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30 Items That Are Only Popular In Some Countries, Even Though They Should Be Popular Worldwide
Interview With Author
I think most of us, when we travel abroad, have noticed some cool or just different things that we have never seen before. Rather, it may be something super extraordinary, unique, or something useless. However, we also are so used to some specific things that we have in our home countries that every time we travel abroad and can’t find them, well, it makes things more complicated.
If you are confused about what it’s all about, recently, one Reddit user posed a question online asking folks to share one product from their home country that they are surprised is not worldwide yet. The products vary from dish drying cabinets to specific food, so scroll through them, upvote your favorites and share things from your home country that should be worldwide!
More info: Reddit
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
In New Zealand we have a thing called ACC ( accident compensation corporation) which is a public body that pays for hospital care, physiotherapy etc if you get injured. It is also written into our law that you can't sue someone if you get injured.
The effect of this is that:
1) people get quicker and better quality care, and the focus is on recovery
2) you don't have to sue someone for minor accidents that lead to disproportionate injuries (eg tripping on a public footpath and breaking your leg)
3) people don't get injured then try to profit from it by suing for stupid amounts of money
4) we don't have predatory lawyers trying to make money out of injuries, and none of those 'were you injured and it wasn't your fault' adverts everywhere etc.
I don't know all of the figures but my gut feeling is that this is a more efficient and better quality system than what many other countries have.
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#2
Toilets with pedals instead of levers so you don’t have to touch anything with your hands
Panda-sized Potato 1 year ago
Auto-flushers exist. If they don't have that, I use my shoes to touch the toilet.
Bored Panda got in touch with the author of this thread and he kindly agreed to share the inspiration behind the creation of it, a product from his country that, in his opinion, deserves more global recognition, and things suggested from the community that could thrive in his home country.
OP starts by explaining that he was an entrepreneur and currently studies at one of the best business schools in the world, thus he was brainstorming ideas while exploring things that he would love to validate for potential businesses.
#3
The NHS.
Walk into a hospital, get fixed and leave without worrying about paying, I've nothing more to say.
Mabelbabel 1 year ago
I'm a pathologist in the NHS. I know there are a lot of problems with it, and personally I think its being deliberately underfunded in an effort to push a different form of delivering healthcare (virtually every member of the cabinet has financial interests in various private healthcare providers) but it still provides a decent service. We had a toddler whose mother noticed a problem with her eye-the GP saw her that afternoon as an emergency, she saw the local paediatrician later that day, got sent to the regional centre that evening. By the next day, she'd been seen by consultants in paeds, radiology, surgery, oncology and ENT. The next day (Friday) they took a biopsy, the pathology was diagnosed on Saturday and by Sunday she'd started chemo for the tumour. 4 days start to finish, and the parents got free accommodation provided by the hospital for parents of cancer patients. All their travel costs for subsequent treatment were also reimbursed. The only cost to parents-money for food.
#4
Kinda not a product but - **bottle recycling machine/reverse vending machine** (?lol) Basically when you buy a drink in a bottle/can, you pay a little “pawn fee” (like 20 cents) and when you later go put the empty bottle/can in the machine you get the fee back. We usually collect the bottles until there is like 6 bags and then go cash out like 16€ at once. Its pretty neat. It encourages recycling!:)
EDIT: This is how they look like! I'm glad to read from comments it's a thing in so many more countries! More info: Cans and bottles have different fees. You insert the bottles/cans one by one, bottom first, the machine has to read a certain symbol on the packaging otherwise it wont go in. There is usually a worker on the other side making sure it doesnt overfill. They are fairly clean and there is usually a sink in the room. In the last few years, there have been newer machines where you can just dump your entire bag into the machine and it does the whole sorting on its own. And to those who were interested, I am from Estonia :)
He also adds that community engagement definitely exceeded expectations.
“I come from India but live in the US. I was surprised not to see more mentions of fabric and spices. The bidet was something I expected and was there no doubt,” OP emphasized.
#6
Bakfietsen (bikes with a kind of wheelbarrow front for carrying kids or groceries). I’ve seen a few bakfietsen in the states lately which is cool. But without dedicated bike lanes I would guess carrying kids in them would be a terrible idea.
#7
Bidet. I cannot believe they are not more popular in the US! They can be very inexpensive, and it was a quality of life type change.
#8
Meat pies such as Steak and cheese, bacon and egg, classic mince, lamb & mint, potato top. all in lovely pastry served in a white paper bag, gotta love NZ
Roan The Demon Kitty 1 year ago
...come to the UK, then. If it exists, you can get it in a pie.
Speaking about things shared by community members that could do well in his country, OP noted that he was looking from a US lens. He noticed that a lot of food and beverage concepts will be interesting to test in this market. “They definitely can thrive if segmented, targeted and positioned well,” he shared.
And what do you think? What products from your home country would you choose to be on this list?
#9
Italy. Tapparelle.
They're essentially roll up plastic blinds for the windows, but instead of simply being curtains they're actually inserted in a crease in the wall, so that no light can pass through when they're down. You can actually easily recognize an Italian home interior if you see a window with a flat vertical rope on one side an a big boxy *thing* at the top.
How well do they work? When all tapparelle are down, the house is *dark*. Complete, utter darkness. The sun could be shining right against the window, and you wouldn't know. When you wake up, it's like waking up in a void of nothingness. No sign of life, **nothing** outside your walls. It makes for quality sleeping, that's for sure.
Other perks include: privacy for when you undress and safety against strong winds.
EDIT: Tapparella fixing tutorial with example (at one point the tapparella is completely down and you can see how no light passes through from outside)
#10
As an American who lived in France for a year in college, I am really surprised that late night European style kebab joints aren't really a thing that has taken off yet here.
#11
I wish towel radiators and bidets would catch on more in America
Svenne O'Lotta 1 year ago
Towel heaters are an awful waste of energy and most people in my country stopped using them in the 90's
#12
Sourdough rye bread. Freshly baked with butter... So good! Great taste, great nution and good for the digestion.
#13
Still amazed that my US friends don't regularly use electric tea kettles. My friend was tickled pink that I sent her one for Christmas.
PhaseWitFact 1 year ago
I'm an American. I have an electric tea kettle. My daughter has one. Everyone I know *who drink tea regularly* has one.
#14
The pasty.
As a concept it's food designed to be eaten on the go that's contained and resists dropping the contents all over the floor as you eat it. It's crust can be used to hold the food if you have dirty hands or the contents are hot and the crust can be discarded afterwards guilt free because it's biodegradable.
#15
Finland - dish drying cabinet.
#16
Pålægschokolade (Denmark) - thin sheets of dark or milk chocolate to eat on your breakfast bun over a thick layer of butter.
#17
For the US, biscuits and gravy. Every single person I have introduced to it, fell in love. For whatever reason, I found British people go absolutely bonkers for it. One co-worker in London Skyped with my wife so she could walk him through the gravy.
Edit: yes, Americans mean something very different by “biscuits” and “gravy”. Also, no they are not scones. Buttermilk biscuits are much softer and richer. I’ve found no exact counterpart in Europe. Sort of between a scone and a croissant.
#18
From India: cardamom. I know the spice is not exclusive to India, but I'm surprised it's not used in more applications. I've had cardamom infused cocktails in the past (mojitos, margs, etc.) and they are absolutely incredible. I'm surprised it hasn't taken off in the world of mixology at the very least.
#22
Biltong!
#23
Cream Cheese. I visited a very nice newer all inclusive in Central America. They had bagels but no cream cheese. I inquired if they had some and everyone in the kitchen had never heard of it. As I ate breakfast a manager found me at my table and started asking questions about it. I told him it wasn’t a big deal but he had to know so that they could have it for future guests. I wish I was there to see them taste it.
#24
So if you order a whisky in Scotland, if the place is anywhere decent they will give you a wee jug of water so you can add a drop or two to open it up as required. I’ve not had that once anywhere else, and I’ve leaned from experience to explicitly say “no ice” in the US. So, that wee water jug.
Con O Cuinn 1 year ago
Too much ice sucks. I find a single normal sized ice cube is the perfect amount for a double whiskey, just the right proportion of water to whiskey as it melts.
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The Doom Song 1 year ago
My partner always has his whisky neat with a glass of water on the side. It really is the only way to drink it!
Daddy’s Girl 1 year ago
I guess I’m old-school. I recently asked bartender for bourbon neat with a water back and he had no idea what I meant.
Dainty72 1 year ago
Apparently a perfect whiskey has a tad of water and one ice cube. I guess not according to the Scottish
Ace 1 year ago
Whatever you may do with your whiskey has no relevance to what the Scots do with their whisky. It's more than just a different spelling.
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Arthur Waite 1 year ago
And not just tap-water. Filtered or bottled is better. (Brita in my house).
Jeff White 1 year ago
I agree that this should be MUCH more widely available. Just 1 or 2 drops of water can make a real difference in the aroma and taste. It's cool.
Yer maw 1 year ago
My dad would always just have a half and a cube - if he was hungover the next day then it was because he has a bad ice cube. So I guess that's the way to do it - source being that we're Scottish
#25
"Hagelslag", chocolate sprinkles that, contrary to the American sprinkles which are just brown sugar, contain a minimum amount of actual chocolate.
#27
Poutine
#29
Root beer and peanut butter
#30
Old Bay and malt vinegar on French fries, seafood, almost anything. Why only Maryland and Virginia? It’s freaking delicious.
#32
Cadbury Flake and Aero chocolate bars (preferably in mint). There are some Cadbury products in the US but they're made with inferior chocolate and the Flake has never been a thing. Aero is made by Nestle (which has plenty of presence in the US) and for a few years they were distributed by Hershey (a US company)
#33
Whittakers chocolate from NZ. Puts Cadbury to shame.
Also lolly cake, therefore by extension malt biscuits.
PeepPeep the duck 1 year ago
As an Aussie I love it, New Zealand have the best dairy products ever on par with king island (not chocolate though).
#34
Greggs - for those Redditors outside of the UK, it is a British bakery chain. They're known for making sausage rolls that are cheap (£1.20 a sausage roll), but cheerful and delicious.
They also make other stuff like steak bakes, sandwiches, and also doughnuts too. All in all, they are a favourite in the UK and can be found in pretty much every town and city in the country.
#35
Guaraná Antartica, from Brazil. Very unique softdrink.
#36
Lemon lime and bitters. Tall glass, add ice, drizzle Angostura bitters around the inside of the glass, add a shot of lime cordial then fill with Sprite/7up. Fantastic non-alcoholic drink (ok there’s a tiny bit of alcohol there)
#38
Brunnost- "brown cheese", but it's not a cheese, but rather a dairy product by heating the water cheese is made in and the lactose polymerizes. Then they add cream and it turns into a smooth, brown cheese sort of that is sweet and has a butter-caramel flavor. It's amazing with a salty ham. One thing I wish I could do is try Brunnost with Icelandic Roggenbrod.
#39
I travel often, so I'll hit a few: US (mine): No-bake cookies. I get that they're not mass produced, but they're delicious. Turkey: Sahlep. A smooth, sweet, creamy drink. Georgia: Khachapuri. This is popular in many places, but not North America. It's an amazing rendition on pizza. America needs this! Peru: Cherimoya. God's greatest fruit. Russia: Сырники + good cottage cheese. Delicious and cool of protein. I love this for breakfast.
#40
[Cheezies](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheezies) from Canada. The superior extruded cornmeal cheese puff snack.
T'Mar of Vulcan 1 year ago
Ours are called Cheese Curls. I prefer Flings (which have MSG and so SO delicious.)
#41
Garbage disposals. I’ve seen so many posts recently of Europeans shocked these things exist. They’re great. Get on board everyone.
What do you think ?
Ima Manimal 1 year ago (edited)
Arepas from Venezuela. OMG so good. I’ve had some in Miami, too. Basically a polenta pancake that you stuff with anything. Pulled pork is awesome. So are eggs and cheese
Jaya 1 year ago
Mojo verde, it's a sauce they eat in Tenerife (and possibly some other places too), it is so delicious, I wish we could buy it in the Netherlands.
Costco card 1 year ago
I love how this post seemed (to me) to be more of a celebration of different foods and cultures instead of a "blah blah country sucks!" " no blah blah country sucks!" 😁
Paul Scheermeijer 1 year ago
2 wheeler bakfietsen, steering is frontwheel.. just as a normal bike. 3 wheeler (1 rear 2 front) pivots. Mine has a pivot under the "bak" or best translated under the cargo area so the rear end swings to left or right. It's rigid, similar like some bulldozers or heavy machinery steer.
Ima Manimal 1 year ago (edited)
Arepas from Venezuela. OMG so good. I’ve had some in Miami, too. Basically a polenta pancake that you stuff with anything. Pulled pork is awesome. So are eggs and cheese
Jaya 1 year ago
Mojo verde, it's a sauce they eat in Tenerife (and possibly some other places too), it is so delicious, I wish we could buy it in the Netherlands.
Costco card 1 year ago
I love how this post seemed (to me) to be more of a celebration of different foods and cultures instead of a "blah blah country sucks!" " no blah blah country sucks!" 😁
Paul Scheermeijer 1 year ago
2 wheeler bakfietsen, steering is frontwheel.. just as a normal bike. 3 wheeler (1 rear 2 front) pivots. Mine has a pivot under the "bak" or best translated under the cargo area so the rear end swings to left or right. It's rigid, similar like some bulldozers or heavy machinery steer.
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