Goodies you can't get at home
Are there little goodies that you can get in Europe that you can't get at home?
We've recently seen discussions about Christmas Crackers, with their corny second grade level jokes, flimsy paper hats, tiny gifts and bits that go <bang>. Many people the world around love the atmosphere they bring.
I know I am now in Seventh Heaven now that my neighborhood Aldi (or is it Lidl) is stocking Mozart Balls!!! No need to go to Salzburg this winter to stock up!! Yay!
There was lots of discussion about Kinder Surprise Eggs... freely available here in every filling station and supermarket - illegal to take to the USA. For those confused about the Surprise there is a clear explanation from the makers, Ferraro - the same folks who make Ferraro Rocher. Have a look at http://www.ferrero.com/products/the-most-famous-products/kinder-surprise/surprise-play-chocolate/
What other things do you wish you could take back?
Nigel
East Midlands, England 12/11/12
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I've only briefly returned to the US since moving here, so this list may no longer be accurate:
Most Cadbury products. Cadbury chocolate is available in the US, but it's made under contract by Hershey. It just doesn't taste the same to me.
Oddly enough, here's a tough one to find in the US- Heinz Baked Beans. Despite being a US-based company, and baked beans being a staple of the US diet, I've only seen Heinz's version sold in the "imports" section of a few grocery stores in the US.
Actually, any number of food items that are readily available here, but difficult to either find or find in good quality, but the list is too long.
Insect bite cream with local anaesthetic included to cut the itching down. Seems to be either not sold or prescription only in the UK.
My husband LOVES McVittes Shortbread cookies (biscuits). We can get Walkers brand shortbread and sometimes some of McVittes other cookies, but not McVittes shortbread. We used to bring back 10 oe more packages when we'd visit the UK. Sure wish I could find a package to give him for Christams this year (he could use the boost after his cancer surgery and now starting hormone therapy because the surgery didn't get it all).
Philip, I got that cream in Boots last summer, and very good it was too. Might be that they sell it seasonally.
I miss American bacon; which is funny, 'cos when I was living in N America, I missed English bacon.
The grass was greener too ;-)
Boots sells some products like moisturizers and hand creams that contain cucumber. Very nice. I think Lemsip (cold remedy) is a British product; I've used it and like it.
My guilty pleasure is the children's biscuits BN - the ones with the "jelly" in the middle and a smiley face cut out! I usually bring home 4 or 5 pkgs.
When visiting our friends in Germany, I trade Skittles for beer.
Thorntons fudge in the UK - my husband is addicted - luckily I have a sister there who sent some over for Xmas...tho not the choc smothered stuff...sigh...and he discovered Specaloos (or Speculoos) cookies on this trip to France - brought home a pkg, but he hasn't been able to make himself open them yet - guess the anticipation will prob be better then the memory of the cookies...lol...and I was so happy that our local grocery store is stocking Ritter Strawberry cream chocolate - after experiencing it in Switz in 2010, I have been on a fruitless search for that flavour here in Canada, until this Fall...it is as good as I rem...and I better get lots in my Xmas stocking!
And when we or any family visit the States - A&W vanilla cream soda and Vanilla Coke....and it used to be as well Brown Sugar cinnamon pop-tarts for hubby, but they now have them in Canada...
Turning the tables a bit, close relatives living abroad wish they could get Chex Mix and Twizzlers.
Let's face it, Mozart Balls are fun, but anything Ferraro makes is substantially inferior to the great chocolates one may purchase in a fine chocolaterie, like the ones many love in Belgium. We're lucky enough to have a place here, Chocolaterie Stam, that is exactly like Dumon in Bruges. In fact, they're based in Amsterdam with a shop in Des Moines of all places (go figure). Why buy Ferraro when you can get the real thing!
I really don't know if these can be found in the US or not, but I've become attached to Borders brand ginger biscuits covered in dark chocolate.
Nicole we get the Speculos cookies here, forget the brand, the ones in the red foil packaging, maybe take a good look around they are often on the top shelf of cookies shelves.
Good beer, everywhere.
The "Milky Way" candy bar sold in England is different (and better) than the version available in the States. I bought several at Heathrow before the trip back, but they're long gone now.
Scandinavia is my focus and one there is one thing that you simply cannot get in the US: Wild strawberry flavored anything. I don't mean some marketer who calls their generic strawberry flavor "wild", I mean proper alpine strawberries which are smaller and sweeter. In Sweden (and Russia), "smultron" as it is called in Sweden is available in a lot of places (including at the train stations in the summer, picked from countryside, but here in the US? Nowhere. It simply isn't part of our flavors. I've been forced to grow my own.
Cask Ales.
There was also a Cadbury candy bar that I found on the Isle of Skye, It had the creme egg filling. Unfortunatly I can't remember the name off hand.
FYI - Returned, recently, from a month long trip to eastern Europe. Purchased very little while there but did buy a carved wooden toy for each of the grandchildren. I listed "toys" on my customs form. We found ourselves sent off to be checked! After checking our bags, the agent could not figure out why we were singled out - he had us describe the agent who put the "C" on our form and went off to question him. He came back and informed us the agent sends anyone mentioning "toys" to be checked fearing we had purchased Kinder Eggs (I had never even heard of them). So, take heed if entering the US in Dallas/Fort Worth! Agent told me I did not have to be as specific on my forms - could have just said souvenirs since we were not anywhere near the $$ amount of items the two of us could have brought in. All in all, it took 1 hour extra of our time....on Thanksgiving Day no less!
Percy Pigs at Marks and Spencer. I found a similar item at the Bulk Barn but it wasn't quite the same.
(the local U.K. Shoppe got a bunch in a few years ago and I bought a pile)
Kellogg's Corn Flakes and Twix candy bars... they have them here of course but they don't taste the same... corn syrup vs real sugar.
And in France.. pastries and french bread... pain au chocolat, eclairs, and french bread here, even from the best high end bakeries, are just not as good.
How about bread - particularly the breakfast rolls in Germany. The inferior grade Kaiser rolls from American bakeries are a poor substitute for the German ones, with their crisp crusts. Sometimes I feel like ours being called "Kaiser rolls" is an ethnic slur.
In the U.S. there is a law of 1938, which prohibits the presence of inedible objects in foodstuffs. That's why the Ferrero kinder eggs are prohibited.
The sandwich selektion at Pret a Manger is much better in the UK than in New York and Washington. Although the last time I was in London I couldn't get a coronation chicken sandwich or a chicken tikka sandwich, so maybe Pret is declining to American standards.
Also, one can't find a decent Scotch egg in America. I did have one, once, but it turned out that it had been smuggled into the country from Britain.
(I'm a simple man with simple tastes.)
As for Christmas crackers, I see them everywhere in the USA now. I believe they are being marketed as part of a sophisticated English celebration!
Real cheese, made with raw milk.
Saucission that tastes like something.
BEER, everywhere else, is better. I would love a refreshing pint of Calendonia RIGHT NOW, and cannot have one, because I am in Seattle! (Well, also because I am at work, but that is another story.)
A fresh baguette HOT out the oven, if the oven is in FRANCE.
Pain au chocolate is not the same in Seattle. Neither are the "croissants." (Well, there is that one bakery on Eastlake, but still... not quite.)
Fish 'n' chips worthy of eating.
Mushy peas.
All the fresh and smoked seafood in Denmark.
Worcestershire Sauce flavored crisps.
Cockles! In a styrofoam cup! While standing up!
Brighton rock.
A slice of that pizza I had in Venice, with buffalo mozzarella, olive oil, rosemary, and potatoes. OMG. Made my head spin with deliciousness.
Schweppes Agrum. We discovered it in the south of France. Not available in Spain. Then over the border into France again and there it is in the small train station vending machine. Anyone know a source in the US?
Kopparburg Pear Cider. Discovered in Belfast. We can order it online. Does anyone know of anywhere to buy it in person west of the Mississippi?
The commercial coffee served in many restaurants in France. I think it is Richard's or something similar. Whenever I thought the coffee was very good and I asked about it, that was always the brand. Simply not available here so far as I can tell.
Quark Balchen !!!
Definitely the coffee... even Starbucks is good in Europe... I think they divide up all the coffee and the good stuff goes to Europe and the old burnt stuff goes to the US (they must think we will accept anything) I am so mad at myself for not bringing some home as I was just there last week and I usually do... I just forgot.
Also... don't think we have Bounty Bars here...and the Mounds bar can't begin to compare, it does not even taste like coconut.
We do now have Magnum Bars a few places in the US. I used to crave the ones with the almonds.
And, of course the bread and Presidents Butter (we have it here at about $7 lb at Whole Foods, but still doesn't taste the same on our bread)
Also Paprika Chips... yum
Good German Pickles
Amer Picon from France. Sad story :(
It used to be widely available in the bay area and was very popular in French, Basque and Italian Restaurants, particularly in North Beach, where they would make a drink called a Picon Punch. North Beach even had competition to see which bartender made the best Picon Punch. Our family always made them on the holidays. Then about 10 years ago, France stop exporting it to the US. No idea why. You can still get a Picon Punch made with an American alternative, but it's awful!
So, I now have to travel to France to get it. And I'm about out, so it must be time for a trip!
Knorr bouillon cubes: court bouillon, bouquet garni for a short cut, and best of all Maggi olive oil and spices cubes for a North African flavor. These pass inspection. Anise and mint herbal tea which used to be made by Elephant, but now it's under the French Lipton label.
Definitely Kit kat bars - taste SO much better in Europe.
Also I have never seen Lemon Fanta in the US so I always drink it overseas.
In Greece I loved goat milk everything - yogurt of course, but also
coffee creamer!
Finally shhh... I have imported kinder surprise into the US - I did not realize at the time it was illegal!
It is just not what we can't get here we had in Europe but sometimes regional things we can't get in US. Years ago we used to have to send my cousin out west either Tasty Cakes or something similar he couldn't get in California.
German-made Haribo gummi bears. Simply cannot find them here; they are all manufactured somewhere else. The ones made in Germany just taste better.
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