Grabbing a Big Mac at your local McDonald's is something most of us don't give much thought to. Headed home from school? Get a Big Mac. Stuck in traffic? Big Mac. Meeting up with friends? You guessed it, Big Mac. While under your local arches, you're normally thinking about how hungry you are or what you want to do once you leave, and not about how immaculately designed this simple meal really is. However, there was a time when this multilayer sandwich we all know and love was nothing more than an idea that higher-ups at McDonald's didn't really see becoming a franchise-wide staple.
What's even more shocking is the fact that its invention didn't happen right down the street from McDonald's corporate headquarters in Illinois. No, the burger that would come to shape an entire industry was actually invented right here in Uniontown, Pennsylvania.
The Birth of a Backyard Revolution
Jim Delligatti was a local McDonald's franchise owner who felt his customers deserved a burger that could satiate the appetite of an adult male. It seemed that a lot of his customers were especially hungry steelworkers who kept asking him to make a burger bigger than a plain old cheeseburger. Taking this into consideration, Delligatti began experimenting with recipes and ratios in his free time. After months of R&D, he stumbled upon the creation we now know as the Big Mac.
Jim Delligatti was well aware of the fact that McDonald's needed to evolve with the times if it wanted to stay competitive. Big sandwiches were already selling like crazy at Burger King, Wendy's, and Arby's restaurants, and Delligatti didn't want his Pennsylvania franchises to get left behind. He knew he had to come up with something fast if he wanted to ride this new gravy train. After months of experimentation and pleading with headquarters, he was finally able to convince them to test out his product on the condition that he could only use official McDonald's ingredients.
Delligatti realized that by inserting a middle bun, he was able to avoid many of the structural problems that plagued other large burgers during this time period.
Turns out, this seemingly insignificant slice of bread kept the entire sandwich from falling apart under the weight of all the filling. This allowed the juices from the patties to flow throughout the entire burger without making it soggy for the customer. Talk about a eureka moment!
After he finally perfected his recipe, Delligatti had another problem on his hands. He needed to come up with a catchy name to market this sexy behemoth. There were many horrible names floated around before they landed on the iconic title we know today. These refused-to-be-forgotten names include "Aristocrat" and "Blue Ribbon Burger". Can you imagine ordering that today? Thankfully, one of Delligatti's employees, Esther Glickstein Rose, blurted out the now-famous name we all know and love: the Big Mac. The name was officially picked, and the world has loved it ever since.
The Sauce That Changed Everything
While the two all-beef patties are certainly important, any true fan knows that the secret sauce is what really elevates the sandwich to legendary status. For years, the exact recipe was guarded with a level of secrecy usually reserved for state documents or high-level bank vaults. You've probably heard countless rumors about what goes into that tangy orange mixture, but the reality is a balanced blend of mayonnaise, mustard, and sweet relish.
This specific combination provides a sharp contrast to the savory meat, creating a flavor profile that is uniquely delicious.
Back in the day, there were actually two different variations of the sauce being made by different suppliers. This caused major inconsistencies from restaurant to restaurant until the formula was standardized in the early '70s. McDonald's wanted to make sure you'd get the same delicious taste in Tokyo as you would in New York. The secret sauce was "adjusted" in 1991, but received so much backlash that they had to change it back.
A Global Metric of Economic Power
Ever wonder how expensive it is to buy a Big Mac in other countries? There's actually a whole index dedicated to it! Created by none other than The Economist, the "Big Mac Index" is a tool used to determine the purchasing power parity of two currencies. For example, did you know that you can actually tell how strong America's dollar is by comparing it to a burger in Iceland? The Big Mac is used as a benchmark because it requires the same basic ingredients worldwide.
With McDonald's restaurants on just about every continent, making sure every ingredient is exactly the same is no easy task. Everything from the farms the sesame seeds are grown on to the size of the lettuce shreds is calculated down to the millimeter.
Chances are, when you take that first bite of your Big Mac, you're devouring happiness and sheer joy from the workers who made it happen. Next time you enjoy one of these tasty sandwiches, take notice of how every bite is almost identical to the one before it.
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