Fast food is a phenomenon that is seen around the world, although fast food restaurants are not new to any part of the world, the rate at which these restaurants are spreading is and with each country there is a variety of foods that can be taste and savored by its visitors as well as the locals. The options of fast food are as diverse as the countries themselves. Each country has their own favorites of fast foods which makes it very interesting to find out about fast foods from around the world.
USA
There is a good reason why the USA is thought of as the ultimate in fast foods with the wide range of foods that are served such as the king of burgers McDonald's that serves up burgers and fries in their own unique way which seems to be their trade mark right along side of the Golden Arches that reach high above these outlets. Burger King and Wendy's that offer flame grilled burgers to entice their customers and visitors alike and of course, Kentucky Fried Chicken can't be forgotten in the plethora of fast food outlets and this is only mentioning a few.
England
Though you will find McDonalds in England their favorite is still the English fish and chips. Most fast food outlets still wrap them in newspaper or paper has they have done for years. It is part of their heritage and we would be sorely disappointed when visiting England to not come across a fast food outlet for fish and chips. The English are famous for it as they dip their fish in batter and deep fry it as well as piles of French fries. England is also big on sausage that are sold like hot dogs and are referred to as Bangers.
Australia
In Australia we find the usual fast food outlets for burgers and fries but there is more to Australia's fast food outlets than these. Australia offers some traditional examples of their own such as Australian Hamburgers which is a disguised burger by the different fillings that are used. When you're in Australia you ask for a hamburger with the lot meaning that you want lettuce, tomato, cheese, beetroot, grilled onions, bacon, with a fried egg and pineapple. They also offer fast food outlets that serve sausage rolls and meat pies. All of these are very popular with the Australians.
China
There is more to China than Chinese fast food, they also offer their own specialties such as steamed or fried dumplings with a meat and soup filling, fried steamed bread, spicy and sour noodles and lamb kebab to mention a few. These are found in different parts of china. Fish is a welcomed fast food item in China and you can find many fast food outlets that serve shrimp, fish balls and sushi. Other parts of China offers bean curd, lotus root, mushrooms, chicken, beef tendon, noodles and much more. Another popular item is a skewer of about half a dozen hawthorns that are dipped in sugary syrup which hardens into a shiny candy coating.
India
In the streets of India you will find a fast food outlets called Chaat which are street vendors and are what they sell is very popular. Chaats are found everywhere and Bhel Puri is one of their dishes that are made from diced boiled potatoes, chutney dal, coriander powder, grated coconut and mustard oil. In the evening India's taste turns to Masala Puri. The gravy for this dish is made using peas and spices. The snack is prepared in layers with crushed crispies for the base, hot gravy over that, raw vegetables on top and topped off with sweet, spicy chutneys and powder. India also has traditional snacks that remain favorites to most such as Dhokla which is chickpeas spiced by adding chili pepper, ginger and baking soda. This dish is usually served with green chutney or some peanut oil on the side. Other favorites are Podimas which is Plantain, Potato, Banana and Poha is rice which is also popular.
Indonesia
Most Indonesians are Muslims so pork is not used there but there are many favorites that are, such as mackerel fish meat served with peanut sauce, pempek which is fish and sago, bubur ayam which is chicken congee, bubur kacang hijau which is green beans and porridge. Another popular item is satay which is diced or sliced chicken, goat, mutton, beef or fish. In Indonesia you will also find a lot of Chinese dishes in fast food outlets but they are usually in the form of buns, noodles and meatballs. You can also get ice and sweet beverages and a great selection of snacks called kue which is cakes or pastry and there are many kinds.
Japan
In Japan fast foods fall into three types which are noodles, rice and street food. Of course in Japan noodles are found everywhere and you can find dishes such as Ramen which is a Japanese version of the original Chinese noodle soup and is served with different toppings. Udon is wheat based noodle in broth and finished off with different toppings. There are dozens of kinds of rice plates that are served with different toppings along with sushi which is really popular here. In the day time you can find street stalls known as yatai where you can purchase Oden which is stew with different ingredients or skewered chicken, giblets or vegetables. All of these dishes sound much healthier than McDonalds or Burger King although you can find these there also.
Korea
Korea has its own fast food such as bulgogi which is marinated beef; Gimbap is steamed rice with other ingredients mixed in. These foods are served on sheets of dried seaweed and served cold in bite sized slices. There is another fast food found in Korea and that is Hoddeok which is a fried yeast dumpling that is flattened out like a pancake with sticky cinnamon sugar centers.
Summary
Fast foods are on the rise in each country, they are not only served in restaurants but in pubs and bars around the world. Regardless of what country you find yourself in you will find there are delicacies for every occasion and the above is only a fraction of what is available in fast foods from around the world. as long as there are a gathering of people you will find fast foods to satisfy their needs.