Kerala's anti-US communists allow McDonald's to open first outlet

The opening of a new McDonald's outlet in India is not usually news. The fast-food chain already boasts 300 restaurants.

But for McDonald's to open its first outlet in the communist-dominated state of Kerala is remarkable because the party there usually treats burgers, along with nefarious drinks like Coca-Cola, as emblems of American cultural imperialism.

The communists who have ruled the south Indian state on and off for decades frequently hold anti-American protests and burn the Stars and Stripes.

Yet no party protesters have been seen outside the state's first McDonald's in a Kochi shopping mall, only customers streaming in to sample the McDonald's experience of burgers and French fries. Deference to local tastes comes in the form of fiery Piri Piri sauce, which is poured on the fries to make them compatible with the south Indian palate.

Amit Jatia, vice-president of Hardcastle Restaurants, which has the McDonald's franchise in south and west India, said he was so pleased with the reaction that he planned to open two more outlets in Kerala later this year.

Unlike the rest of mainly Hindu India, about 80 per cent of those in Kerala eat meat, and lots of it.