We don’t know about you, but one of our favorite things about traveling is being able to see how other cultures live their lives. There’s nothing more exciting than stepping foot in a foreign supermarket and seeing all of the different snacks that they have, or simply observing the locals as they go around their day-to-day business.
As the recent COVID pandemic has somewhat put our travel plans on hold, we thought that now would be a great time to share 58 pictures of things that look very different depending on what country you are in, just so that we can all look at them and pretend that we’re still traveling.
Get out your passports, because we’re going on an adventure!
1. The Designs On These Lipton Tea Cartons In Japan
Japan is the home of the cherry blossom tree, so of course their drinks cartons are going to be as beautiful as their landscapes. Did you spot that the boxes make the complete picture when they’re together? This design was so well thought out!
2. Certain Food Items Must Show Their Excess Of Unhealthy Ingredients On The Packaging In Mexico
We’re not sure how we’d feel about our food labels shouting at us if we made an unhealthy decision (everyone deserves a donut or two ever now and then) but this could be a good way to tackle America’s obesity problem. Translated, these messages read: “Excess Calories” “Excess Sugars” “Secretary of Health” “Contains Sweeteners not recommended for children” “Contains caffeine avoid for children.”
3. In Holland, Cool Ranch Doritos Are Called “Cool American”
Speaking as a European, it’s safe to say that no one quite knows what ranch dressing actually is. In the UK, this flavor is called ‘cool original.’ You know, just to make things even more confusing.
4. You Can Get Oreo Sticks In Asia. Best Used As A Straw To Slurp Milk
Dare we say it, but Oreos are one of the most overhyped cookies out there- but for all you Oreo fans, you might want to take a trip to Asia! Oreos were created with the intention to be dunked into milk, so it makes sense that the manufacturers in Asia decided to create a straw that you can literally slurp milk up with.
5. The American Sweets ‘Sour Patch Kids’ Are Called ‘Very Bad Kids’ In France
Imagine picking up your bag of candy, and saying, “Time to eat my very bad kids”? We’re not sure how well that would go down in other countries. Is this what happens if you’re a misbehaving child in France?
6. This Bag Of Ruffles I Bought In Mexico Came With A Hot Sauce Packet
Mexican food is known for its healthy dose of flavour, so we’re not in the least bit surprised that these chips came with their own hot sauce dip. In our eyes, everything should come with a hot sauce packet! Chips and dip is a revolutionary concept.
7. Red Solo Cups Labeled As “American” Cups In Netherlands
These red cups are in every US soap or movie especially if any teenagers/ college students appear- so it makes sense for them to be labelled as “American.” In the UK, they’re simply called red cups, and they’re only ever used in a party situation- thanks to the American influence!
8. In Asia We Have Pringle Noodles
You can expect to find just about every type of noodle in Asia, but admittedly, Pringle noodles were a pretty unexpected surprise to us. Pringles are known for being packed with flavor, so we actually think these noodles could be pretty tasty. And let’s just be clear, they are cup noodles with Pringle flavour. Not made of reconstituted potato. “Pringle” is only the flavor.
9. How To P*ss Off An American
As a British person who eats Smarties (the Nestle kind) on a regular, we had to do a bit of digging to find out why such a delicious snack could infuriate some Americans. We had no idea that American has their own candy called Smarties (and it’s not even chocolate!) We think we need to try it out, just for research purposes.
10. Canadian Kraft Macaroni Has A Fork On The Box While American Has A Spoon
Do you eat your macaroni with a spoon or a fork? We’d argue that the Canadians are right, as you can use your fork to help pick up the last few tubes in the bottom of the bowl! Maybe both countries could settle this debate by putting a spork on the box.
11. In Europe, Budweiser Is A Different Brand Of Beer — So You’ll Find American Budweiser Sold As Just Bud
As we’re not the biggest beer enthusiasts, we weren’t actually aware of the two different names, but it makes sense! Many people argue that the Czech one is better, but it’s all subject to opinion, of course. Which one is your favorite?
12. In New Zealand, Rice Krispies Are Called Rice Bubbles
Just to make things confusing to us consumers, Rice Bubbles, Rice Crispies and Rice Pops are all the exact same thing. We’re more of a Coco Pops fan ourselves, which will almost certainly have a different name depending on where you’re from.
13. Smarties vs. Rockets. (Americans Call These Smarties, Canadians Call Them Rockets)
We’re still trying to get our heads around the fact that there are another kind of Smarties out there, so once again we find ourselves agree more with the Canadian way of doing things. In the UK, we call these kind of sweets Fizzers, as they pretty much do what the name suggests.
14. This “American Style” Pizza With Hot Dogs Stuffed Into The Crust
In England, hotdog stuffed pizza is becoming all the range at the minute, and it seems like it’s gaining popularity in the rest of Europe too. While some people might find this a bit too far, there’s nothing we love more than a stuffed crust, and we think this is a genius idea. Is it worth the calories? Absolutely.
15. American -Top- vs. Australian -Bottom- Sour Patch Kids
It’s really interesting to us that not only can the packaging vary from country to country, but also the contents can be different as well. Who knew that American Sour Patch Kids were bigger and slightly more colorful looking? And there’s no blue kid in the Australian one!
16. Cocoa Krispies- United States- Coco Pops -United Kingdom-
For some reason, over here in the UK we got the get-go to name Rice Krispies the same as they’re named in America, but Coco Pops has to be named differently. Fun fact: at one point in England, manufacturers changed the name from Coco Pops to Choco Krispies and the public outrage was so huge they reverted back to Coco Pops. The more you know.
17. Salted Eggs Flavored Lays Chips
We’re all for trying out new flavors of chips, but nothing about this one would appeal to us in any way. Interestingly, food experts in the country where the food is being sold, tailor flavors to local or national tastes. And our British and American chip flavors might seem strange to somebody visiting from Asia!
18. Found These Canned Hotdogs In A Grocery Store In The Netherlands
This is another one of those pictures that made us go, what, you don’t have these in the US? Canned hotdog sausages are somewhat of a staple in Eurpoe, and though they don’t taste the best, they’re normally an absolute bargain. We’d put them on same level as supernoodles.
19. These Lays Classic Potato Chips I Bought In China Are Called American Classic Flavor
We’re actually pretty curious as to what flavor these chips are. The word ‘classic’ suggests that they’re plain or lightly salted- but to us, that doesn’t say, “American”. We’d be thinking of more of a burger or cheese flavor.
20. Tomato Flavored Pringle’s In China, Surprisingly Good
Pringles are known for their outrageous flavors, and when we travel we always check out what kind of Pringles are on offer abroad. Ketchup flavored chips are available in the UK- and don’t be put off, because they’re actually delicious! We bet thr Pringles version are even nicer.
21. Pringooools Sold In Brazil
During the World Cup, these Limited Edition Pringles were actually sold all over the world! We’re pretty sure that Cadbury’s chocolate and Haribo sweets also had their own World Cup special packaging. We take our football very seriously over here!
22. These Sausages Were Culturally Imported From Germany And Became Popular In The United States. Now They Have Been Culturally Exported Back To Germany As “American Style” Hot Dogs- Picture Is From A German Grocery Store.
Isn’t it ironic that these sausages were first introduced in Germany, then ended up back there in “American Style” packaging? Was this all some kind of marketing trick? We’ll never know.
23. Frosted Flakes Are ‘Frosties’ In Europe
In the UK, Frosties were some of our childhood favorites, alongside Coco Pops, Rice Crispies, Shreddies, Cheerios and Cookie Crisp. We’re intrigued to see what an American cereal isle looks like, as we didn’t realize that so many types of cereal were given slightly different names!
24. Axe Body Spray Is Called Lynx In Australia- For Copyright Reasons
Hold on a second- Lynx was originally called Axe? Here in the UK, Lynx has always been Lynx, and it’s fondly known amongst the men as the gift that you’re always guaranteed to receive on Christmas day. In a gift box, of course.
25. In Italy, They Have Coca Cola Light Instead Of Diet
Apparently, many countries don’t allow the word diet- as although the drink may be zero calories, it isn’t necessarily what you should be drinking if you want to have a healthy diet. So what’s the difference between Coke Light and Zero? Well, both use different artificial sweeteners, thus the different taste.
26. Good Humor -United States- Wall’s -United Kingdom-
Walls ice cream appears to have a different name in every country, and we’ve found some examples for you: Australia- Streets, Germany- Lagnese, Netherlands- Ola, Poland- Algida, Spain- Frigo, Switzerland- Lusso. Well, that’s not confusing at all…
27. Dannon -United States- Danone -Everywhere Else-
Apparently, Danone is actually a French brand, and the spelling was changed so it it’s easier for English speakers to pronounce. There is also said to be a huge difference on the sugar content in America vs Europe. Did that surprise you?
28. Currently In Japan, Saw This Cola Pepsi
You’re either a Cola or a Pepsi person, so we were pretty surprised to see that Japan had merged the two together. That’s a bold move that might not go down too well in other countries. Apparently this is a Japan Cola and it’s sold by Pepsi. It’s a slightly different flavor from regular Pepsi.
29. One Is Norwegian One Is American
It’s said that this drink has been discontinued in the US, and as a European, we’ve never actually heard of it! The UK tends to be pretty traditional with our fizzy drinks, tending sticking to the popular flavors like Coca Cola, Sprite and Fanta.
30. Canadian Viva Puffs Look Different Than American Made Ones
Without trying these, we can only guess which one we’d prefer, and our vote goes to the American Viva Puffs. Who doesn’t want an extra bit of strawberry jam? In the UK, we call these marshmallow filled snacks Tunnocks chocolate tea cakes.
31. Dr. Oetker -United States- Cameo -Italy-
People are marvelling at the name difference, and meanwhile we’ve never even seen one of these pizza burgers before! We’re not entirely sure about the taste of this one, and we can’t get behind it as much as the hotdog stuffed pizza. If you’ve tried it before, let us know what you think!
32. In some places in India, if a person is overweight, they are respected more. If a person is big, it means they are rich. © Larissa Panaro Artemenko / Facebook
33. In Bergen, you can tell the locals from the tourists by their umbrellas. The locals almost don’t use umbrellas. Instead, they wear raincoats. © Anna Vlasova / Facebook
In our opinion, umbrellas vs raincoats is a matter of personal preference. In many countries, it’s actually the men who prefer raincoats over women, as umbrellas are (somewhat unfairly) associated with women.
34. In Vietnam, the locals swim in the sea wearing jeans, T-shirts, and other clothes. © Ekaterina Saiz Martin / Facebook
35. I studied in Kuwait. When I attended my friend’s wedding I was so shocked! She has a medium skin tone, yet, she looked ghost-white. I asked her later and she told me they sprayed her body with a light-colored spray, like spray tans, but the opposite. © Salma Medina / Quora
This again goes to show the difference between beauty standards all over the world- and to us it seems as if nothing is ever good enough! You’re either too light or you’re too dark, or you’re too thin or you’re overweight. We can’t win, so we might as well just be ourselves.
36. I lived in China for 4 years. In the supermarket, they sold small live crocodiles, turtles, and frogs. They sold them for food. © Ekaterina Zykova / Facebook
In many parts of the world, it isn’t unusual to see live animal markets. We once took a trip to Marrakesh, and were a little disturbed to see chickens being decapitated in the middle of the street- while the locals walked past without even batting an eyelid. It all depends on where you’ve been brought up.
37. I was in Lebanon and I stopped by a cafe. While we were waiting for our order, the waiter brought us some appetizers. Where I come from, they don’t offer things like this for free. You will have to wait for what you ordered. © Olga Krasnukova / Facebook
It’s actually pretty common for some restaurants (especially those that are family owned) to offer free appetizers, like a bread bowl and a selection of dips. If you’re impressed with the service, then you’re much more likely to come back! Especially if the appetizer is extra tasty.
38. In Vietnam, we ordered duck soup. They brought us soup. With a duck. Like, the entire duck. With a beak. © Larisa Gorenko / Facebook
In the Western world, many people are turning vegetarian, and even those of us who eat meat tend to feel a little funny if they think too much about it. We tend to like our meat to not actually look like the animal it came from, whereas in other countries, it’s just something that they’re used to. Not for us, thank you!
39.We moved as a family last year in September to Charlottesville, Virginia (USA). My family and friends went to McDonald’s to celebrate my husband’s birthday. We got free ice cream for the kids (that we ate), it was on the house, our surprise knew no bounds.
Where we’re from, McDonalds isn’t exactly the most giving company, so we were pleasantly surprised to read about this person’s excellent service in Virginia. Apparently, the staff also sang happy birthday to the woman’s husband! It sounds like they really went above and beyond.
40. I went to Sweden for work. I think my Swedish colleague and I talked like 2 times in 7 days. And then, one day before my departure, she asked me to stay at her place because she lived very close to the airport. But the biggest surprise was when she woke up at 4 AM to make breakfast for me. She said, “You’re my friend!” © Olga Bane / Facebook
Most people probably wouldn’t let someone they don’t really know into their house for that exact reason- because they don’t know them. But in Sweden, their kindness seems to know no limits, which can result in you being at a stranger’s house with them making you breakfast at 4am! Now that’s something you don’t hear about very often.
41. When I was in Romania, an elderly woman insisted that I have breakfast with her when I was taking photos on her street. © Gerard van den Akker / Quora
Many towns in Europe have a much more relaxed way of living, and because of that, the locals tend to be a lot friendlier than the average, rushed-off-your-feet, city-bred human. There’s nothing better than immersing yourself into the local culture, and breakfast with an elderly Romanian lady seems like the perfect way to do that.
42. I’m a big bald man. In Vietnam, the locals, especially the women, often touch my belly. They think it will make them rich. © Leonid Bogomolniy / Facebook
It’s also a pretty interesting experience to visit Asia if you have red hair. As red hair is not a common physical feature over there, somebody with naturally red hair is incredibly fascinating to them. They will usually be pretty obvious with the staring and pointing as well!
43. In Vietnam, touching a kid with light skin and hair is a blessing. © Anna Pahomova / Facebook
It’s so fascinating to learn about the different cultural norms in places throughout Asia. Here are some other interesting facts: the left hand is considered unclean and locals don’t eat from that hand (even if they are left handed), you should never touch an adult on their head as it is considered impolite, and the feet are widely considered to be dirty and impure- so don’t put them up on a table!
44. In Israel, people say “hello” to shop assistants, janitors, bus drivers. It was surprising for me at first, but then I got used to it and now I do it too. © Elena Akodus / Facebook
Isn’t it nice when you travel to a different country and realize how friendly the locals are? In the UK, we’re often too busy to strike up a conversation, and if anyone tries to chat to you out in public, your first thought is, “that’s a bit weird.” But in other countries, it’s totally accepted.
45. In Sweden, there’s a rule that says you should not disturb your neighbors from 10 PM till 7 AM. If you’re going to have a loud party late at night, you should put a notice in the elevator or the entrance door to warn your neighbors. © Noni Negmatova / Facebook
Our first thought when we saw this was: what happens if your neighbors don’t want you to have a party? Would that mean that you’d have to agree with them? We think this is a pretty great rule, though! Nobody likes being woken up.
46. In Turkey, they use very polite and sweet words. They will even say something like “sweetheart” or “honey” to people they don’t know. © Olga Sumelong-Rataeva / Facebook
Pet names are different all around the world. For example, in France, it’s seen as affectionate to call someone “My little cabbage.” In Japan, if you call someone “Egg with eyes,” they will take that as a compliment. In Italy, it’s all about calling someone, “My little microbe.” Look it up if you have time, as some of them are hilarious!
47. The Chinese speak very loudly- the louder you speak, the cooler you are. And it’s totally normal. © Dmitriy Silchenkov / Facebook
While in most countries it’s considered rude to shout, in China, it’s quite the opposite! We wonder if they often have a headache?
48. In a taxi in Romania, I tried to fasten my seatbelt and the driver stopped me and explained that the passengers in the backseat can use the seatbelt to attack, so they don’t use the seatbelts in the front. I still don’t know if he was serious. © Tatyana Ratnovski / Facebook
Could anyone actually confirm to us if this is true or not? We’re pretty sure it would still be more safe to wear a seatbelt, as the chances of being attacked from the backseat vs the chances of being in a car crash seem a lot lower to us…
49. In India, it sometimes took an hour to travel just a few miles. So a distance of 20 miles could easily take a couple of hours or more. © Zack Jaffri / Quora
We’ve all seen those pictures of the heavily congested roads in India, so we’re not surprised that it takes so long to get anywhere! Our road rage would be out of control.
50. This a very little thing, but it still amazes me every time I go to the UK. People stand in line to get on a bus. And they wait for people to get off the bus before going in. © Emma Pichon de Bury / Quora
Us British people are known to be ridiculously polite- to the point where it gets awkward. In a public setting, there are always many “after yous” and “no, I insist,” to be heard, and we do queue for pretty much everything. It all boils down to the fact that no one likes confrontation.
51. In Switzerland, there is even a rule for when you can use the washing machine in your apartment. © Collin Spears / Quora
We don’t know about you, but we think we’d find this rule a little hard to stick to. The laundry usually gets done as an afterthought, and we can’t seem to stick to a proper washing routine. If you could only use the washing machine at a certain time, then the laundry would never get done!
52. I was shocked that Germany is flooded with flowers. There are flowers everywhere. And nobody touches, steals, breaks, or destroys them… It’s beautiful. © Marina Fedotova / Facebook
There’s nothing more beautiful than seeing flowers in every color of the rainbow, and admittedly, we never pictured Germany to be that colorful. What’s more lovely is that nobody destroys them, as there’s always one or two people in every neighborhood who have to ruin it for the rest.
53. In Southern China and Hong Kong, people walk with their birds in cages. Sometimes, they take them out of the cages and hold them in their hands. © Dimitry Okropiridze / Facebook
Imagine how cool it would be to witness something like that in real life- it’s like a scene from a movie! Caged birds aren’t really a big thing in the UK, but in all fairness, the wild British birds don’t stray much further from a pigeon.
54. In Sweden, when you are having guests, you don’t have a table set. You just give plates to the guests and they go to the kitchen to get whatever they want. © Tatyana Tkachenko / Facebook
This sounds like a brilliant idea to us, and would take a lot of the strain away from hosting a dinner party. Not only can the person choose exactly what they want, but they can also choose how much to have, which takes away any possible awkward moments. We’re totally going to do that next time!
55. Switzerland: Forgot my expensive Ray-Ban sunglasses (€100) at a café and left to climb a mountain. Went back to the same café after 6 hours in search of the glasses to find them at the same table without even being moved an inch. © Hassan / Quora
It’s the most horrible feeling when you realize that you’ve left something expensive in a public place, so we’re amazed that this person’s Ray Bans hadn’t moved an inch when they went back to collect them. Apparently, the person offered the waiter €5 as a token of thanks out of excitement, to which he politely refused.
56. People in Europe will follow the rules. Be it driving lanes or waiting for the pedestrian lights to turn green. Even in the middle of the night at 2/3 AM when there is absolutely no one on the streets, people will stop at a red light. © Koushik / Quora
When driving through red lights can earn you points on your licence, you better believe that Europeans are going to follow the rules! That’s all we’re saying on the matter.
57. In Turkey, I remembered a very unusual driving tradition: drivers always honk at everyone they see just to attract attention. © Jeanna / Facebook
In most countries, honking your horn is a sign of frustration or road rage, so if we were this person in Turkey, we’d be totally confused. You’d always be wondering what you’ve done wrong!
58. In Paris, I was taken aback by how thin everyone was. It was all I could think about for the first hour. © Sean Kernan / Quora
Paris, like London, is one of the most fashionable cities in the world. Not only are the buildings beautiful, but so are the people, and being slim is seen as the norm. Surprising, with all of the delicious pastries they have over there!
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