If someone said McDonald’s to you, it’s likely the first thing you’ll think of beyond those golden arches, is the Big Mac. The Big Mac was first introduced in 1967 by a McDonald’s franchisee from Pennsylvania in the United States, and within a year it had become a menu staple across the country. As popularity grew and McDonald’s made its presence known across the globe, so too did the Big Mac and it’s now available in over 100 countries. A simple, fuss-free burger, traditionally the Big Mac consists of two beef patties, “special” sauce, cheese, lettuce, pickles and onions, and not forgetting the three-part sesame seed bun. This concept of keeping it simple means that it’s easily translated, though the idea that all Big Macs are the same wherever you are is incorrect. There are a number of factors that affect the make up of a Big Mac; from the location of where the meat is sourced, right down to the religion of the country it’s being sold in. Due to this, we decided to bring together a selection of Big Macs from 20 different countries to see how they stack up against the original US version. To determine the nutritional value of a Big Mac, we have taken into account a number of things such as protein content, calorie count and the amount of fat and salt they contain. Due to the varying ingredients, the cost is also affected so we’ve included that too, just so you can see how wide-ranging the price can be! You’re more than welcome to use our images for your own content, all we ask is that you cite Amica International as the original source.

If you’re lucky enough to live in or frequent a city that offers up different cuisine from around the world, then trying something new should definitely be on your to-do list. Using data provided by Trip Advisor, we collated information about what are considered to be the top-ten “foodie” cities in the world, and put all that information together into a striking visual. We then decided to look into what factors may affect the diversity within these cities; location, traditions and even the use of technology to name a few.   You’re welcome to use our images for your own content, all we ask is that you cite Amica International as the original source.

Travelling around the globe can be an eye-opening experience, especially when it comes to local traditions. Often, many of these traditions revolve around food and trust us when we say there are a lot of bizarre food rituals out there. So, whether you fancy throwing wine over each other in Spain, or drinking cow’s blood straight from the wound with the Maasai tribespeople in Kenya, there’s no shortage of weird and wonderful things to get your teeth into (literally!).

Japan – KFC Christmas Dinner

This is a relatively new “tradition” in the grand scheme of things, but an unusual one all the same. In Japan, Christmas isn’t as revered as it is in the western world, though they do still celebrate it in their own way. Since 1974, KFC Japan has produced the “Special Christmas Dinner” which many families (estimated to be over 3.5 million) treat themselves to on December 25th. The popularity of the festive meal, which includes, chicken, cake and wine,  means that it often requires ordering weeks in advance. Those who don’t order, have to wait in line to get their hands on one, sometimes for hours.

Kenya – Drinking Cow’s Blood

You might need a strong stomach for this one! Blood drinking is probably one of the more obscure traditions but actually serves a purpose. Historically, drinking the blood of cows helped travelling tribespeople cross the vast deserts of Africa when food and water were in short supply. The warriors of the Maasai tribe still practice this ritual today, either as a delicacy mixed with milk or directly from the veins of the cow. The cow isn’t usually killed, however exceptions are made at big ceremonies where the animal is passed around. The Maasai people see great value in the blood of cows, and it’s noted that when it’s available, every growing child, or pregnant/lactating woman receives a daily ration of raw blood.

Indonesia – The Last Meal of the Dead

In the Sulawesi region of Indonesia, when a member of the indigenous Toraja people passes away, they’re not buried or cremated… at least not straight away anyway. Nope, in fact, it is customary to keep the loved one’s dead body around for a few weeks, months, or, in some cases, years, before they’re laid to rest. This includes keeping their place at the table. The husband/wife and children will speak to them as well as provide food four times a day—breakfast, lunch, dinner, and mid-afternoon tea. This tradition is thought to have originated in the ninth century and is still practiced today.

Siberia – Magic Mushroom Parties

In the cold, harsh, barren landscape of north-eastern Russia, it’s not surprising to hear that there’s not much to do of an evening. The Koryak people, however, have discovered a novel way to entertain themselves… by the way of hallucinogenic mushrooms. Since ancient times, the Koryak tribe get together and party the night away. After eating the mushrooms, the tribesmen fall asleep for a time and then awaken filled with awe. For a number of hours afterwards, the Koryak mushroom-celebrants enjoy boundless energy for physical activity, are filled with a sense of hilarity and well-being. Then, when things start to get really wild, they wash the mushrooms down with a nice cup of their own urine to keep the party going. Yep.

England – Cheese Rolling

The British love their cheese, and what better way to celebrate this than by hurling an 8lb wheel of the stuff down a steep hill and then chasing/falling after it? The Cooper’s Hill Cheese Roll and Wake was originally created for the locals in the nearby village of Brockworth, Gloucestershire (hence the use of Double Gloucester cheese). However, the hilarity and sheer danger associated with the event has gained international attention over the years, with entrants from all over the world taking part. If you’re the first to reach the bottom, and you’re still in one piece, you get to take home the cheese… and a whole bucket load of pride, obviously. The tradition is thought to have Pagan origins, though this has been disputed. There is one thing for sure though, there’s no denying the love for cheese at this annual event.

Spain – Wine Fighting festival

If you love red wine, you’ll love this festival. Taking place on the outskirts of the small wine-producing town of Haro, which sits right in the heart of the Spain’s La Rioja region, the locals celebrate San Pedro day with a week-long festival of singing, dancing and drinking… but that’s not all. The Wine Fight (or Batalla de Vino as it’s locally known) takes place on the 29th June every year as part of the celebrations. The tradition is rooted in the 13th century when Haro officially marked the property lines between itself and the neighbouring town. The lines had to be marked every year to maintain their position, otherwise the towns would become one. Fast-forward 400 years and this observation broke down, so they began throwing wine at each other. This became known as the “War of Wine”. While the festivities play a huge part in the town’s history, the real attraction is the wine fight, drawing attention from visitors across the globe. Nowadays, there’s one strict rule to adhere to: to take part, you must wear white clothes with a red scarf… you’re free to use whatever means necessary to drench other revellers though!

Thailand – Barbaric Veggie Festival

Don’t be lured into thinking this is a just a lovely little festival filled with vegetarian delights. No, the Nine Emperor Gods Festival is a Taoist celebration that spans nine days, beginning on the eve of the 9th lunar month of the Chinese calendar. While the origins of the festival are religious and vegetarian food plays a big part, the real “fun” begins to unfold on the 9th day when many devotees perform ritualistic mutilations upon themselves and others whilst in a trance-like state. Impaling their cheeks, arms, legs and pretty much any other part of the body with anything from syringes to huge skewers is common practice. Lets not forget the partial “skinning” either. Oh and it’s all done without anesthetic too. Great fun.

We’ve all seen the countless headlines over the years suggesting American foods are particularly unhealthy but how true are those claims? We set out on a food tour of America to look at each state’s most favoured dish before breaking down the contents nutritionally to see just how bad the dishes really were. We then used our findings to create a heat map and compare how healthy each state is.

How Healthy Are America’s Favourite Foods & Which State Is The Healthiest?

High Calorie State Dishes

The amount of calories in each of the state foods can vary widely. Green Chili Stew (Caldillo in Spanish) from New Mexico for example has approximately 225 calories per serving. Compare this to the likes of a New Jersey Hot Dog which come in at roughly 425 calories each (that’s minus any fries, sauces or sides that you might add) and it’s really quite a healthy option wherever you’re from! The New Jersey Hot Dog takes the top spot when it comes to highest calories per serving size, however there are a few other state foods that give it a run for its money. Buckeyes, the state dish for Ohio comes in at 210 calories for just 3 pieces, packing a whopping 19g of sugar. Other state dishes that aren’t going to do your waistline any favours include Chicago’s deep pan pizza, at approximately 380 calories per slice and crab cakes from Maryland, which deliver around 265 calories per serving. Again, that’s not including any sides or sauces, so those calories can easily add up if you’re not paying attention!

High Fat State Dishes

Much like calories, the amount of fat in each states favoured dish can differ greatly. Considered a superfood by many Hawaiians, Poi is low in calories and extremely low in fats, with just 0.3g per serving. It is however a naturally high carb dish, so it’s the perfect choice if you need an energy boost. As you might at expect, at the other end of the scale the foods that pack the most calories are also guilty of containing the most fats. However, these are beaten by some way by bratwurst and sauerkraut, the state dish for Wisconsin, which has 25g of fat per serving (one sausage and one cup of sauerkraut). Whilst sauerkraut is naturally low in fat, the fact it’s traditionally cooked in bacon and duck fat, adds a large amount of saturated fat and sodium to the dish.

High Carb State Dishes

When it comes to carbohydrates, it stands to reason that the dish with the lowest level is the one that’s most meat heavy; Chislic (effectively, red meat popsicles) from South Dakota holds this crown with zero carbs per serving. Move over to North Dakota, and the state dish of Lefse is the polar opposite, with 85% of the dish dedicated to carbohydrates. Effectively potato pancakes, they’re only 90 calories each and low in fat, however they contain a staggering 20g of carbs. The king of carbs (and ultimately sugar) however, is the Mississippi mud pie. The sweet treat provides us with an eye watering 49g of carbs per 100g on average, 42g of which is sugar! So, here’s a rundown of what we found to be the top “performers” in each category: Top 4 states whose iconic dishes contain the highest amount of calories:

• New Jersey – Hot Dog
• Ohio – Buckeyes
• Illinois – Chicago Deep Pan Pizza
• Maryland – Crab Cakes

Top 4 states whose iconic dishes contain the most fat:

• New Jersey – Hot Dog
• Maryland – Crab Cakes
• Ohio – Buckeyes
• Wisconsin – Bratwurst and Sauerkraut

Top 4 states whose iconic dishes contain the most carbs:

• North Dakota – Lefse
• Ohio – Buckeyes
• Georgia – Peach Cobbler
• Indiana – Sugar Cream Pie

What Are America’s Favourite Foods?

State	Food	% Fat	% Carb	% Protein
Alabama	Fried Green Tomatoes	67.44%	28.08%	6.99%
Alaska	Smoked Wild Salmon	21.18%	2.06%	77.35%
Arizona	Green Corn Tamale	55.98%	40.00%	11.46%
Arkansas	Fried Pickles	43.53%	48.44%	16.15%
California	Fish Tacos	45.22%	41.59%	14.33%
Colorado	Rocky Mountain Oysters	22.85%	57.06%	6.78%
Connecticut	New Haven Pizza	29.56%	54.01%	16.64%
Delaware	Vinegar French Fries	48.82%	45.88%	4.97%
Florida	Key Lime Pie	43.45%	51.49%	6.09%
Georgia	Peach Cobbler	30.00%	67.88%	3.64%
Hawaii	Poi	0.80%	97.14%	1.43%
Idaho	French Fries	48.82%	45.88%	4.97%
Illinois	Chicago Deep Pan Pizza	45.18%	36.14%	19.28%
Indiana	Sugar Cream Pie	43.22%	51.98%	4.52%
Iowa	Pork Tenderloin Sandwich	43.54%	42.12%	17.47%
Kansas	Kansas City-Style Ribs	58.60%	9.06%	31.51%
Kentucky	Fried Chicken	49.02%	27.98%	25.14%
Louisiana	Shrimp Gumbo	35.18%	39.85%	28.75%
Maine	Lobster Roll	29.41%	44.95%	25.74%
Maryland	Crab Cakes	67.50%	10.00%	28.33%
Massachusetts	Clam Chowder	39.64%	39.52%	19.05%
Michigan	Michigan Pasty	56.25%	33.75%	7.50%
Minnesota	Tater Tot Hot Dish	44.53%	36.46%	19.17%
Mississippi	Mud Pie	59.45%	39.18%	5.47%
Missouri	Toasted Ravioli	45.08%	44.50%	12.24%
Montana	Huckleberry Pie	43.71%	54.69%	4.41%
Nebraska	Runza (meat pie)	30.75%	52.25%	17.65%
Nevada	Vegas Shrimp Cocktail	77.72%	6.91%	13.82%
New Hampshire	Boiled Dinner	35.74%	15.89%	46.10%
New Jersey	Hot Dog	65.59%	23.05%	11.53%
New Mexico	Green Chilli	0.00%	233.33%	40.00%
New York	Reuben Sandwich	42.01%	38.69%	20.02%
North Carolina	Pulled Pork Slider	26.23%	55.83%	16.91%
North Dakota	Lefse (Potato Crepe)	9.90%	88.89%	8.95%
Ohio	Buckeyes	55.71%	41.93%	5.72%
Oklahoma	Biscuits and Gravy	46.15%	44.10%	10.26%
Oregon	Marionberry Pie	47.64%	44.69%	7.00%
Pennsylvania	Cheesesteak	48.10%	29.31%	22.67%
Rhode Island	Clam Cakes	10.80%	65.77%	23.43%
South Carolina	Shrimp and Grits	50.00%	23.33%	25.56%
South Dakota	Chislic	48.77%	0.00%	51.10%
Tennessee	Sweet Potato Fries	39.26%	62.55%	2.55%
Texas	Texas BBQ Brisket	33.86%	28.27%	36.60%
Utah	Funeral Potatoes	53.94%	31.77%	13.86%
Vermont	Pancakes, Maple Syrup and Blueberries	24.11%	69.64%	14.29%
Virginia	Baked Apples	0.00%	103.87%	2.21%
Washington	Cedar Planked Salmon	56.15%	16.56%	26.82%
West Virginia	Pepperoni Roll	40.00%	44.44%	13.27%
Wisconsin	Bratwurst and Sauerkraut	80.43%	4.26%	12.89%
Wyoming	Chicken Fried Steak with mash and gravy	56.40%	31.61%	18.53%

Some folk like a nice glass of wine, others like a cheeky gin and tonic every now and again but what about those that love beer? Have you ever wondered how the price of beer differs around the world? Perhaps when travelling abroad you were outraged at the price of a pint and felt hard done by. Well we’ve put together a graphic showing exactly how much beer you can get for your money elsewhere in the world. How does your country compare?

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<br /> <p><strong>Please include attribution to https://www.amica-international.co.uk with this graphic.</strong></p><br /> <p><a href=’https://www.amica-international.co.uk/price-of-beer-around-the-world’><img src=’https://www.amica-international.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/beer-1.gif’ alt=” 540px border=’0′ /></a></p><br /> <p> Firstly, we chose to use the dollar as this is the most common currency used internationally, and we chose to base the calculations on a $1 benchmark to offer a fair comparison. We decided to display our findings on a 568ml pint pot, instead of the obvious map choice, so you could visualise exactly how much beer you would get for your money. If you’re looking for the cheapest pints in the world, based on our research Paraguay and Vietnam are the best countries to visit. At just one dollar for a beer, and that’s in a bar not the supermarket, you won’t need much to spend much to get a little merry. The most expensive bar prices for a pint around the globe are in Iceland. $12.75 is the price you’d need to pay in a Reykjavik bar for a beer. Second on the list is Oslo in Norway where it would cost you $11.30 for a beer, followed by Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates where it would set you back $10.83. You would barely get enough for a sip in those countries for $1.

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<br /> <p><strong>Please include attribution to https://www.amica-international.co.uk with this graphic.</strong></p><br /><br /><br /> <p><a href=’https://www.amica-international.co.uk/price-of-beer-around-the-world’><img src=’https://www.amica-international.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/beer-1-1.jpg’ alt=” 540px border=’0′ /></a></p><br /><br /><br /> <p> Where does your country sit in regards to cheap beer prices? Find out below how much it costs on average for a pint in a bar in each country. Note – If you want to convert the prices below: $1 = €0.86 and $1 = £0.75

1. Iceland – $12.75
2. Norway – $11.30
3. UAE – $10.83
4. Israel – $9.43
5. France – $9.20
6. Bermuda – $9.09
7. Finland – $8.87
8. Singapore – $8.44
9. Denmark – $7.94
10. Sweden – $7.79
11. England – $7.53
12. New Zealand – $7.11
13. Ireland – $6.84
14. USA – $6.82
15. Australia – $6.78
16. Switzerland – $6.78
17. Luxembourg – $6.58
18. Italy – $6.58
19. Canada – $6.05
20. Scotland – $6.02
21. Netherlands – $5.92
22. Croatia – $5.34
23. Belgium – $5.26
24. Greece – $5.26
25. Austria – $5.00
26. Germany – $4.53
27. Malaysia – $4.27
28. Japan – $4.10
29. Spain – $3.94
30. Turkey – $3.60
31. Chile – $3.57
32. Latvia – $3.28
33. Slovenia – $3.28
34. Thailand – $2.81
35. Poland – $2.76
36. Indonesia – $2.65
37. South Africa – $2.53
38. Kenya – $2.48
39. Argentina – $2.47
40. Brazil – $2.39
41. Portugal – $2.29
42. Slovakia – $2.24
43. Mexico – $2.18
44. Peru – $2.09
45. Hungary – $2.03
46. India – $2.01
47. Serbia – $2.00
48. Romania – $1.98
49. Russia – $1.82
50. Czech Republic – $1.78
51. China – $1.77
52. Bulgaria – $1.68
53. Egypt – $1.59
54. Ghana – $1.57
55. Tunisia – $1.31
56. Rwanda $1.30
57. Philippines – $1.27
58. Colombia – $1.17
59. Nigeria – $1.10
60. Ukraine – $1.08
61. Ethiopia – $1.02
62. Vietnam – $1.00
63. Paraguay – $1.00