Why you should never lunch alone
Grab your passport. Let’s take a tour of typical lunches around the world.
First stop: São Paulo, where come 1 pm, Brazilians pile into restaurants for an hour-long lunch that may begin with a sip of alcohol (to boost the appetite) and end with a strong, sugary espresso.
Next up, Oslo, where Norwegians rarely leave the office, instead enjoying a homemade smørbrød — an open-faced sandwich with meat, fish and vegetables — al desko, with a tall glass of milk.
Then we’ll pop over to Italy, where the right to a lunch break is enshrined by law. In the nation’s capital, Rome, you’re likely to find Italians lining up inside “tavola calda” or cafeteria-style establishments, then sitting down to a hot meal or enjoying a panino before returning to the office.
We’ll continue our lunch tour in Tokyo, where employees pop out of the office to pick up a tasty (and Instagram-friendly) bento box to go. Just don’t leave before your lunch break begins, or you could face punishment, like one public employee who was docked half-a-day’s salary after being caught leaving three minutes early.
Next, let’s stop in Kenya, and take a full hour to gather with friends and coworkers at a restaurant and share a proper meal of saucy stew with a side of ugali (cornmeal porridge).
