Steak, ketchup and Arabic coffee: what Donald Trump eats on trips abroad
US President Donald Trump is preparing for the first official visit abroad of his second term, during which he will visit the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Travelling to another country can wreak havoc on an eating schedule, so how does Mr Trump handle meals on foreign visits? Mr Trump has spoken several times of his love of American fast food. Expounding on the wonders of McDonald's in a 2016 CNN interview, he called the restaurant's offerings 'great stuff'. The President is also a big fan of steak and was the face of his own meat brand for several years through 'Trump Steaks'. He reportedly enjoys his steaks well done and prefers to eat them with ketchup. For dessert, Mr Trump has been known to enjoy pie, chocolate cake and ice cream. To wash it all down, the President is apparently a big fan of Diet Coke. According to the Wall Street Journal, during his first term, he used a call button on his desk in the Oval Office that would alert an aide to bring him a can. The button was reportedly reinstalled when he returned to office this year. But what happens when he travels abroad? In 2017, during his first term, his first official visit overseas was to Saudi Arabia. On arrival, he was treated to traditional Arabic coffee alongside King Salman, who taught him how to shake his cup − the traditional technique of asking a server to stop pouring. Mr Trump, however, asked for a top-up after finishing his first cup. Mr Trump's Saudi hosts later pulled out all the culinary stops, offering the President's favourite steak with a side of ketchup alongside the more traditional chicken kabsa and gorsan − Saudi stew. Caviar, foie gras, risotto and date ice cream were also on the menu. The US President headed to Israel after Saudi Arabia, where he met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. At a dinner at the Prime Minister's residence, Mr Trump was treated to an American-themed spread, with celebrity Israeli chef Moshe Segev serving up sliders with rice and kale chips, as well as ketchup made from beets and aioli mustard. Salmon, red curry and a sprout salad were also served during the meal, with an array of desserts arriving on a plate featuring the silhouettes of Mr Trump and Mr Netanyahu. Similar to food in the US, cuisine in the Middle East is based on one thing Mr Trump loves − meat. But what happens when no meat is on the menu? During his trip to India in 2020, Mr Trump dined with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is a vegetarian, several times. A White House aide famously disclosed to CNN that they had never seen the President eat a vegetable. According to the Hindustan Times, Mr Trump turned down sampling the vegetarian menu on his first day in India, and even declined apple pie and ice cream for dessert. Meat was on the menu at a later state dinner, but it's unclear what − if anything − Mr Trump sampled. As he begins what is sure to be a series of visits overseas at the start of his second term, it remains to be seen whether Mr Trump will stick with old favourites or branch out to new experiences at the dinner table.
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