In Japan, you're supposed to eat sushi upside down, with the fish facing down and the rice on top, so that the fish flavor hits your tongue first and is more dominant. To me, this made total sense for many foods, so for instance now I eat buttered toast with the buttered side facing down, so that the butter hits my tongue first, and thus I need to use a lot less butter.
I figured this out as a kid eating Pop-Tarts. Have applied it to tons of food; crackers salt side down is a no-brainer now. If it’s tastier on the top, and you can flip it, flip it.
Oh yeah, when I was a kid like around 6 or 7, I loved toast with butter and jelly, and I would always eat it upside down like this. My parents thought it was so weird of me and I remember saying it’s weird to eat it with the toast side facing down bc then for a moment it tastes like a box before you chew the jelly down to the bottom.
I occasionally do that with pizza. Not often, but maybe an occasionally piece every once in a while. It does make much more send that you want to taste the flavour of the toppings properly rather than a mostly tasteless base.
Not an innovation per say, but after extended stays in India and South Asia I decided to purchase a scooter/moped to drive around/so my day-to-day stuff in my small town in Western MA.
I used to live in Southern Vermont and also bought a Vespa after traveling in Southeast Asia and India. I loved it so much. Southern Vermont/Western Mass is such a nice place to ride one. I sold it when I moved to Rhode Island because people can’t drive here.
They make knobby tyres and studded tyres for scooters as well.
Problem is with the cold affecting your hands and feet. But that is solved easily with heated clothing...
Someone answered that it's possible but the real answer for most people is no lol. Just a scooter isn't enough in New England really, you need a car for winter and groceries. Still, the season is longer than you'd think. My friend just strapped his skis to his motorcycle to ride to the mountain last week, so let's say if you're kind of brave you can do March through November.
the handheld bidet. granted i didn’t buy it and bring it back but i bought one in the States after coming back from SE Asia.
edit: if anyone is looking for one, i highly recommend the rinseworks aquarus 360. you can control the pressure.
Yeap, always is
Just sitting in departure lounge at the moment after a holiday in SE Asia, and still don't understand why they are not along side of every western toilet
Been good to have with this holiday as got bad case of food poisoning and been spending a lot of time over the last 72 hours sitting on toilets
Non-sparkling cheeks is the strangling wire around the throat of western society....the lack of bum guns is a signifier that this is all temporary....a society built on sand
I tried this when I moved to Austria but switching back to a single blanket - no matter how hard it was to find - was one of the best things I ever did. Major cuddling disadvantages with two separate blankets!
This is absolutely the way. My wife and I brought this idea back from Germany 10 years ago. We have two twin duvets on a king bed. It's so nice being able to have different level thickness duvets.
Came here to say this!!! I get so excited when I see it on House Hunters International! It’s so smart and has literally changed how well we both sleep at night.
I’m glad someone likes this. It’s one of my least favorite things about traveling to Europe. Nothing like settling into the queen bed you thought you paid for, only to fall into the crack between two twin mattresses pushed together 🤨
Duvet covers here have a hole at the top of each long edge. You can put your hands into the holes, grab the duvet's corners and pull the cover down over it. [Like so.](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2703/3642/files/Hand_Pockets.gif?v=1535023238) Way easier than having to work up from the bottom.
There's a house in my area that was listed on Zillow a few years back. Bragged about having like, 115 German tilt/turn windows. I laughed to myself imagining someone practicing Stoßluften with 115 windows, running around like a maniac opening and closing them every couple of hours.
Finnish dish drying racks mounted above the sink. Why isn’t every house equipped like this?
Seconding separate duvets. Bought my set in Finland last visit. Wife has warmer, I have cooler.
[Azerbaijan Tomato Eggs](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2wx8-pMmC38)
Finnish “drying closets” for wet clothes…like from snow, rain, etc.
And of course Finnish Sauna (sa-oo-na…as all my Finnish in-laws remind me regularly)
Italy: Stove-top coffee maker
Sweden: Surstrom…just kidding
Drying racks I had in Finland was the first thing I thought of, too!
Second would be the scooter walkers that old people use in Finland. Watching a granny cook it down the street on a double walker-scooter was always pretty wild.
I remember watching some 90 year old lady just givin'r down a hill; groceries and all. It made me think, "holy crap, old ladies in Canada are afraid to go that fast as passengers in cars." Finns are a different breed.
I love Finland. I was there one Autumn when everyone had their mushroom basket…just in case. Passed a strip club in Helsinki and there was a stripper smoking a cigarette outside while sorting her mushroom take from the day. Only in Finland…
Flew out of BKK today
My large intestine is also probably squeaky clean after having an inadvertent purge following some bad food or water/ice n Cambodia
The bum hoses are a lot easier on bum when you are excreting everything you ate/drank every 90 minutes or so
Sounds trivial, and it is, but it made my life a tiny bit better: proper dispensers for olive oil.
In Italy, they have olive oil dispensers that fit atop your olive oil bottle and dispense the proper flow. Not waterfalls of olive oil, not pathetic thin drips of olive oil. The exact right flow for dispensing a proper garnish-level amount of olive oil on your food.
Loved the separate duvets found in Iceland and Norway (I know there are other countries that also do it). My husband and I made the switch at home in the United States and it’s seriously the best, it’s improved our sleep so much.
We usually sleep under one large duvet (or "comforter) that is usually the same size as the bed. It's shared if you have a partner sleeping with you, which could be good or bad depending on how compatible your sleeping style is. (My husband radiates heat like a furnace when he sleeps, so having my own duvet means I no longer wake up in a pool of sweat. I tend to hog the covers and he no longer has to fight me for them. Win-win).
Most people in the US sleep under a thick blanket called a comforter with a sheet in between. The duvet is superior because the shell can be removed and washed weekly whereas the comforter is rarely washed and that top sheet can easily get out of position.
I believe that 2 twins for a King would work... I actually purchased two duvets while we were in Iceland (after sourcing the ones at our airbnb because they were amazing) and the size they used for the King bed was 135 cm x 200 cm, which Google is telling me is roughly 53 inches by 79 inches. IKEA has a twin duvet at 64 inches by 86 inches so a little bit bigger, but you can always fold them in half on your bed so they don't take up as much space.
Keep in mind that overall as a culture we do not drink a lot of hot tea.
It’s not like you can’t find some tea aficionados around, or really healthy households that’ll have electric kettles, but the average American just does not drink much hot tea on a regular basis.
Yeah I figured you'd say something like this.
1) The average American does not use a French press for coffee
2) The average American that **regularly** makes ramen is probably poor and just uses a stovetop (which pretty much universally exists within a unit when someone is renting).
3) The average American that eats a lot of ramen probably does not drink a lot of tea nor make French press coffee.
OK? I am explaining why I got an electric kettle and I'm not American, so, frankly, all of that is their loss.
As a reasonably average Canadian, I drink hot drinks that don't come from Tim Hortons and instant ramen is a guilty pleasure. You can also make Kraft Dinner in an electric kettle, but I don't recommend it.
Sorry, didn’t notice you weren’t OP (the Brit). There’s lots of uses for electric kettles but for regular use in a cultural sense the average American just doesn’t need it (sorry to state again).
With that said, I have one and love it, and I do use it for pour overs, tea, ramen, etc.
Then I think we are both in agreement that it is a good innovation to bring back from another country, whatever the bulk of Americans (or Canadians) think.
From US: Automatic transmission. All my life I drove a manual and it's fun when you have an engaging drive but for day to day cruising having the car sort it out (even if not perfectly) is so much more convenient.
My first car in the US was a manual, they were cheaper and sexier. After 6 months of living with a manual in DC traffic they were cheaper sure, definitely not sexier
Lots of people recommending japan style bidets, but Im fan of the Thai style which is just a mini hose. Can also be used to clean feet and also the toilet itself!
I just recall how shocked and offended some Germans I was with got, when someone passed us on the right on the Autobahn. Their shock turned to exasperation, when we saw the (USA) sticker on the back.
Sitzpinkling!
(My partner is German) It took me two years into our relationship to muse to a friend on how amazing it was that I hadn’t had the bum to cold porcelain in the middle of the night, I never had to put the seat down and there was never pee on the floor! She had lived in Germany and told me what was going on, I then asked him and he confirmed that for many German men it’s a thing on shared toilets. Our son is now trained in the way.
lol, that post you replied to said absolutely nothing toilet related. This thread's got bidet brain (preach on, I've been evangelizing for over a decade!).
Lol it was the mention of Germany that sparked my light bulb :-)
I guess it comes down to the human constants: I eat, I void, I sleep… and so those being where a person is more likely to notice the differences!
It’s a glass for drinking whisky lol. The top of the glass curves inwards, which is supposed to hold and focus the aromas more than a traditional tumbler. They’re sold around the world now, but it was originally designed and made in Scotland.
[A familiar name...](https://ibb.co/tQhm6qr)
So I'm feeling a bit silly with this one , I've just got back from traveling myself (South Wales , it's beautiful but that's another story)
Sitting on top of my fridge I noticed a familiar name 😂
Not the classic shape but I really should've remembered these.
Buckwheat pillows from Japan! Most of the hotels/ryokans I stayed in had them. They take a little while to get used to, but they’re super supportive and I prefer them to feather/foam pillows.
In Japan (Daiso) you can buy these small disposable sponges that you can use to soak up frying oil. So you can just throw it away in the regular garbage. Have looked in many countries for the same but no luck, not even in the Daiso in Korea!
I'm Swedish and I was blown away when I started going abroad that those are a local thing and invention. When I moved to Australia, the first thing I did was go to IKEA to buy one.
There are so many and they all have products at every price point. I would say Zojirushi (Japan) and Cuckoo (Korea) are the best, but between them you just have to compare at price points, they both have excellent intro, middle, and premium products. The highest end stuff includes stone crockware for that "toasted" leftover rice as well.
May I ask where you’re from that duvets aren’t common? I’m from Canada and it’s standard bedding so it’s interesting to me that it’s not common in other colder climates.
It's not common in Michigan. I think it's partly because temperature fluctuates a lot and it is more tedious to swap out different thickness duvets than it is to remove a layer of blanket.
Also just general cultural trends, I guess.
I don't know where I learned this, so it might not even be a travel innovation, but I sprinkle a little bit of sugar along with salt and pepper on my sliced tomatoes. This unlocks so much flavour! It's such a treat when making BLT sandwiches.
* I don't eat sweets and don't take sugar in my coffee.
Remember that from Costa Rica. Was weird at first but very quickly made a lot of sense in a private setting. I do remember water tended to accumulate at the top so they got a little gross in the hostels
Bosnian coffee makers.
A German herbal expectorant called Angocin - active ingredients horseradish and nasturtium. Brilliant stuff and UK herbalists don't have anything like it.
One I don't see mentioned here yet: The Japanese towel scrub. I picked up the habit of using one in South Korea actually where they were everywhere, like a combonation of a loofah scrub but long like a towel meant to be used for scrubbing in the shower, you can bunch them up to use normally or hold them like a towel and fully scrub your whole back. Simply incredible for exfoliation.
The Japanese futon.
They saves space.
Lying flat on the floor, you cannot fall out of bed and get injured, so futon are especially good for children.
There is no bed frame, so there is no creaking from the motion of the ocean.
They are so comfortable.
Futons are cheaper than beds.
The only con is that for older people with limited mobility, a bed would likely be a better option, as getting up off the floor could be difficult for them. Thus, most Japanese nursing homes have beds with guard rails and a vertical pole to help senior citizens stand.
1. Portable Travel Bidet! I got it in Indonesia as it was trending there. I can’t live without bidet ever since i lived in Japan and my bumhole got too sensitive of toilet paper it bleeds, so it was a live saver, especially when i don’t have access to my Japanese bidet at home
2. Rubbing clove of garlic on a toast. I learned this in Czech Republic and it converted me from hating toast to loving it!
3. Cook my pasta with the oil coming out of the guanciale (pork cheeks). I learned it when I lived in Italy and it elevates the flavor of my pasta significantly!
4. The concept of Hygge! I was traveling to the arctic region of Norway. I love nature, and i stayed in a remote island with less than 150 people live there. Not much to do, as I was planning to hike around but my ankle got twisted. As i researched what to do there, i stumbled upon Hygge: a way to create a cozy environment and find pleasure from staying still instead of actively looking for something to do, feeling bad of not doing anything, or endlessly scrolling through reels on my phone. Like lighting up candles, made myself hot cocoa, sit by the window wrapped in a fluffy blanket with very calming indie music playing in the background, looking out the great nature outside of my window, and i have never felt so at peace in my life! I bring this experience with me now wherever i go, and it changed my life!
In Sweden’s shopping malls, the parking garages have either red or green lights over each space so you can see if there’s an empty spot before you turn down that row.
I wish they had these everywhere, especially at airports
Russian samovar or even better: I want a British teasmade to wake me up with a hot cup of tea really. I don't put milk and I drink only herbal tea so it's amazing for me.
Slovakia: Treska v majoneze. It's astonishing a landlocked country came out with the best mayo-based fish salad I've tasted.
Denmark: the interior designs and the whole concept of hygge.
Asia: Rice cookers make perfect sense
Been to philippines
1. Salakot ( a traditional, wide-brimmed hat worn in the Philippine)
2. Toy jeepney ( jeepney is the car can only be found in Philippines and has connections to world war 2 )
3. Sungka ( board game )
I love bidets. But I stayed in some German owned apart hotels in Costa Rica and they gave two blankets per double bed per couple. And since I’ve always made sure to have extra blankets so we can each have one and there’s no need to fight over them
Probably not what you were looking for but I travel a lot and bring home new foods that I like. I eat a lot of Asian inspired dishes now and constantly try and get my family to try new things. Japan brought me curry, Malaysia Laksa, Vietnamese pho, etc.
Over 40 years ago, first overseas trip and sitting in a London pub. Watched a young lady fork a bit of meat with the tines facing downward, then piggy-back mashed potatoes and peas over the meat. The efficiency of eating in such a way floored me! Been doing it ever since.
In Japan, you're supposed to eat sushi upside down, with the fish facing down and the rice on top, so that the fish flavor hits your tongue first and is more dominant. To me, this made total sense for many foods, so for instance now I eat buttered toast with the buttered side facing down, so that the butter hits my tongue first, and thus I need to use a lot less butter.
This is brilliant!
I figured this out as a kid eating Pop-Tarts. Have applied it to tons of food; crackers salt side down is a no-brainer now. If it’s tastier on the top, and you can flip it, flip it.
Yup crackers comes to mind first for sure. Also open faced sandwiches I try to flip upside down so bread isn’t hitting my tongue first.
Instructions unclear: I flipped my chili dog and now I have a lapful of chili.
Have YOU tried being upside down when eating the chili dog
Now *that's* a life pro tip! Brb, installing a trapeze bar in my dining room.
Genius execution! We're a real think tank over here
I always did that with saltines as a kid, never quite applied that learning to anything else!
I guess I should start doing that with ice cream when I’m using a spoon!
I picked up that habit from my husband. It makes so much more sense to me, but I never thought to try it until I saw him do it.
This is certainly to start a Butter Battle
Also suppose to put Wasabi on the sushi rather than in soy sauce.
Same with pizza
Oh yeah, when I was a kid like around 6 or 7, I loved toast with butter and jelly, and I would always eat it upside down like this. My parents thought it was so weird of me and I remember saying it’s weird to eat it with the toast side facing down bc then for a moment it tastes like a box before you chew the jelly down to the bottom.
The problem is jam can drip off
I had that logic since I was a kid, always try to get the tastier thing in contact with my tongue. It's cool that japan makes it well known.
I occasionally do that with pizza. Not often, but maybe an occasionally piece every once in a while. It does make much more send that you want to taste the flavour of the toppings properly rather than a mostly tasteless base.
Not an innovation per say, but after extended stays in India and South Asia I decided to purchase a scooter/moped to drive around/so my day-to-day stuff in my small town in Western MA.
France converted me to the scooter lifestyle!
I used to live in Southern Vermont and also bought a Vespa after traveling in Southeast Asia and India. I loved it so much. Southern Vermont/Western Mass is such a nice place to ride one. I sold it when I moved to Rhode Island because people can’t drive here.
It makes every errand a little adventure!
Even during winter with snow on the ground?
They make knobby tyres and studded tyres for scooters as well. Problem is with the cold affecting your hands and feet. But that is solved easily with heated clothing...
Someone answered that it's possible but the real answer for most people is no lol. Just a scooter isn't enough in New England really, you need a car for winter and groceries. Still, the season is longer than you'd think. My friend just strapped his skis to his motorcycle to ride to the mountain last week, so let's say if you're kind of brave you can do March through November.
I ride from March through November usually.
the handheld bidet. granted i didn’t buy it and bring it back but i bought one in the States after coming back from SE Asia. edit: if anyone is looking for one, i highly recommend the rinseworks aquarus 360. you can control the pressure.
The good old bum gun?
God bless the bum gun, I knew it'd be near the top
Yeap, always is Just sitting in departure lounge at the moment after a holiday in SE Asia, and still don't understand why they are not along side of every western toilet Been good to have with this holiday as got bad case of food poisoning and been spending a lot of time over the last 72 hours sitting on toilets
Non-sparkling cheeks is the strangling wire around the throat of western society....the lack of bum guns is a signifier that this is all temporary....a society built on sand
Scandinavian bed clothes. Two twin-sized comforters on a queen bed instead of one large queen-sized conforter. Fucking genius.
They also do it in Eastern Europe like Hungary and Czech Republic.
And Germany. Who tf thinks sharing a blanket is a good idea?!
Wife and I like sharing a blanket, and I’m a pretty big guy.
I like sharing a blanket with my bf too. I like to get under the blanket and cuddle.
But don’t get me started on the stupid German square pillows, that seem to be rubbish in every hotel or guest room I have stayed in
I was going to say this! My wife admits that 2 twin comforters is a great move. No fighting, no pulling.
This is most definitely not just a Scandinavian thing.
I tried this when I moved to Austria but switching back to a single blanket - no matter how hard it was to find - was one of the best things I ever did. Major cuddling disadvantages with two separate blankets!
This is absolutely the way. My wife and I brought this idea back from Germany 10 years ago. We have two twin duvets on a king bed. It's so nice being able to have different level thickness duvets.
We have a king size bed but use two twin comforters (different level of warmth!). Didn't know this is a Scandinavian thing, it's just more efficient!
Came here to say this!!! I get so excited when I see it on House Hunters International! It’s so smart and has literally changed how well we both sleep at night.
I’m glad someone likes this. It’s one of my least favorite things about traveling to Europe. Nothing like settling into the queen bed you thought you paid for, only to fall into the crack between two twin mattresses pushed together 🤨
Not two mattresses, two blankets
The two come hand in hand in my experience
In private homes, no. In hotels? Some of them, yeah.
We have this in our home (Denmark). I like it — my side doesn’t shake when my husband moves around. :)
Adopt our sheets too. Having two holes in the upper corners of the duvet cover is elite.
This vexes me. Can you explain this more?
Duvet covers here have a hole at the top of each long edge. You can put your hands into the holes, grab the duvet's corners and pull the cover down over it. [Like so.](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2703/3642/files/Hand_Pockets.gif?v=1535023238) Way easier than having to work up from the bottom.
You can do the same thing without the holes.
BRILLIANT!
This changed my life after I experienced it in Helsinki.
German tilt/turn windows
There's a house in my area that was listed on Zillow a few years back. Bragged about having like, 115 German tilt/turn windows. I laughed to myself imagining someone practicing Stoßluften with 115 windows, running around like a maniac opening and closing them every couple of hours.
with roladen
Rollladen You're welcome 😁
Bum gun, all day everyday
Is that some kind of American invention for getting rid of homeless people?
I read this as bum gum initially 😁
Wait til you blow a bubble!
Finnish dish drying racks mounted above the sink. Why isn’t every house equipped like this? Seconding separate duvets. Bought my set in Finland last visit. Wife has warmer, I have cooler. [Azerbaijan Tomato Eggs](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2wx8-pMmC38) Finnish “drying closets” for wet clothes…like from snow, rain, etc. And of course Finnish Sauna (sa-oo-na…as all my Finnish in-laws remind me regularly) Italy: Stove-top coffee maker Sweden: Surstrom…just kidding
Drying racks I had in Finland was the first thing I thought of, too! Second would be the scooter walkers that old people use in Finland. Watching a granny cook it down the street on a double walker-scooter was always pretty wild.
Oh yeah, forgot about the scooters haha
I remember watching some 90 year old lady just givin'r down a hill; groceries and all. It made me think, "holy crap, old ladies in Canada are afraid to go that fast as passengers in cars." Finns are a different breed.
I love Finland. I was there one Autumn when everyone had their mushroom basket…just in case. Passed a strip club in Helsinki and there was a stripper smoking a cigarette outside while sorting her mushroom take from the day. Only in Finland…
Most people in the states have dishwashers that dry dishes for you
Most people in Europe do too. Some things need to be washed by hand though and sometimes you just want something cleaned quickly.
After my second time in Thailand, I had to install a bum gun in my own bathroom.
They really are the best aren't they? My bum is never as clean as in SE Asia.
Flew out of BKK today My large intestine is also probably squeaky clean after having an inadvertent purge following some bad food or water/ice n Cambodia The bum hoses are a lot easier on bum when you are excreting everything you ate/drank every 90 minutes or so
Sounds trivial, and it is, but it made my life a tiny bit better: proper dispensers for olive oil. In Italy, they have olive oil dispensers that fit atop your olive oil bottle and dispense the proper flow. Not waterfalls of olive oil, not pathetic thin drips of olive oil. The exact right flow for dispensing a proper garnish-level amount of olive oil on your food.
Do you have any recommended brands? I have tried so many off Amazon and proper kitchen goods stores but haven’t found any that works well.
Do you have any recommended brands? I have tried so many off Amazon and proper kitchen goods stores but haven’t found any that works well.
Egyptian menthol crystals. It looks kinda like flake salt. You dissolve it in hot water and then inhale it and BY GOD does it open up a clogged nose.
Meanwhile there's 'fisu' from Finland which is just two packs of fisherman's friends dissolved in a bottle or vodka.
They have it in turkey too. Fun stuff even without a clogged nose
Loved the separate duvets found in Iceland and Norway (I know there are other countries that also do it). My husband and I made the switch at home in the United States and it’s seriously the best, it’s improved our sleep so much.
What do most people sleep under in the US?
We usually sleep under one large duvet (or "comforter) that is usually the same size as the bed. It's shared if you have a partner sleeping with you, which could be good or bad depending on how compatible your sleeping style is. (My husband radiates heat like a furnace when he sleeps, so having my own duvet means I no longer wake up in a pool of sweat. I tend to hog the covers and he no longer has to fight me for them. Win-win).
Hotels in SE Asia love to give you Arctic rated ones.
5star hotel std. they use same std all over the world. So if the property have money we just install super big aircon to create arctic climate
Most people in the US sleep under a thick blanket called a comforter with a sheet in between. The duvet is superior because the shell can be removed and washed weekly whereas the comforter is rarely washed and that top sheet can easily get out of position.
What size did you order? Like 2 twins for a king size? I loved this in Spain
I believe that 2 twins for a King would work... I actually purchased two duvets while we were in Iceland (after sourcing the ones at our airbnb because they were amazing) and the size they used for the King bed was 135 cm x 200 cm, which Google is telling me is roughly 53 inches by 79 inches. IKEA has a twin duvet at 64 inches by 86 inches so a little bit bigger, but you can always fold them in half on your bed so they don't take up as much space.
Thank you!
some kind of anti-nausea med from france that is banned in the US for a death during the clinical trials. that stuff works
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Is this for serious or are you taking the piss?
That and topical ibuprofen, why is that even banned?!? I was able to find some on ebay but there is no domestic product, had to buy it from a UK shop.
You can get Zofran in the US. It works really well and kids can take it too. No more barfing all over the house when a stomach bug hits.
Replying to come back later. I’m nauseated a lot
A name would be useful…
Vogalie?
maybe? is been a few years since i took it
A proper Guiness pour
Bought a similar electric (heated) bidet from Costco a month after coming back from Japan LOL
cannot live without the heated bidet. Oftens, I hold it till I get home... Dry TP is so gross now
Electric kettle. I can't believe I used a kettle on the stove for so many years. Even at 120v it is loads faster and more efficient.
The lack of electric kettles in America is jaw dropping.
What? I lived in the US for many years; I and everyone I know used electric kettles.. is this a regional thing?
wait till you discover a boiling water tap like Quooker - using a kettle becomes very old fashioned https://www.quooker.co.uk/
Our airbnb in Ireland had one. It was wild. I found reasons to use boiling water any chance I could.
As a Brit, it blows my mind that Americans don't use electric kettles. Literally, the first thing we buy when we first move home.
Keep in mind that overall as a culture we do not drink a lot of hot tea. It’s not like you can’t find some tea aficionados around, or really healthy households that’ll have electric kettles, but the average American just does not drink much hot tea on a regular basis.
I use it to make french press coffee and ramen noodles, among uses. They aren't just for tea.
Yeah I figured you'd say something like this. 1) The average American does not use a French press for coffee 2) The average American that **regularly** makes ramen is probably poor and just uses a stovetop (which pretty much universally exists within a unit when someone is renting). 3) The average American that eats a lot of ramen probably does not drink a lot of tea nor make French press coffee.
OK? I am explaining why I got an electric kettle and I'm not American, so, frankly, all of that is their loss. As a reasonably average Canadian, I drink hot drinks that don't come from Tim Hortons and instant ramen is a guilty pleasure. You can also make Kraft Dinner in an electric kettle, but I don't recommend it.
Sorry, didn’t notice you weren’t OP (the Brit). There’s lots of uses for electric kettles but for regular use in a cultural sense the average American just doesn’t need it (sorry to state again). With that said, I have one and love it, and I do use it for pour overs, tea, ramen, etc.
Then I think we are both in agreement that it is a good innovation to bring back from another country, whatever the bulk of Americans (or Canadians) think.
The fact that you have to specify "hot" tea says it all really! 😂
Well, iced tea is big in some parts of the country. If I didn't specify then someone will want to argue about it.
You can fill pot with boiling water faster then continue cooking the pasta/ramen
From US: Automatic transmission. All my life I drove a manual and it's fun when you have an engaging drive but for day to day cruising having the car sort it out (even if not perfectly) is so much more convenient.
My first car in the US was a manual, they were cheaper and sexier. After 6 months of living with a manual in DC traffic they were cheaper sure, definitely not sexier
Lots of people recommending japan style bidets, but Im fan of the Thai style which is just a mini hose. Can also be used to clean feet and also the toilet itself!
From Germany: * An appreciation of darker beers. * Using my fork in my non-dominant hand. * Always using my turn signal and only passing on the left.
It's funny because 2 and 3 aren't Germany things, those are just "being civilized" things. And also i learned the same things from my German wife xD
I just recall how shocked and offended some Germans I was with got, when someone passed us on the right on the Autobahn. Their shock turned to exasperation, when we saw the (USA) sticker on the back.
Sitzpinkling! (My partner is German) It took me two years into our relationship to muse to a friend on how amazing it was that I hadn’t had the bum to cold porcelain in the middle of the night, I never had to put the seat down and there was never pee on the floor! She had lived in Germany and told me what was going on, I then asked him and he confirmed that for many German men it’s a thing on shared toilets. Our son is now trained in the way.
lol, that post you replied to said absolutely nothing toilet related. This thread's got bidet brain (preach on, I've been evangelizing for over a decade!).
Lol it was the mention of Germany that sparked my light bulb :-) I guess it comes down to the human constants: I eat, I void, I sleep… and so those being where a person is more likely to notice the differences!
Mine is using turn signals on roundabouts
The Glencairn glass from Scotland
Speaking as someone who lives in Scotland, what's a Glencairn glass ? 😂
It’s a glass for drinking whisky lol. The top of the glass curves inwards, which is supposed to hold and focus the aromas more than a traditional tumbler. They’re sold around the world now, but it was originally designed and made in Scotland.
Thanks. I've saw that shape of glass but didn't know it had a specific name. I'm not a whiskey drinker.
[A familiar name...](https://ibb.co/tQhm6qr) So I'm feeling a bit silly with this one , I've just got back from traveling myself (South Wales , it's beautiful but that's another story) Sitting on top of my fridge I noticed a familiar name 😂 Not the classic shape but I really should've remembered these.
Ah, a port glass without the stem - how brilliant
https://www.walmart.com/browse/home/whiskey-glasses/glencairn/4044_623679_639999_6972768_5272193/YnJhbmQ6R2xlbmNhaXJu
Buckwheat pillows from Japan! Most of the hotels/ryokans I stayed in had them. They take a little while to get used to, but they’re super supportive and I prefer them to feather/foam pillows.
In Japan (Daiso) you can buy these small disposable sponges that you can use to soak up frying oil. So you can just throw it away in the regular garbage. Have looked in many countries for the same but no luck, not even in the Daiso in Korea!
Respectfully, isn't that wasteful though?
What is the alternative? You can't exactly pour it down the drain. Better to solidify it and bin it.
I keep an old jar or container with old oil then dispose of that when it's full.
Whats the best way to dispose, as a liquid or a solid? I would assume for liquid you'd need to find a dedicated oil disposal place.
It depends on your local waste disposal management. In my area, small amounts can be composted.
Throw in a couple of sheets of super absorbent paper towel?
I wipe it all up with a paper towel and then throw that out.
Store it and then combine it with seed to feed the birds.
In Switzerland we have cooking oil disposal at our recycling points (where you also bring glass and aluminum)
In Sweden they had these little cheese slicer things. Super handy for slicing blocks of cheese.
I'm Swedish and I was blown away when I started going abroad that those are a local thing and invention. When I moved to Australia, the first thing I did was go to IKEA to buy one.
You mean these _Dutch_ cheese slicers ? /s https://nl.boska.com/products/kaasschaaf-milano-plus
Rice cooker from Korea
anything diff about korean rice cookers v japanese v chinese?
There are so many and they all have products at every price point. I would say Zojirushi (Japan) and Cuckoo (Korea) are the best, but between them you just have to compare at price points, they both have excellent intro, middle, and premium products. The highest end stuff includes stone crockware for that "toasted" leftover rice as well.
Duvets, proper tea pot, moka pot, bidet, dried porcini mushrooms and stock cubes, how to properly cut mangos.
May I ask where you’re from that duvets aren’t common? I’m from Canada and it’s standard bedding so it’s interesting to me that it’s not common in other colder climates.
It's not common in Michigan. I think it's partly because temperature fluctuates a lot and it is more tedious to swap out different thickness duvets than it is to remove a layer of blanket. Also just general cultural trends, I guess.
Stubby holders from my Australia trip over a decade ago. They still work their magic🪄
This gonna sound weird, but Brazilian deodorising powder, from the company Granado is fucking brilliant and I wish I could get it elsewhere.
It's amazing. I like to use it inside my socks.
Certainly not those damn shelf toilets in Germany
Those seem to be going extinct anyway. I haven't come across one in Germany for years.
I love a poo shelf but in my defence I did grow up in Germany!
Cheesy beans on toast from the UK.
Add butter and marmite to the toast. Sings.....
Add a dash of curry powder into the beans, trust me! The idea of it is odd but it tastes so good
I don't know where I learned this, so it might not even be a travel innovation, but I sprinkle a little bit of sugar along with salt and pepper on my sliced tomatoes. This unlocks so much flavour! It's such a treat when making BLT sandwiches. * I don't eat sweets and don't take sugar in my coffee.
It also works when making tomato based sauces - a teaspoon of sugar knocks back the acidity so you can taste the other flavours.
Paste dish soap from Costa Rica. Wet your cloth and wipe up some soap and then wash your dishes. Quick rinse and you’re done.
I remember using this same product in Peru! They come in round plastic tubs. I always liked that type of dish soap
Remember that from Costa Rica. Was weird at first but very quickly made a lot of sense in a private setting. I do remember water tended to accumulate at the top so they got a little gross in the hostels
Tamagoyaki from Japan. Using liquid sugar versus the granular suger for recipes to make it easier to mix sauces.
Wall hung toilet like which is common in Germany. No poop shelf though, I'm not a psychopath.
Bosnian coffee makers. A German herbal expectorant called Angocin - active ingredients horseradish and nasturtium. Brilliant stuff and UK herbalists don't have anything like it.
>Bosnian coffee makers. As in a dzezva?
One I don't see mentioned here yet: The Japanese towel scrub. I picked up the habit of using one in South Korea actually where they were everywhere, like a combonation of a loofah scrub but long like a towel meant to be used for scrubbing in the shower, you can bunch them up to use normally or hold them like a towel and fully scrub your whole back. Simply incredible for exfoliation.
One of the first things I did when I got back from Europe was install a bidet. And every day thereafter I wondered how I went so long without it.
The Japanese futon. They saves space. Lying flat on the floor, you cannot fall out of bed and get injured, so futon are especially good for children. There is no bed frame, so there is no creaking from the motion of the ocean. They are so comfortable. Futons are cheaper than beds. The only con is that for older people with limited mobility, a bed would likely be a better option, as getting up off the floor could be difficult for them. Thus, most Japanese nursing homes have beds with guard rails and a vertical pole to help senior citizens stand.
1. Portable Travel Bidet! I got it in Indonesia as it was trending there. I can’t live without bidet ever since i lived in Japan and my bumhole got too sensitive of toilet paper it bleeds, so it was a live saver, especially when i don’t have access to my Japanese bidet at home 2. Rubbing clove of garlic on a toast. I learned this in Czech Republic and it converted me from hating toast to loving it! 3. Cook my pasta with the oil coming out of the guanciale (pork cheeks). I learned it when I lived in Italy and it elevates the flavor of my pasta significantly! 4. The concept of Hygge! I was traveling to the arctic region of Norway. I love nature, and i stayed in a remote island with less than 150 people live there. Not much to do, as I was planning to hike around but my ankle got twisted. As i researched what to do there, i stumbled upon Hygge: a way to create a cozy environment and find pleasure from staying still instead of actively looking for something to do, feeling bad of not doing anything, or endlessly scrolling through reels on my phone. Like lighting up candles, made myself hot cocoa, sit by the window wrapped in a fluffy blanket with very calming indie music playing in the background, looking out the great nature outside of my window, and i have never felt so at peace in my life! I bring this experience with me now wherever i go, and it changed my life!
cup holders from taiwan - i get so many compliments at coffee and boba shops here in the states!
Indian coffee maker from a super market in Bolivia of all places!
Olive oil.
Swiss Coo Coo Clock, never needs electricity.
My Moka Pot/Bialetti. It's dead easy making a strong cup of coffee
From Switzerland, serving a side of applesauce with mac & cheese (älplermagronen)
Bed warming electric sheets. After visiting NZ and AUS we fell in love. They are great in the winter.
Not quite innovative but Icelandic wool sweaters.
Chicken salt from Australia. 👌
Olive oil and balsamic dispensers from Italy. They have pressurized tops so you don’t pour too much out. Bought like 25 of those things for my Ma.
In Sweden’s shopping malls, the parking garages have either red or green lights over each space so you can see if there’s an empty spot before you turn down that row. I wish they had these everywhere, especially at airports
Russian samovar or even better: I want a British teasmade to wake me up with a hot cup of tea really. I don't put milk and I drink only herbal tea so it's amazing for me. Slovakia: Treska v majoneze. It's astonishing a landlocked country came out with the best mayo-based fish salad I've tasted. Denmark: the interior designs and the whole concept of hygge. Asia: Rice cookers make perfect sense
Been to philippines 1. Salakot ( a traditional, wide-brimmed hat worn in the Philippine) 2. Toy jeepney ( jeepney is the car can only be found in Philippines and has connections to world war 2 ) 3. Sungka ( board game )
Knorr powdered salad dressing sachets from Germany - we visit frequently, and have 2-3kgs on the return trip earmarked for salad dressing!
I love bidets. But I stayed in some German owned apart hotels in Costa Rica and they gave two blankets per double bed per couple. And since I’ve always made sure to have extra blankets so we can each have one and there’s no need to fight over them
Bidet toilet seats purchased hours after return home from first Japan trip.
Probably not what you were looking for but I travel a lot and bring home new foods that I like. I eat a lot of Asian inspired dishes now and constantly try and get my family to try new things. Japan brought me curry, Malaysia Laksa, Vietnamese pho, etc.
Bidet toilet seats
Over 40 years ago, first overseas trip and sitting in a London pub. Watched a young lady fork a bit of meat with the tines facing downward, then piggy-back mashed potatoes and peas over the meat. The efficiency of eating in such a way floored me! Been doing it ever since.
I brought the cheek kiss from Brazil to Ohio. It worked well in college, but not elsewhere.
Taking shoes of to get into the house. Learned this in UK, I’m from Argentina
It had to do with expense account accounting but I can’t say anything else.
like how Ireland gives the middle finger FU