American Fast-Food in Chile

When walking along the streets of Santiago, the presence of American fast-food is omnipresent: billboards, snacks, restaurants- you name it. Many rebrand themselves for the Chilean market. For example, several fast-food joints like Pizza Hut are sit-down restaurants with waiters here. In addition, I particularly enjoy seeing the cultural twist American brands incorporate into their Chilean products. See for yourself below.

Subway

Here, I find the combination of "Se Puso" in Spanish and "Heavy" in English quite entertaining. The prefix "Mega" has also been adopted from English. Not sure why, but it grabs my attention.

McDonald's

I wish "el Cono Oreo" existed in the States- it has a slightly bitter taste that I like. As an interesting side-note, McDonald's capitalizes on its ice-cream in Santiago: in addition to the traditional ordering counter inside, they position special windows along the sidewalk that only sell helados, or ice-cream.

Cheetos

When I came across, Cheetos sabor mani, or peanut flavor, at a large grocery chain called UniMart, I couldn't help but try them for myself. The puffs are actually shaped like peanuts and have a surprisingly mild and sweeter flavor in comparison with the typical salty and cheesy Cheetos. Not sure I'd buy them again, but definitely worth a taste!

Burger King

They have ads all over the city. The latest and greatest is their toda la carne a la parilla, or all grilled meat, burger. Haven't dared to order one and don't think I will.