Cultural Customs
Your Source for Cultural Knowledge
Compiling traditions since 2019
Food History & Authentic Dishes
Thai Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao)
The noodles aren’t drunk! They should be called “drunkard’s noodles,” as their purpose is for sobering up the inebriated people of Thailand.
Croissant
Invented by an Austrian in Paris, they are crescent-shaped to commemorate the moon during a Turkish attack of Austria. In France, the law is that straight croissants must be all butter, and the crescent ones are allowed to be butter, or include other fat substitutes like margarine.
Cultural Ideas & History
Hygge (pronounced HOO-gah) is a Danish-coined idea and represents the feeling of coziness and contentment, and savoring things (as opposed to indulging).
Dining Traditions
“At the table, one does not grow old.” – Italian Proverb
Meal Wishes in Germany
The German word for cheers for meals (i.e. Bon Appetit) is Mahlzeit – which translates to a plain “Meal-time!” – Germans are to the point.
Regarding wine, there is the French proverb “It is only the first bottle that is expensive”.
Love & Romance Traditions
Due to inhabitants being related to each other, Iceland has a radar mobile app that says “Wait! Don’t boink her. She’s your cousin.”
If you do not maintain eye contact with Germans during a toast, they believe you will be cursed with bad intercourse for seven years.
Authentic Recipes
[Under Development]
Wine Guide
Wine tasting traditions and flavor profiles based on grape varietals and geographical terroir.
Famous Restaurants & Their Dishes
Xiao Long Bao
Soup dumplings, invented in Shanghai and found at Jia Jia Tang Bao, have thicker skin than at Din Tai Fung (the Taiwanese dumpling chain), whom took the dish from Shanghai and invented the thinner delicate skins.