In fact, the Netherlands is a country of bicycles, and good cycling infrastructure and small (by Canadian standards, even tiny) distances contribute to the development of two-wheeled transport. According to Statista estimates, in 2021 there were 23.4M bicycles per 17.8M population in the country. It turns out that there are 1.3 bicycles for one Dutch resident.

What's more, the Dutch traditionally cycle without helmets, and even look at tourists wearing helmets as weirdos. In the end, if you consider that approximately 27% of all trips are made by local people on a bicycle, then they know how to cycle well. As for the other cases... "if you are hit by a car on your bike, there is no helmet that will protect you," DutchReview quotes Theo Zeegers, a traffic consultant for Fietsersbond.

What the Dutch are absolutely crazy about is black licorice, which they call 'drop', and according to statistics provided by The SpruceEats, they eat up to 4 pounds a year. Remember the multi-flavored dragees in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter? Approximately the same variety of 'drop' flavors can be found in the Netherlands. Sweet, salty, honey, mint, coconut... and exactly the same variety of forms.

Moreover, black licorice is believed to have some medicinal properties, so if you have a sore throat, for example, just be prepared for the doctor to advise you to first drink some mint tea and eat a couple of traditional treats. Admittedly, unlike the Dutch, most foreigners are far from delighted with the taste of 'drop', Which gives the locals an extra reason to laugh at strangers.

And many Dutch toilets also have the so-called 'inspection shelf', a famous (or notorious) feature of local toilet design, thanks to which you can examine in detail what has just come out of your body before sending it to the city sewer. Expats are often shocked by such a thing, while the Dutch only chuckle. And, of course, they study their poos with a great interest...

However, let's be honest, there are many things in the life of North Americans that perplex any respectable Dutch person in the same way, and Jonny Arnott's "reverse" series of videos is dedicated to this. Someday we will make a selection dedicated to them, but for now, please feel free to scroll this list to the very end, and if you have ever been to the Netherlands, please tell us if you have experienced any other culture shocks.