为了适应当地市场需求，麦当劳计划于明年中旬在印度北部圣城阿姆利则开设全球首家纯素食餐厅。这样，大部分印度教徒和当地穆斯林均可在此餐厅用餐。目前，麦当劳在印度共有271家店。为了迎合当地人的口味，麦当劳在当地餐厅提供更多种类的沙拉和健康食品，其菜单上有半数食品为素食。在印度的麦当劳餐厅，最受欢迎的不是其标志性的“巨无霸”汉堡，而是一款以土豆为馅料的素食汉堡。这款汉堡的销量占到印度麦当劳餐厅全部销量的四分之一。据悉，麦当劳下一步还计划在印度西北部的一处印度教徒朝圣场所附近开设第二家素食餐厅。

The standard-bearer of the hamburger, McDonald's, is bowing to local demand and is opening a meat-free restaurant in India.

The standard-bearer of the hamburger, McDonald's, is bowing to local demand and is opening a meat-free restaurant in India.

The global chain, whose best-known product is the Big Mac burger in a bun, says it will be its first vegetarian outlet.

McDonald's, the world's second biggest food outlet after Subway, increasingly adapts its range to local demand.

Both India's Hindu majority and Muslims can eat the same meat-free dishes.

Religiously observant Hindus see cows as sacred and avoid beef, while Muslims view pigs as unclean and avoid pork.

According to the AFP news agency, McDonald's will open the outlet in the middle of next year, near the Golden Temple in the Sikh holy city of Amritsar in northern India.

Religious authorities forbid consumption of meat at the shrine.

A spokesman for McDonald's in northern India, Rajesh Kumar Maini, told the news agency: "There is a big opportunity for vegetarian restaurants as many Indians are vegetarian.

"At the moment, India is still a very small market - we just have 271 restaurants in India, and across the world, we have nearly 33,000."

The chain plans to open another vegetarian outlet in north-western India, near the Vaishno Devi cave shrine in Kashmir, which is a Hindu pilgrimage site that attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors a year.

McDonald's has moved to provide more salads and other healthier foods with less sugar, salt and fat in them, in response to public concerns about diet.

In India, its menu is typically 50% vegetarian.

Its signature dish in the country is the McAloo Tikki burger, which uses a spiced potato-based filling. It accounts for 25% of total sales.

Globally, the company plans to open around 1,300 new stores this year.

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(Agencies)

（中国日报网英语点津 Helen）