Seriously Delicious Fast Food Items We'll Never Have In The U.S.
Love fast food? If so, make sure your passport is updated, because you'll be ready to book a plane ticket when you're through with this list.
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00:00Love fast food? If so, make sure your passport is updated, because you'll be ready to book
00:05a plane ticket when you're through with this list.
00:09The Whopper is Burger King's signature burger, and one of the standard items at American
00:13and international outlets. In the U.S., you will sometimes see the classic version, which
00:17combines a grilled beef patty, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onions, mayonnaise, and ketchup tweaked
00:23and released as a limited or seasonal offer. But at Burger King's international locations,
00:28you can find several Whopper variations that are a part of the standard menu. One of those
00:33is the Bulgogi Whopper, a combination of a classic Whopper and a sweet Bulgogi sauce
00:38that can be found at South Korean Burger King.
00:41Bulgogi is a classic South Korean barbecue marinade typically used for beef or pork.
00:46It is based on soy sauce and usually includes some sweet add-ins that deliver thicker texture
00:51and complex flavors. Burger King's Bulgogi Whopper is the classic combo of beef and the
00:56usual Whopper condiments, but with an added layer of sweet Bulgogi sauce that coats the
01:01patty.
01:02If you typically associate porridge with a nourishing bowl of cooked oats topped with
01:09a drizzle of honey and some fruit, you might be surprised that the dish is not synonymous
01:14with oats, and that your favorite breakfast can also be made with a savory twist. Oats
01:19may be the most common choice for a classic porridge, but other grains, such as barley
01:23and buckwheat, can be cooked down until they attain that soft and mushy porridge-like consistency.
01:29Asian tradition, however, relies on rice as the region's most bountiful grain. You will
01:34typically find Asian-style rice porridge served as a savory breakfast, often labeled as congee.
01:40To better suit the local tastes, KFC decided to add this dish to its breakfast menu. You
01:45will find the item at several Asian outlets, such as KFC Malaysia and Singapore, where
01:50savory porridge is a traditional breakfast staple. KFC describes it as a combination
01:55of jasmine rice coupled with the chain's signature filets and garnished with fried shallots and
02:00sliced spring onions. Though it sounds like a nourishing and filling breakfast dish, we
02:05doubt that we'll ever see this hearty rice porridge on U.S. menus, as it doesn't fit
02:09into the traditional idea of American breakfast.
02:12Indian cuisine is packed with vegetable-forward specialties and dishes where veggies take
02:16center stage. Some of the most notable examples include the lentil-based dal or chana masala,
02:22which perfectly blends tomatoes and chickpeas into a spicy, curry-like dish. Spices are
02:27also paramount in Indian cuisine. You will find a wide selection of spices and blends
02:32to amp up the flavor of most dishes. In a country that heavily relies on vegetables,
02:38it's reasonable that international fast food chains would adapt to these regional traditions.
02:42Subway features several sandwiches directly inspired by Indian dishes. One of the best
02:47representatives is the Aloo Patty Sub, which comes packed with spiced potato patties and
02:52your choice of veggies. Besides the sandwich version, Subway offers the same ingredients
02:57neatly packed inside a tortilla wrap.
02:59If you've never tried taquitos at your local Mexican joint, these crisp treats are best
03:04described as filled and rolled tortilla shells that are deep-fried until golden. The result
03:09is a thin, convenient snack perfect for dipping in sauces. Though taquitos usually come filled
03:15with savory ingredients like beef, cheese, or chicken, Taco Bell decided to turn them
03:19into a fantastic dessert for its Spanish locations. The Taquito Lupita is a quirky yet wonderful
03:25Taco Bell creation that combines vanilla ice cream, dulce de leche sauce, and a sprinkle
03:30of cinnamon sugar with a hefty, deep-fried taquito stick. The taquito works as a spoon
03:36so you can easily scoop that creamy mix of vanilla ice cream and caramel. Apart from
03:40Spain, this specialty is also available in Portugal, though we wouldn't mind seeing it
03:45at Taco Bell locations in the States as well.
03:47We've already seen Bulgogi Marinade featured on the list, but this time it comes from another
03:54franchise in a slightly different format, and unsurprisingly, it's also available in
03:59South Korean outlets.
04:01Pizza Hut's Bulgogi Pizza stands out as its most distinctive South Korean-inspired item,
04:06topped with slivers of Bulgogi-style beef, sliced mushrooms, and red and green peppers.
04:11The chain offers two variations, the basic Grilled Bulgogi and the amped-up BBQ Bulgogi,
04:18which combines Bulgogi beef with sausages and comes drizzled with a sweet honey mustard
04:22sauce. Of course, you can upgrade both pizzas by stuffing the crust with cheese or garnishing
04:27them with additional toppings, though the suggested combination sounds good as is.
04:32You might have heard about Peri-Peri sauce, but have you ever investigated the amazing
04:37history of this fiery condiment? SBS explains that Peri-Peri resulted from a rather complex
04:42Portuguese-African history. Although there's no consensus on who whipped up the first Peri-Peri,
04:48it seems the sauce was created when the Portuguese came across bird's-eye chili peppers on African
04:54Peri-Peri unquestionably has African origins, and though it attained international fame
04:58with Nando's, the sauce is commonly used in several African regions. Chef Duncan Welcomeit
05:04explained to SBS that it's a star ingredient in South African cuisine, and as such, it
05:10was embraced by local fast food restaurants.
05:13One of the best examples of how to properly implement Peri-Peri comes from Subway. Peri-Peri
05:18chicken appears on Subway's South African menu, and as described, consists of shredded
05:23chicken breast coated in Peri-Peri sauce. The chicken is served inside a bread roll
05:28and garnished with some fresh veggies. You can also order this item as a salad. Interestingly,
05:33a similar offering is available in India and Pakistan, but judging by the appearance, the
05:38South African version comes with thinner shredded chicken pieces.
05:42Egg tarts are mini-sized, open-faced pastries with crispy shells that hold a generous amount
05:47of egg custard filling. If the description reminds you of Portuguese pastéis de nata,
05:52you wouldn't be wrong. This Asian version is a direct descendant of the Portuguese original,
05:57but with some Cantonese and British influence. As Taipei Times explains, the tart was created
06:02in Macau, which was once a Portuguese colony. Though it resembles its Portuguese predecessor,
06:07the filling is slightly denser, and it mimics traditional British custards.
06:11One of the most famous egg tart renditions is sold by Margaret Wong, the legendary bakery
06:16owner who eventually sold her recipe to KFC. The franchise added egg tarts to its regional
06:22menu soon after. These custardy treats are still featured in several Asian outlets,
06:27including locations in China and Singapore, so it seems they were a welcome addition.
06:31We can only hope we'll see its influence spread outside of Asia.
06:36Nasi lemak is often labeled as the Malaysian national dish, though it's better described
06:40as a multi-dish meal. Each portion of nasi lemak will incorporate the most
06:45important regional ingredient, a heap of rice flavored with coconut and pandan.
06:50A boiled egg is standard, along with cucumbers, fried anchovies, and nuts.
06:55Sambal, the fiery red chili paste generously used in the region,
06:58is an essential part of the dish, and you will often see nasi lemak served with some type of
07:03protein. Though there are seemingly endless varieties, Boro247 tells us most locals agree
07:09this is a proper breakfast dish. Nasi lemak is available everywhere in Malaysia,
07:14so KFC decided to join the local tradition. The fast-food magnate features the dish as a
07:19standard item on its breakfast menu. You can have the no-chicken option or order your nasi
07:24lemak with a side of KFC's signature fried chicken, either a filet or a drumstick.
07:29It's finger-lickin' good.
07:31Burger King locations in Singapore have a fair share of unique dishes that the company never
07:35released in the U.S. One dessert that's quite different from anything you'll find on the
07:39company's American menu is the Taro Turnover, a deep-fried hand pie brimming with bright purple
07:45taro filling. If you're unfamiliar with taro, it's best described as a bulb-like root indigenous to
07:51Southeast Asia. Typically used in desserts, the earthy flavor is faintly reminiscent of what you
07:56would find in sweet potatoes. While taro always has some purple hue, it can vary in intensity.
08:01Burger King is not the franchise we typically associate with deep-fried hand pies, but it
08:06seems that international outlets are lucky enough to have several of them on their menus.
08:10While Singapore currently has the taro version, Malaysian stores carry an apple pie variant.
08:16You may not find hand pies at Burger King's locations in the States, but perhaps the
08:20franchise will reintroduce the legendary apple pie that was discontinued in 2020.
08:25Poutine can easily be classified as a Canadian national dish. It's a combination made with
08:30french fries topped with cheese curds and doused in gravy. It's also one of the Burger King items
08:36you can't get in the U.S., as it's only available on the Canadian menu. Along with the classic
08:41option, you can order poutine with bacon or a spicy variant labeled Angry Poutine. According
08:46to QSR Web, the upgraded versions were added because the classic proved to be incredibly popular,
08:52with over 78.6 million orders of poutine purchased per year. The Angry version is amped up with
08:59sliced jalapenos, fried onions, and a drizzle of the signature Angry sauce, while the Bacon
09:03version comes garnished with a generous amount of, you guessed it, fried bacon.
09:08It's too bad this dish hasn't been copied in America, as it would have been a welcomed
09:13upgrade from the standard fries and ketchup combo that is usually ordered with a BK burger.
09:18They're going over the border to Canada for some french fries and gravy, sir.
09:22Poutine
09:23Suya is a Nigerian national specialty. Though there are slight regional differences,
09:28typical suya will incorporate thin slices of spice-rubbed beef that are skewered and
09:33then grilled over charcoal. The spice blend often includes hot peppers, so it typically
09:37has a nice spicy kick. Because it's such an essential part of the Nigerian culinary tradition,
09:43suya was adopted by regional fast food outlets, though it was perhaps best used by Pizza Hut.
09:49The chain offers a chicken-based suya option with barbecue sauce, onions, and green peppers,
09:54while the meat-packed triple suya brings beef, pepperoni, and slices of cured and smoked mutton
09:59to the mix. Pizza Hut's Nigerian locations have a nice selection of internationally and
10:04regionally-inspired specials, like a tikka-inspired variant as well as a spicy peri-peri version.