McDonald's Around the World: Stockholm and the El Maco

Sweden is a wonderful place, but one cuisine that Sweden has yet to figure out is Mexican food. In the US, we have our share of restaurants that serve American-style Mexican, but in Sweden there are some odd ideas about what Mexican food is. "Mexican" in Sweden is influenced heavily by the locally preferred flavor palate (nothing spicy... Sorry, Sweden, but it's true!) and a general inexperience with Mexican food. Perhaps nothing embodies this confluence more than a Mexican inspired burger at McDonald's.

I give you, The El Maco.

What is an El Maco? This is a burger originally cooked up for the Scandinavian market, but late last year somehow ended up in New Zealand as well. For your viewing pleasure, I got a El Maco Jr. to show off what makes this burger so authentically Mexico.

 So far, so good. It looks like a normal burger from McDonald's, but when you open it up...

...sour cream, mild salsa, and the pièce de résistance... tortilla chips. Just looking at this brings back memories of Tacos Delta in Los Angeles. Or not. So, how does it taste? It's like a four bite mini-nachos on a bun. It's alright, although I could see the chips getting soggy pretty quick if it isn't made immediately before you get it.