-Caveat Lector- McDonald's puts Arab snack on hamburger bun McFalafel http://abcnews.go.com/wire/World/ap20010616_152.html CAIRO, Egypt (AP) Big Macs, Filet-O-Fish and golden fries are available from Paris to Peoria. But the fast-food giant McDonald's occasionally bows to local tastes replacing beef with mutton in Hindu-majority India, serving Samurai Pork Burgers to Thais and garnishing burgers with fried eggs in Japan. Now it's Egypt's turn with the McFalafel. Last month, McDonald's franchises in Egypt began serving the traditional Arab snack deep-fried patties of ground beans flavored with spices on an American-style hamburger bun with tomato, lettuce, pickles and a spicy tahini sauce. At about 38 cents, the burger-sized McFalafel is one of the cheapest items on the menu, but it is more than three times what a falafel sandwich costs at thousands of shops around the country. The McFalafel combo, called el-Miallem, or "the boss," sells for about 77 cents and includes a medium Coke, compared to about $2.80 for a Big Mac meal. Falafel also known as "tamiyya" in Egypt is usually served stuffed into a pocket of flat bread, and some have complained about McDonald's departure from that tradition. Talaat Kamal, who sells falafel sandwiches for about 10 cents each at a Cairo restaurant opened in 1938, said he doubted Egyptians would buy tamiyya on a bun. "This is traditional Egyptian food and the way they are doing it is not traditional." At a downtown McDonald's, 26-year-old salesman Walid Hussein chewed on a McFalafel with concentration and pronounced it good but not as good as the falafel at his neighborhood stand. "It's better in Egyptian bread," he said. Caroline Greiss, McDonald's marketing manager in Egypt, defended the McFalafel and said it's selling well. "Our focus is to offer customers a high quality sandwich with an authentic taste," she said. McDonald's sought an authentic touch for its advertising, too. Its McFalafel jingle features Egyptian pop star Shaaban Abdel-Rahim, whose hit "I hate Israel" helped fuel an anti-Israeli and anti-American campaign and by extension a boycott against McDonald's during Israeli-Palestinian battles earlier this year. The latest Abdel-Rahim tune is decidedly less political: "If you eat a bite, you can't stop before finishing the whole roll." Abdel-Rahim said he agreed to sing McFalafel's praises because it is "traditional Egyptian food. I am ready to sing for foul (Egypt's national bean dish) if I was asked to." <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance�not soap-boxing�please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds�is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html";>Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/";>ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
