobster roll with an all-too-predictable name, served only in select locations during summer as availability dictates. Luckily for residents of northern New England, this item isn't entirely limited to outside the U.S., but also makes the occasional appearance at locations in Maine.

Where to Find It: Subway, Japan
It's rare that you'd see either shrimp or broccoli featured in an American sandwich, but Subway incorporates both of these popular ingredients into a single meal for its locations in Japan. Apparently, the shellfish are a popular choice too, as Subways have also offered a "luxury shrimp sandwich" stuffed with them, as well as some added protein in the form of bacon.

Where to Find It: McDonald's, Malaysia
One of the staple nonburger dishes at Malaysian McDonald's is a version of national specialty Bubur Ayam, a white porridge with chicken, ginger, and diced chilies in the mix. A similar stew called SingaPorridge also features prominently on Singaporean menus.

Where to Find It: Subway, Poland
Of course, Subway's pita-wrapped sandwich made with guacamole and Mexican-spiced chicken strips would be sold only in … Poland? It's been made available in other Eastern European markets such as the Czech Republic as well, but it's unclear why it hasn't been featured in North America where the flavors originate.

Where to Find It: McDonald's, Singapore
Another fixture of McDonald's stores in Singapore and other East Asia markets, shaka shaka chicken is a do-it-yourself menu item in which you pour a packet of Chinese five-spice seasoning mix over a deep-fried chicken patty and "shaka" the components together in a wax paper bag. As in several other East Asian nations, this and other McDonald's offerings are available for delivery.

Where to Find It: McDonald's, Asia
One more from Japanese and other East Asia McDonald's locations: the EBI Filet-O is a breaded shrimp burger served on a Big Mac roll with spicy sauce. The international chain's fusion of Eastern and Western culinary traditions also extends to its dessert menu with items such as a green tea and Oreo McFlurry.

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