Holy Cow! No Big Macs?

NEW DELHI, India — McDonald’s has been invited to India--but told not to bring its Big Mac.

To sell beef in the land of the sacred cow requires a special license that is granted only to luxury-class hotels catering to foreign tourists.

Beef is taboo to Hindus, who are 82% of India’s 875 million people. Muslims, who are 12% and the country’s largest minority, don’t eat pork.

So if McDonald’s goes ahead with its planned $20-million investment deal, it probably will do what the British-based Wimpy’s does.

“Chickenburgers are our hottest item,” said the duty manager of the 1 1/2-year-old restaurant on Connaught Place, heart of New Delhi’s tourist district. Wimpy’s advertises that its hamburgers as 100% lamb.