Some interesting visuals and descriptions of different food offerings on McDonald’s menus from around the world.   I don’t think I’ll be going for the “Seaweed Flavored Fries” from Japan. I’m not sure what to make of the McSpaghetti – spaghetti soaked in sugar. And if you are in Hawaii, be sure to get the Spam, Eggs and Cheese McGriddles.  Spam, spam, spam, spam…wonderful spam!

This site will make you think twice next time you pick up a soda or a pop tart. Sugar Stacks displays the # of sugar cubes that are contained in several types of foods, snacks, beverages and other food products. I’m glad I’ve cut down on my Coke intake this year.

So about a year ago I was at the WOMMA (Word of Mouth Marketing Association) conference in San Francisco, and I heard about this hilarious video of two guys rapping about how “into Nuggets” they are while standing outside a McDonald’s (which I believe happens to be across the street from Wrigley Field).

Tonight, I was watching the MLB All-Star Homerun Derby and, low and behold, what shows up on the tube but a McDonald’s ad featuring the exact same video. Once again, it appears citizen marketers and user generated content has made it mainstream.

Ah, the Five Second Rule. You know, the urban legend of college campuses and teenage basements, where its widely accepted that if you drop food on the floor, its OK to pick up and eat it if you do so within 5 seconds of it hitting the floor. Building on an initial analysis done at the University of Illinois in 2003, Clemson University has conducted a follow up analysis and it was discussed in the NY Times today. The key takeaways:

Quick retrieval does mean fewer bacteria, but it’s no guarantee of safety…the five-second rule, version 2.0: If you drop a piece of food, pick it up quickly, take five seconds to recall that just a few bacteria can make you sick, then take a few more to think about where you dropped it and whether or not it’s worth eating.

And there you have it.

Here is a nice article in the NY Times about how the venerable tea bag is getting an industry makover. As part of the article, it notes that Lipton will be making over its tea bags to use nylon instead of the mesh/paper it currently uses, and it will also use longer leaf tea.

As an avid tea drinker (can’t stand coffee), I think that its about time! I regularly purchase teas like Yorkshire Tea, Twinings, and other brands from the U.K. because brands like Lipton are not as robust, strong, or tasty. Now if we can teach restaurants in this country how to serve tea properly (lose leaf, in a pot, instead of in a crusty mug with an unopened tea bag and lukewarm water. Hell, I’d take just a pot of hot water and teabags), we’ll be making real progress.

Saw this great research factoid in a newsletter I receive from Iconculture:

37% of women say they’ll eat food within 5 seconds of its being dropped on the ground. 57% of men say they will.

Source: Electrolux Homecare Products – December, 2005

I was teased. For a while now, I have seen ads for Sonic Drive-In on ESPN. Sonic is a fast food chain located everywhere but the northeast. So coming out to Phoenix, in the back of my mind, I was wondering if I may be able to sneak off and grab a bite to eat there. The food on the ads look good, but we shall see what its like in person. Alas, the great irony is that there is a Sonic about 2 miles from the hotel I am staying at and we actually drove right past it when we drove to the hotel.

Guess such a culinary indulgence will have to wait until next time.