The Kaufman Critique: Keeping Passover real at McDonald’s

Ami Kaufman By Ami Kaufman April 8, 2012 | Edit

It’s been over a year since the last Kaufman Critique was published.  It’s not that I haven’t been to restaurants lately, more of a time issue.

And certainly, writing about McDonald’s isn’t the best comeback post, but hey – maybe it’ll get me back into the food-groove.

Anyway, it’s Pesach. The holiday I hate the most. Because of that whole bread thing. Pointless.

McDonald’s, though, doesn’t agree. And McDonald’s would know. They know a thing or two about… money. So, what do they do during Pesach, when it comes to buns? Well, as you may or may not know – McDonald’s is divided into Kosher and non-Kosher brancיes in Israel. But most of them offer Kosher buns. In fact, they limit the menu to meals with kosher buns. So, you can’t get a Big Mac, for example. You can only get a Royal (Quarter pounder in the States).

But — you can get it with cheese.

So you can keep Kosher, but not really Kosher.

I always find this little ritual that McDonald’s does every year to be very telling of Israeli society. And corporate capitalism, too.

Nonetheless, critique-wise this bun is actually pretty good for a Kosher for Pesach bun. One usually expects something chewy that doesn’t digest well, but here, the McDonald’s scientists have done it again. Light, fluffy – and none of that Pesach smell and aftertaste of the usual dodgy buns. Bravo and Chag Sameach!

The Kaufman Critique: Keeping Passover real at McDonald's
The Royal (called the Deluxe during Pesach) (photo: Ami Kaufman)
The Kaufman Critique: Keeping Passover real at McDonald's
The somewhat over-brown Kosher for Pesach bun. No sesame seeds... (photo: Ami Kaufman)

 

The Kaufman Critique: Keeping Passover real at McDonald's
Kosher Deluxe - with cheese (that yellow plastic square on the right) (photo: Ami Kaufman)

 

 

Ami Kaufman

Ami Kaufman was chief night editor for Haaretz, for the prominent Israeli financial daily Calcalist, and correspondent on Israeli affairs for 93.6 RAM FM, a joint Palestinian-Israel radio station. His interest in food and cooking led to culinary studies at the "Israeli CIA" (Tadmor, Herzliya) and a brief stint in the restaurant business. Born in Tel Aviv, Ami lives in Bat Yam with his wife and two daughters. In his spare time he blogs at Half & Half.

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