In Asia, it’s often cheaper to buy food outside rather than cooking at home, whereas in Europe, the ratio is completely reversed. Also, culturally, everyone is often taking food and bring it back home.
I can see some reasons that might explain this, such as the cost of labor or stricter health regulations in Europe compared to Asia. But even with these factors in mind, it doesn’t explain it all.
Of course, I understand that it’s not feasible to replicate a model like Thailand’s street food culture in Europe. The regulations and cost of labor would likely make it impossible to achieve such competitive prices. But if we look at a place like Taiwan, for example, where street food is less common and instead, you have more buffet-style restaurants where you can get takeaway or eat on-site for around €3, while cooking the same meal at home might cost between €1.50. The price difference is barely 2x, which is still very far from the situation in Europe.
Why isn’t something like this possible in Europe?
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All the top answers are talking about why people cook at home more in Europe than in Asia.
That’s great, but I’m more interested in the part about Europeans (and Americans too) having such a habit of buying take-out and bringing it back home to eat.
I am AMAZED that this is so common, and don’t understand it at all. If I’m going to go out to eat, then I’m going to GO OUT TO EAT. Why would I pay more for restaurant food (not to mention delivery charges if someone’s bringing it to you), and then eat it at home after it’s sat in a cardboard or plastic container for a 20-30 minute car ride?
Just blows my mind. Ironically, the food that holds up the best for takeout vs. eating it fresh at restaurant is… Asian food. 🤷
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