Last week I went to a McDonald’s drive-through, ordered a Big Mac, large fry, and a coke. The experience was sort of surreal. I haven’t eaten McDonald’s for years, I don’t eat fast food, and don’t go driving through drive-through lanes to get my food. The last time I was this close to a drive-through window was when I videotaped a Burger King drive-through for a few hours for a video project a few summers ago.
The funny thing about McDonald’s food is that even though I haven’t been close to it in years – it always smells the same, looks the same, and feels familiar.
When I was a kid, my Dad had a job when he would sometimes travel. When he was out of town, we would go out to eat at least once as a treat. When I was young it was McDonald’s. When we got older it became Taco Bell or A & W.
I remember when I was little, my McDonald’s of choice was a Filet of Fish, sharing a large fry with my brothers, and a orange soda. When I got older – it became the Big Mac as my sandwich, my own large fry, and the orange soda.
Last week I spent some time working on some test shoots in my studio with the McDonald’s food that I purchased. When I was photographing the Big Mac I ended up spending lots of time literally underneath it, thinking about the familiar relationship I still have with it after all these years, and amazed by how long the smell of the food stayed in my studio.
What’s in a Big Mac? According to McDonald’s web site it is made of : 100% Beef Patty, Big Mac Bun, Pasteurized Process American Cheese, Big Mac Sauce, Lettuce, Pickle Slices, Onions.
What’s really in the Bun and Sauce – the two mysterious ingredients of the burger? Lots of ingredients.
Big Mac Bun:
— Enriched flour (bleached wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid, enzymes)
— water
— high fructose corn syrup
— sugar
— soybean oil and/or partially hydrogenated soybean oil
The bun also contains 2% or less of the following:
— salt
— calcium sulfate
— calcium carbonate
— wheat gluten
— ammonium sulfate
— ammonium chloride
— sodium stearoyl lactylate *
— datem *
— ascorbic acid*
— azodicarbonamide*
— mono- and diglycerides*
— ethoxylated monoglycerides*
— monocalcium phosphate*
— enzymes*
— guar gum*
— calcium peroxide*
— soy flour*
— calcium propionate (preservative)
— sodium propionate (preservative)
— soy lecithin
— sesame seed.
* indicates: dough conditioner
Big Mac Sauce:
— Soybean oil
— pickle relish (which is made of:)
— diced pickles
— high fructose corn syrup
— sugar
— vinegar
— corn syrup
— salt
— calcium chloride
— xanthan gum
— potassium sorbate (preservative)
— spice extractives
— polysorbate 80
— distilled vinegar
— water
— egg yolks
— high fructose corn syrup
— onion powder
— mustard seed
— salt
— spices
— propylene glycol alginate
— sodium benzoate (preservative)
— mustard bran
— sugar
— garlic powder
— vegetable protein (hydrolyzed corn, soy and wheat) – fancy name for MSG
— caramel color
— extractives of paprika
— soy lecithin
— turmeric (color)
— calcium disodium EDTA (protect flavor)
My photo shoot turned out pretty well. I’m not sure I’m going to use the burger image in a piece – but it was interesting to be under the Big Mac for a while and to revisit a familiar sandwich that still seems like an old friend.
Image Source:
Kristen Baumlier
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