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Pop Culture

12 things every American has in their house, according to non-Americans

“This is the most wholesome I've felt about my country in a while.”

ask reddit, askreddit
Photo by Addilyn Ragsdill @clockworklemon.com on Unsplash

"You can never have too much BBQ sauce." – American

For a country that’s so diverse , America has some obvious cultural staples , especially visible to those who don't live in the U.S. Surprisingly—and thankfully—those staples don’t always conjure up a cringeworthy image of ignorance, bravado or unsavory politics.

Self-described “non-Americans” listed things that would be found in every American home, and a lot of the responses could remind Americans of what they might take for granted—whether it’s the ever-expanding variety of foodstuffs or appliances that make everyday life easier.

But perhaps more importantly, they could add a new level of appreciation (and perhaps a sigh of relief) given the amount of, let’s say, bad press the nation has been receiving as of late.

“This is the most wholesome I've felt about my country in a while,” noted one American after reading the thread.

The answers were also astonishingly accurate, as indicated by some of the comments.

“I haven't seen a single one I don't have tbh and I don't know how to feel about it lol,” wrote one American.

The answers were prompted by Reddit user Ryrylx , who asked, “Non-Americans, what do you think every American person has in their house?” to the online forum .

Below are 12 answers—along with a few funny confirmations from Americans—for your viewing pleasure.

1.

“ Bbq sauce ” — ThrewawayXxxX

“I have at least 5 varieties of BBQ sauce in my fridge at them moment, including 2 that are homemade 😆 ” — @Ruckbeat🇺🇸

2.

“A switch that when you flick it it turns your sink into a blender.” — @Kingdom-Kome

To be clear, they’re talking about garbage disposals.

@ryder_patash added:

“I'm so astonished by it, like where the trash goes from there...I want to visit America just to experience that!” — @thatsabingou

3.

“Popcorn setting on their microwave!” — @someone_somewear

“ Popcorn, pizza, and (oddly) potato. ” — @ BracedRhombus 🇺🇸

via GIPHY

4.

“Apparently Americans are rather fond of Pickles and Peanut Butter. Is that a fair assumption to make?

Edit: I meant either or not both at the same time. ☠️” — tree_of_lies

“ Yes. I have three kinds of peanut butter, and five kinds of pickles. I went and looked. ” — judgymcjudgypants 🇺🇸

5.

“Oh oh, the washing machines where you put everything in the top! This fascinated me when we visited the states. They’re huge!” — Tired3250

“Washer Collector Here. Automatic washers became popular in the US during the early 1950's, and you had your choice between front load & top load. Top loaders had larger capacity (important with the baby boom). Had higher spin speeds so drying time was faster (important when many didn't yet own a dryer). Went out of balance less often (not trying to distribute a sloshing horizontal load). Had very fast cycle times (clothes washed in 20 minutes). And clothes/detergent could be added at any time after start of cycle. Plus you don't have to stoop to get the clothes out.

In Europe, the constraints were different. Typically there was no dedicated laundry room or basement for the larger machine. Laundry tended to be done more frequently so capacity wasn't as much of a concern. Water was/is more expensive so a longer cycle time was acceptable for less consumption. And machine size was dictated by countertop height, as many were installed in kitchens out of convenience (and plumbing). ” — @eldofever🇺🇸

6.

"A sofa that faces a studio audience. " — @AlterEdward

" When you walk into your living room and you hear the applause, it really helps you get through your day. " — @donedmeat🇺🇸

via GIPHY

7.

“ Drywall....lots of drywall. ” — @JoeTisseo

“It’s a staple of home renovation shows in the US because it’s so easy. Just knock all the walls down and make it an open floor plan! ” — @drinkallthecoffee

8.

“Large quantities of over-the-counter drugs in huge bottles .” — @Wombattalion

“ Costco $3.99 for 500 Benadryl and $5.99 for 500 ibuprofen for the Win!!” — @Old_Perspective4835🇺🇸

9.

“ Ranch dressing. ” — @Killpop582014

“ A s an American I was expecting guns, but ranch dressing hurt for some reason .” — @tdogg1967🇺🇸

via GIPHY

10.

“A plastic bag filled with plastic bags. ” — @Sexyhumblebee

“ The Bag of Bags is a time honored tradition in many American homes. ” — @Left_Debt_8770🇺🇸

11.

“ An entire refrigerator door with sauces. ” — @Buster_Bluth__

“When your country's food is made up of parts of every other country's cuisine remixed and combined, you end up with all the sauces. ” — @RoboNinjaPirate🇺🇸

12.

“ Eggs in the fridge. ” — @lordfaffing

“ Like we have a choice. ” — @ RobbinsBabbitt🇺🇸

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Women working in Africa’s cocoa farms have received business education programs for 15 years. Here’s how that benefits the entire world.

All images provided by CARE & Cargill

The impact of the CARE and Cargill partnership goes beyond empowering cocoa farmers

True

Cocoa, the key ingredient found in your favorite chocolate bar, has been a highly revered food product throughout human history. It’s been used for religious ceremonies in Peru, royal feasts in England and France, traded as currency for the ancient Mayans. And considering that many of us enjoy chocolate on a regular basis (mochas and candy bars, anyone?) it seems like that love is still going strong even today.

And if you are someone who looks forward to that sweet chocolate pick-me-up on a regular basis, you likely have the women of West Africa to thank.

Women like Barbara Sika Larweh , a mother of six who works as a cocoa farmer in Larwehkrom, a community located within the Sefwi Wiawso Municipality in the Western North Region of Ghana.

care, cargill Mama Cash now empowers other women to gain independence

Nearly 60% of the world’s cocoa comes from both Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, where Barbara and other mothers make up over half of the labor force. These female cocoa farmers shoulder the same physical burden as their male counterparts—all while also running households and paying for their children to go to school. And yet, they typically don’t receive equal income. Nor do they have access to the resources that could help them achieve financial independence.

Thankfully, positive changes are taking place. Barbara’s story exemplifies the impact of programs offered by CARE and Cargill, such as Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA), which are small groups that offer low-interest loans to individuals living in poverty, helping them to build savings without going into devastating debt.

Through these initiatives, women, like Barbara, are equipped with vital knowledge like financial literacy to improve household incomes, sustainable agriculture practices that improve yields, and nutrition education to diversify their family’s diets.

“They came and trained me on the VSLA. I dedicated myself and volunteered so that I would be able to train my people, too,” Barbara explains.

Within the first year of using the programs, Barbara and the people she trained profited—earning her the nickname of “Mama Cash.”

This is no isolated event. In cocoa-growing communities supported by CARE and Cargill programming between 2019-2022, the number of households living below the national poverty line decreased by nearly 32% in Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana - as a direct result of increasing and diversifying income through using these programs.

Like Barbara, who today is an executive member of the Community Development Committee, more than 2.4 million women have used their success as entrepreneurs to transform into leaders and decision-makers within their communities. Whether it’s giving most of their earnings back to their families , reducing child labor, or exponentially increasing overall farm yields , the rippling effect is profound.

The impact of the CARE and Cargill partnership goes beyond empowering cocoa farmers. The joint initiatives have fostered progress on complex global issues related to social justice, such as gender equality, climate change, and food security. By improving access to quality nutrition, water, and hygiene, the joint programs have positively influenced the cocoa communities’ well-being.

Suddenly there’s a lot more to think about the next time you eat a candy bar.

Find out more about the important partnership between CARE and Cargill here .
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