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Every culture has something that makes it special. It could be ingredients distinctive to a specific region that create a trademark dish, a unique practice, or a household item you won’t find anywhere else, which is what this list is all about.
In a recent Reddit thread, people from different countries shared the one object they had seen in their homes their entire lives. Responses ranged from pieces of furniture to cooking utensils and bathroom implements that raised questions.
If you feel like this list is missing something from your country, feel free to add it in the comments!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
We Call It A Flessenlikker, Or Freely Translated Bottle Licker. It Is Used To Completely Scrape Bottles And Jars Empty. Netherlands
RELATED:
#2
Saunas In Apartments/Flats. Finland
#3
Those Tiles. Portugal
#4
A Fondue Caquelon. Switzerland
#5
Tortillero, Which Is Used To Keep Tortillas Warm While You Eat. Mexico
#6
For Korea, Probably A Kimchi Fridge
#7
In The Yucatan Peninsula, We Use Something Called Lek’. It’s Made From Carved And Dried Out Fruit, And It Has A Crazyyy Insulating Power And It Dates Back All The Way To The Mayans
#8
“It's A Clay Pot Used To Hold Water, And It Keeps It Very Cool And Cold. I Think Most Mexicans Have One Of These. It's Called A Xīcālli Īhuān Ātl
NJPaterson 14 hours ago
The clay is porous allowing water to evapoate out, thereby cooling the contents.
#9
I'd Say Probably A Chocolatera, It's Used For Hot Chocolate And Agua De Panela. Colombia
#10
Clay Water Filter. Brazil
Cadastros de Helen Vanessa 15 hours ago
This is the best water filtration system in the world!
#11
A Poffertjespan To Make.....poffertjes. Tiny Dutch Pancakes That Are Consumed With Butter And Powdered Sugar
Sally Moen 12 hours ago
I was offered these served with lingonberry jam at a Swedish restaurant
#12
Separate Hot And Cold Taps In The Bathroom. UK
#13
A Baguette Box! My Parents Used To Have One Right In Front Of The Main Door; The Baker Was Delivering A Fresh One Every Morning. France
#14
Chicken Salt For Chips. Australia
PrettyJoyBird 14 hours ago (edited)
Brb, going to look up ingredients. (Oh wow sounds amazing!)
#15
A Jar Of Lingonberry Jam (Preferably Rårörda Lingon, A Variant That Hasn't Been Boiled). The Staple Condiment For, Like, Half Of All Swedish Recipes
#16
A Coconut Grater! Every Household In Southern India Where Coconut Is A Staple Has One
#17
Going Out On A Limb Here, But Bush Pie Makers In Canada
Hippopotamuses 14 hours ago
NZ. We used to call them toastie makers, or toastie irons, and we put them into the fire. It was more fun than watching the radio, in the days before tv.
#18
Drying Rack Above The Sink. Apparently Not That Common Outside The Nordics
#19
Copper Coffee Pot. Turkey
#20
This To Cook Cuscuz. Brazil
#21
They're A Bit Fancy, But An Aga Cooker. It's Like A Range Cooker But You Don't Turn It Off. It's Always On And It Acts As Heating For Your Home. England
NJPaterson 14 hours ago
Same as wood stoves in US farms. My aunt had one on their dairy farm. If Aga is always on, seems dangerous and waste of fuel.
#22
Oh! I Actually Have Something For This! This Is An "Ulu" Or "Uluaq", Which Is Part Of Our Alaskan Eskimo Cultural Tradition. USA
FreeTheUnicorn 9 hours ago
Best kitchen knife ever (as well as best game cleaning knife). Easy eve for people with grip strength issues
#23
Frozen Dill Or Parsley In A Plastic Ice Cream Container. Poland
#24
Jamonero, For Cutting Iberic Ham. Most Houses Have One. Spain
#25
Moka Pots Maybe. Italy
#26
I Guess It’s Teak Furniture. I Know It’s Not Really Exclusive, But Here Almost Every House Has It, And Sometimes It Becomes An Heirloom Since It Can Easily Last 100 Years. Indonesia
#27
Kitchen Bin Has To Be Underneath The Sink, It's A Law. If Your Bin Isn't Under The Sink, Consider Yourself A Foreign Spy. Poland
#28
Mango Pickle Jar.. It Is Very Common In India.. Especially In Maharashtra!. India
#29
Kotatsu! I Live Up North And It’s Absolutely A Must For Winter Months. Also We Live In An Older House So We Use Kerosene Heaters To Warm A Room Up. Japan
NJPaterson 14 hours ago
So sleeping under a coffee table? Make sure adequate ventilation in home when using kerosene heater or death from carbon monoxide poisoning. Became problem in US as more modern homes are built more airtight for dnergy efficiency.
#30
Charcoal Grill On A High Rise Apartment Balcony. Brazil
#31
I’ve Only Ever Seen Dish Washer Drawers In New Zealand
#32
In Japan, Most Houses Comes With A Grill Just For Fish
Sofia Monteiro 13 hours ago
These should exist in Portuguese kitchens. We eat a lot of fish but grilling becomes difficult in winter. This should do it, along with a good exhaustion.
#33
St Brigid's Cross. Ireland
#34
Tajeen, Pronounced Ta-J-Een. Popular In Morocco, Algeria, Maybe Tunis And Libya I’m Not Sure. Traditionally, It’s Made Of Clay And Used For Cooking
Hippopotamuses 14 hours ago
I had food cooked in tajeen a few years ago. It was Fantastic. This reminds me (yet again) that I need to get one.
#35
Passapomodoro ... For When You Make Passata. Italy
#36
I Guess It Would Have To Be A Central Vacuum System. It Is Built Into The House. Canada
Tim Douglass 13 hours ago
These used to be quite common in the U.S., but because people didn't maintain them they plugged and started fires, so insurance companies started denying coverage if your house had a central vacuum system and they kind of disappeared. It's a pity, because they worked much better than a regular vacuum did.
#37
In The South Of France (Provence More Precisely) We Have Decorative Ceramic Or Cast Iron Cicadas On The Walls
#38
Pickeled Flour. Poland
#39
Royal Portraits In The Outhouse/Privy, If You Have One. Sweden
#40
Three Legged, Falkirk Cast Iron Potjie Pot. South Africa
#41
Not Sure How Unique To Turkey This Is, But This Two Part Teapot
#42
Ashtray. Australia
Hippopotamuses 14 hours ago
Not surprisingly we have these in NZ. It is the shell of the paua. Aka NZ abalone.
#43
Bagged Milk
#44
Shared With The Neighbours: Electric Kettle With Set Temperature For Mate. Argentina
Huddo's sister 11 hours ago
We don't have one specifically for mate, but we can set the temperature on my kettle in Australia. (Breville teamaker iirc, and you can also brew tea in a basket that attaches in the kettle too.) One of my favourite appliances.
#45
Storm Cellars - Especially In The Midwest/Tornado Alley. USA
Smeghead Tribble Down Under 10 hours ago
Forgive my Antipodean ignorance, but if you're in the cellar during a tornado, what keeps the storm doors from flying open?
#46
Cheese Box. France
#47
Garbage Disposal. USA
Smeghead Tribble Down Under 10 hours ago
They were banned here quite a while ago. Too dangerous and a huge waste of water.
#48
Chushkopek, Literally “Pepper-Roaster". It’s A Uniquely Bulgarian Kitchen
#49
One For Sweeping Outdoor Areas And The Other One For Indoors. Philippines
#51
The Raclette Machine, That Usually Allows To Also Make Crepes On The Up Side Of It (And Plancha). France
#52
Rice Washers. Brazil
#53
I Would Be Really Surprised To Find A Finnish Household Without At Least One Of Those Bad Boys. Finland
#54
It's Called "Molcajete" And It's Used To Prepare Salsas And, As You Can See, Guacamole. Mexico
#55
We Have These Switches Above All Of Our Outlets To Cut The Power To Anything Plugged In. I Grew Up In The Us And Never Seen Anything Like This Until I Moved To Aus
Did I say that out loud? 13 hours ago
Standard on every plug socket in the UK, and many other countries, for decades.
#56
More Of A German Thing, But Not Unheard Of In Austria
Roman Arendt 13 hours ago
An egg opener (for boiled eggs). You place the bottom on top of the egg, then let the metal sphere slide down the pole. Perfectly opened eggs guaranteed.
#57
Tostonera. It’s For Smashing Fried Plantains Before The Second Fry To Make Tostones. USA
#58
Pleated Christmas Hearts. We All Made A Ton Of These As Kids To Decorate The Christmas Tree. Denmark
Roman Arendt 13 hours ago (edited)
Yes, and stars as well in Germany. Recently found a bunch of them my brother and I made in Kindergarten as I was searching for Christmas decorations.
#59
Every Household Contains A Spice Box, And Each Family's Mix Is Unique, Depending On Their Preference. Germany
sturmwesen 8 hours ago (edited)
ehmm what? that picture is not German and I know noone with a family spice mix. seems indian? edit OP is an Indian in Germany...they are talking about India
#60
Termo Y Mate. Argentina
#61
In Lao Households (Even Outside Of Lao!), You Will Always Find A Thip Khao/Rice Basket. Most Families Have A Massive One To Communal Dig Your Rice Balls Out From. Canada
#62
Egg Cutters. Not Sure If Theyre Special Anywhere Else, Have Not Seen Them Yet Outside Of My Country. Germany
#63
This Style Of Can Opener. Denmark
Sally Moen 12 hours ago
P-38 is the name of these type of openers in the US, though they look a little different. Issued by the Army and designed for when you were away from home and needed to open your canned food. Excellent camping equipment
#64
A Spianatoia, Used Either To Make Pasta Or Eat Polenta With The Whole Family. Italy
#65
Botijo (In The Left), To Get Some Cold Water When The Sun Is Strong And Porrón (In The Right), A Wine Decanter. Spain
#66
A Coal Scuttle / Decorative Reminder Of Coal – Even In Houses That Haven’t Seen Coal In Decades. Or At Least Something Nodding To The Mining Past. Wales
Sally Moen 12 hours ago (edited)
In older homes, even in the western US, you can still find these, as well as coal chutes that lead into a coal cellar. If you look at the street-side of a house, there might be a ground-level door
#67
Some Kind Of Biltong Maker (Not Necessarily This One, Some People Have Very Rudimentary Contraptions). South Africa
#68
A Chocolate Spread Container Filled With Lard. Serbia
#69
Don't Have One At Home, But In My Grandmother's Apartment It Does, These Are Антресоли (Mezzanines), Usually Used For Storing All Kinds Of Jams, Pickled Cucumbers And Tomatoes. Russia
#70
Ostehøvel! It's For Slicing Cheese. Norway
#71
Swedish Dish Cloth. It Can Absorb Liquids 15 Times Its Own Weight
#72
Mantovarka (Manti Cooker)- Metal Steamer For Making Manti, Most Often A Beaten One Made Of Aluminium Passed On For Generations From Ussr
#74
Danbo Cheese Is A Staple Food In All Danish Households
#75
Little Squeegees Over Our Sinks So We Can Dry It Off After Doing Dishes. Apparently Not Something That Is Really Common Outside Of Here. Brazil
NJPaterson 14 hours ago
In US mostly to squeegee water off shower walls to prevent mineral buildup and water spots.
#76
Not Sure If It Is Just German, But A Dedicated Egg Boiler Complete With A Little Water Measuring Thing Is Very Common So You Can Make Your Perfect Dippy Breakfast Egg
Zig Zag Wanderer 11 hours ago
Because my kitchen definitely needs another appliance for a single purpose....
#77
A Bidet. But Separated From The Actual Toilet. Argentina
#78
I Didn't Know How Common The Kartoffelharfe Is In Other Countries. You Use It To Cut Cooked Potatoes Into Thin Slices For Potato Salad Oder Roasted Potatoes. Germany
#79
These Specific Corningware Dishes Are In Every House In The Us
#80
Chilean Toaster!
#81
Most Filipino Households Have A Water Bucket And A Dipper In The Bathroom. Even With Hand Bidets, The Timba And Tabo Are Still Commonly Used
#82
That Jar Of Morta Sitting Next To The White Cheese. Egypt
#83
Was Almost Forgetting: For When You Make Pasta, And This Is Really Common. Italy
#84
The Daawe, It’s Used For Making Laxoox. Denmark
#85
A Budare To Cook Arepas. Venezuela
#86
Flowery Blankets! Every Household In India (And Probably The Entire Subcontinent) Has One Of These. India
#87
The Egg Holder (Eierbecher). Germany
#88
Pebble Dash Everywhere! Ireland
#89
Any Filipino Household Has A Dipper. Maybe Other Countries Like In The Sea Has One Or A Dipper Of A Different Variation
NJPaterson 13 hours ago
Used for dipping water from bucket to flush the squat toilet as it had no running water.
#90
Coconut Grater. To Scrape The White Flesh Of Coconut
#91
Bag With Bags. Russia
#92
Probably Speaking For The Entire German Speaking Region Here. Austria
Huddo's sister 11 hours ago
My mum had (possibly still has, unless she broke it) one, in Australia.
#93
A Home Deep-Fryer. Belgium
#94
Basically Every Household In Taiwan Has One Of These Rice/Multicookers
Sally Moen 11 hours ago (edited)
Super cheap cooking, little clean up. Used for more than rice
#95
Thses Bowls. Yes, I Know, They're Gorgeous. Portugal
NJPaterson 13 hours ago
My mother had a set of these small bowls with a big bowl. She would serve fruit salad.
#96
Marrow Separator, Because Only Heathens Eat Bone With The Marrow. Haven’t Seen Anyone Else Has This Outside Of Canada
#97
This Kind Of Washing Line. Australia
#98
The Icelandic Pancake Pan. It May Look Like Any Other Pan But Its Only Ever Supposed To Be Used For Pancakes And Nothing Else
#99
Washandje, A Washing Hand, I Have Only Seen These In The Benelux Countries. It Is A Washcloth You Can Stick Your Hand In Like A Mitten But Without The Thumb. Netherlands
#100
In Argentina
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What do you think ?
Ripley 14 hours ago
This is a weird list. Some of these things may well be unique to the country listed, but soooo many of them we have or have had in Australia, and I would consider us a bit of a backwater, geographically speaking. We definitely don't have household saunas or kimchi fridges, though (at least not common usage).
David Paterson 15 hours ago (edited)
Do countries other than Australia have this sort of macadamia nut cracker? A hand welded miniature vice. Picture in attachment.
Remi (He/Him) 2 hours ago
I'd say dish brush is not common in enough places, because washing them with that sponge thing feels really unhygienic to me
Otto Katz 1 hour ago
Yup And I've started using wool dryer balls, because dryer sheets are uneconomical, and bad for the environmental, even if they are made from paper
Load More Replies... Ripley 14 hours ago
This is a weird list. Some of these things may well be unique to the country listed, but soooo many of them we have or have had in Australia, and I would consider us a bit of a backwater, geographically speaking. We definitely don't have household saunas or kimchi fridges, though (at least not common usage).
David Paterson 15 hours ago (edited)
Do countries other than Australia have this sort of macadamia nut cracker? A hand welded miniature vice. Picture in attachment.
Remi (He/Him) 2 hours ago
I'd say dish brush is not common in enough places, because washing them with that sponge thing feels really unhygienic to me
Otto Katz 1 hour ago
Yup And I've started using wool dryer balls, because dryer sheets are uneconomical, and bad for the environmental, even if they are made from paper
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