For years, fast food – particularly of the McDonald’s variety – has been the poster child for globalization and the unrelenting blandization of world culture. But scholars are increasingly disputing “the idea that mass production threatens the existence of particular cultural identities, either abroad or at home. After all, regional cuisines are displaying an unexpected vitality in this age of chain restaurants and global brand-names. Why? Many people, it seems, are content to preserve their local cultures through food that is as processed and mass-produced as a Happy Meal.”