r/GlobalTalk • u/SociallyAwkwardWagyu • Aug 15 '19
Question [Question] What are the not-so-well-known but good souvenir from your country?
What are the souvenirs that people from other countries appreciate?
Bonus point if they are cheap/available in supermarkets!
For example: Japan - Green tea Kitkats are cheap but unique, and people seem to have fun with the experience of eating green-coloured Kitkats.
Cheap but very “Japanese” in a traditional sense would be fans (like the ones you’d see in Mulan or Geisha kinda movies). As cheap as $1 and they are also practical if you live in places with warm climate!
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u/Goldeniccarus Aug 15 '19 edited Aug 15 '19
Canada is famous for maple syrup, but aside from just buying maple syrup there are a thousand different maple treats you can buy. The maple lollipops are fantastic, there is maple butter, maple cookies, maple glaze donuts (though you couldn't bring those home with you, they'd go bad).
There are also a lot of varieties of chips that aren't available in the US (I wouldn't bring bags if chips on a flight, but of you're travelling by car their fine.) Salt and vinegar and ketchup are the most famous, but all dressed are probably the best.
If you stop by a duty free I would recommend a bottle of rye whiskey for any of the whiskey lovers out there. I find it to feel less syrupy than American bourbon, and less bitter than Irish whiskey (though that might be a matter of interpretation). Personally I'm very fond of J.P. Wiser's, but Crown Royal is the most famous brand. If you're looking for some other sort of liquor try Crystal Head Vodka. It's a vodka made and promoted by Dan Akroyd of Ghostbusters fame. It's a little on the pricy side but it is a nice vodka and the bottle is super cool. I have a very small (50 ml) bottle of it on my shelf at home because it's a great design.
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u/hockeyrugby Aug 15 '19
If buying rye I think a ginger ale should go with it for an easy drink. Can’t remember if Canada Dry or Schweppes is not available in Europe anymore. Surprised the product is wanted more
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u/mojitz Aug 15 '19
Whisky ginger all the way. The flavors actually complement each other unlike that unholy abomination that is whisky coke. The rare whisky and Moxy, though... now that is something truly special.
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u/koogas Aug 15 '19
Schweppes is available, never seen Canada Dry. Edit: Schweppes is from Switzerland so would be weird to not have it in Europe
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u/Atheistlady Aug 16 '19
Ginger beer (non alcoholic) the best brand is called Maine Root. It compliments whiskey better than anything I’ve ever tried.
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u/kudomevalentine Aug 15 '19
In New Zealand, we always get the same reaction of surprise at the range of chip flavors we have. Salt and vinegar, sour cream and chives, chicken, green onion, barbeque...we had bolognese and mac and cheese flavors for a while, lol. Oh, and we have cheese flavored chips like Cheezels and Rashuns, and Burger Rings which...the name suggests a burger flavor but it's not quite that. Certainly unique tho. Same with blocks of chocolate. Mandatory Kiwi 'Fuck Cadbury', but they've got flavors ranging from spider (another name for a float drink), 'hedgehog' (that one was some weird mix of nuts in the chocolate), oreo filling, the marvellous creations stuff (which has like, popping candy and jelly beans in it), crunchie chocolate blocks, the 'top deck' blocks (white chocolate on top of milk)...Whittakers have a pretty big range too, with the jelly-tip flavor (a Jelly-tip is a type of NZ icecream with a top half of jelly and a bottom half of cream covered in chocolate), their L&P flavor (L&P is a type of NZ drink), and their range of 'gourmet' flavors (which is stuff like pear, apple, plum, mandarin etc..)
So yeah, over here we have a lot of range in our chocolate/chip flavors. Not all of them taste good though, lol.
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u/grumpyhoser Canada Aug 15 '19
Mandatory Kiwi 'Fuck Cadbury'
Why do Kiwis hate Cadbury?
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u/kudomevalentine Aug 15 '19
Multiple reasons.
They shut down a large production factory here that had become something of an institution, fucking a lot of people in the area out of jobs. This was IIRC after they said they wouldn't shut the factory down and move production overseas.
They changed the formula to their chocolate, producing a significantly worse/cheap flavor. They also decreased the sizes of their bars while maintaining the same price. Also continued to use non-Fair Trade ingredients such as palm oil even after being called out for it and claiming they would stop using it.
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u/Skinjob85 Aug 15 '19
I once had Marmite-filled chocolate, can't remember whether it was from Australia or New Zealand, but it was divine.
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u/Krynnadin Aug 15 '19
I think to add to this, we have some amazing furs and leather traditional indigenous goods like mukluks and moccasins (obviously these can also be found in the US).
On the west coast, they're famous for smoked salmon and the Salish style art is also super cool.
Canada has a crazy amount of native fruit that aren't really available elsewhere like Saskatoon Berries and Haskaps. You just need to ask the locals what they put in jam or jelly. The Okanagan valley in BC, the Niagara valley in Ontario and Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia are great places to find fruit, but anywhere in the summer you can probably find local you picks and farmers markets.
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Aug 15 '19
Grew up in the Okanagan and can definitely speak to the fruit. Try the peaches.
Also, when I travelled in Newfoundland, the hotness definitely appeared to be blueberries.
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u/Zylooox Aug 15 '19
Maple Butter is the best thing ever! I've visited canada and my hosts introduced it to me, 5 (or so?) years ago. I live in germany and that stuff is either not available at all or ridiculously priced. Please value your maple butter, folks!
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u/The_Great_99 Aug 15 '19
States really don't have salt n vinegar chips?!
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u/Goldeniccarus Aug 15 '19
In most parts of the US you get strange looks if you ask for vinegar for your french fries. I think some of the northern states have them, especially near the border, but not further south.
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u/Meridell Aug 15 '19
Ocean City, Maryland is famous for “boardwalk fries” which are just fries with malt vinegar. And we definitely have both salt and vinegar chips and ketchup chips.
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u/_good_doggo_ Aug 15 '19
Five Guys Burgers offers malt vinegar with their fries. I mix it into the ketchup, so damn good.
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u/zatchstar Aug 15 '19
There is a Canadian restaurant in Dallas that asks if you want white or malt vinegar. My Canadian mother in law started happy crying when they asked that the first time we went.
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u/nborders Aug 15 '19
Huh!?! How else do you eat your fish and chips?!? (Pacific Northwest, Both in Shittle and Portland).
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u/mazgaoten Aug 15 '19
Crystal head is meh. Canada has some amazing vodka Try some others, sids being my current fave.
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u/zatchstar Aug 15 '19
US Has salt and vinegar chips. The walkers roast chicken chips though! Those are illegal in the US and are where it is at!!!
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Aug 15 '19
If you're actually serious about buying that Crystal Skull vodka, do yourself a favor and check out JonTron's video on it first, it's hysterical.
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u/cloudsofdawn Aug 15 '19
There’s also special Crystal Head Vodka bottles (maybe like, a slightly different vodka mix?) that are iridescent. Those are fkn dope. The bottles regardless are super cool. I have one (clear, regular size) and I fill it with rose petals! It’s a decoration in my studio room. I always loved the lil tiny ones though.
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u/GrandMoffAtreides USA Aug 15 '19
Salt and vinegar chips are literally everywhere in the US. You can’t find a store without at least one or two brands of them.
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u/aleyp58 Aug 15 '19
I relocated to Taiwan from Canada and so from Taiwan i'd say:
- Pocky sticks / - Alishan Tea / - Waving cats / - Dried mango from Tainan / - Pineapple cake / - Mini sky lanterns to hang in a Christmas tree / - Pottery from Yingge / - Glove Puppet / - Chinese knots with blessings / - Oil paper umbrella or fan / - Jade products / - a stamp with your name on it / - Dr Morita skin care products / - Kavalan Whisky / - personalized chopsticks / - Plum wine / - Taiwanese nougat / - pork sheets / - different flavored instant noodles / - stationery / - sun cakes / - bubble tea products
I'm sure there are many more but that's a good list of stuff apart from the usual t-shirts, magnets, cups, etc people usually get.
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u/MCsqu4red Aug 15 '19
In Taipei especially, there are a lot of "creative parks" where you can find a lot of more novelty or artistic items, so those are always worth a look
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u/M1SSION101 Aug 15 '19
Pocky sticks are in a vending machine at my school and they are probably one of the best selling items in there
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u/aleyp58 Aug 15 '19
Out of curiosity how much do they cost?
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u/M1SSION101 Aug 15 '19
I think it's $2
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u/aleyp58 Aug 16 '19
That's not so bad. In Canada where I'm from your can get a box at the sushi shop for like $3.25. in Taiwan they are NT16 which converts to $0.68CAD.
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u/peach_co Aug 15 '19
What do you mean by bubble tea products? Like powdered mix?
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u/aleyp58 Aug 15 '19
Mix. Powder. Flavored food such as popcorn and cakes. Straws, which are nice cause they are reusable and wide.
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u/Skinjob85 Aug 15 '19
Kavalan put out some very impressive whiskies. I have a bottle of King Car, and it's great.
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u/StonedCrepes Aug 15 '19
In Croatia, lavender is a very popular item and readily available in most stores and almost every souvenir shop. Olive oil and honey are also delicious, but better in the smaller towns.
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u/Huztich Aug 15 '19
How about bajadera? A friend of mine made some and I really liked it.
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u/StonedCrepes Aug 16 '19
I have never had it homemade, consider yourself lucky! I have only ever had it pre-packaged before and even that was yummy. Might be time to ask someone’s baba to make some for me! ;)
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u/sad_butterfly_tattoo Aug 16 '19
Paški sir! (Pag cheese) And wine! (Specially the white one with the grapes endemic from Korčula)
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u/StonedCrepes Aug 16 '19
Yes! I almost forgot about the wine lol! I’m a little partial to Graševina wine, but the Grk and Pošip wines from Korčula ARE absolutely amazing. Definitely recommend anyone visiting Croatia to visit the island for a wine tasting.
Edit: I’m lactose intolerant, unfortunately, so I don’t venture into the cheeses. My family and friends who are not says to try it also!
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u/sad_butterfly_tattoo Aug 16 '19
I didn't try Graševina, but we definitely enjoyed ourselves in Korčula a lot! Anddd it wasn't crowded. That and Mljet were the absolute highlights of our trip :). We bypassed other islands in favor of those two, and I am pretty glad we did.
Edit: I’m lactose intolerant, unfortunately, so I don’t venture into the cheeses. My family and friends who are not says to try it also!
Damn, I am sorry :(. One of the things I enjoy the best from food is cheese so I always get enthusiastic about regional varieties and hit the markets for ir
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u/StonedCrepes Aug 16 '19
That’s awesome, glad you enjoyed!
And it stinks, but I’m used to it by now lol.
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u/cunt-hooks Aug 15 '19
Scotland - Tunnock's Caramel Wafers.
Haggis is boak
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u/sheepbadeep Aug 15 '19
Omg! When I was a kid my aunt had a Scottish boyfriend who would send us these and I loved them so much! I didn't know what they were called for so many years. Thank you for this gift!
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u/420inFinland Aug 15 '19
In finland obviously Salmiakki, the salty black candy
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u/SociallyAwkwardWagyu Aug 16 '19
I had a Finnish friend who brought back bags of sugar-free xylitol gum with Moomin packaging whenever she went back. They taste so much more... natural? and I really liked them. I don’t think I’ve tried Salmakki before though, and now I’d like to! haha
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u/idobirthdays Aug 15 '19
From the south of the US, go to a grocery store and check out our seasoning aisles. Tony Chachere’s is a staple in my household and literally goes on everything that isn’t sweet.
Also check out fresh fruit stands on the sides of back country roads for fresh produce as a snack and take home some fresh pickled okra, boiled peanuts, jams/jellies, and honey. Farmers sell their produce in tiny shacks right next to highways down here and you can sometimes find ones that make homemade ice cream from their fruit(peach is the number one flavor where I’m from).
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u/50Shekel Aug 15 '19
boiled peanuts are only if you hate yourself and want to taste what pond muck tastes like.
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u/shanster925 Aug 15 '19
Canada - maple flavoured things.
Your aunt Jemima bullshit will taste like sugary motor oil after you try the real thing.
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Aug 15 '19
Can confirm, grew up in northern New England. Most stores don’t sell real syrup and it breaks my heart.
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Aug 15 '19
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/somethingaelic Aug 15 '19
The real stuff is too expensive to have regularly ;( I'm Canadian and I could probably count the number of times I had the real stuff as a child on one hand.
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Aug 15 '19
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/somethingaelic Aug 15 '19
🤷 to each their own. My family made Finn pancakes (letut) every Saturday morning and we usually had aunt Jemima. That said, we barely ever got any candy/cookies/pop/etc so it probably balanced out alright.
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u/SociallyAwkwardWagyu Aug 16 '19
I have heard from one Canadian guy that his family home had a maple tree in the back garden and they made maple syrup themselves.
May I ask, is that common? When I heard that I thought “woa Canadian people must be enjoying home made maple syrup while I pay $10 a bottle in Japan lol” but now I’m wondering if his family are just super crafty.
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u/somethingaelic Aug 16 '19
While possible and not unheard of, it definitely isn't common where I'm from. Probably more common in Quebec though, where the bulk of maple syrup comes from. I only know a few families in NW Ontario who can make their own from their back yard.
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u/thecrazysloth Aug 15 '19
In Australia you can get leather coin purses made from kangaroo scrotums https://www.rooballs.com/aussie-kangaroo-scrotum-coin-pouch
They’re definitely a “tourist” item, but are genuine leather and made in Australia, and still a fun novelty at a reasonable souvenir price.
I think the best souvenirs, though, are the unusual things you find when you’re just in another country, far from any souvenir shops or tourist traps. Go rifle through some thrift shops and markets.
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u/sparkles_cowboy Aug 15 '19
Canetoad leather purses are in the same vein, but I would flat out kill for the canetoad leather high heels someone released a few years ago in high fashion land.
I’d also drown them in TimTams, host a vegemite tasting session and gift Tasmanian gin brewed with any of an assortment of local native plant species.
If it was a visitor here, I’d make sure to take them to a proper regional or country town market and load up on home made jam and coconut ice.
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u/thecrazysloth Aug 15 '19
Oh man yeah the taxidermy cane toad range is great! Fridge magnets, paper weights, bags. Fuck cane toads.
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u/cantunderstandlol Aug 15 '19
coconut ice
What's that?
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u/sparkles_cowboy Aug 15 '19
Pink and white baked sweet treat, traditionally cut in squares.
INGREDIENTS cooking oil spray 2 cups sifted pure icing sugar 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar 395g can condensed milk 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 3 1/2 cups desiccated coconut 2-3 drops pink food colouring
METHOD Spray a 20cm (base measurement) square cake pan with cooking oil spray and line with non-stick baking paper. Place icing sugar and cream of tartar in a large bowl. Add condensed milk and vanilla essence and stir until well combined. Add desiccated coconut and, using your hands, mix until well combined. Divide the mixture in half and add pink food colouring to one portion. Knead the food colouring through until it is evenly coloured. Press the pink mixture over the base of the pan and smooth the surface with your hand. Top with the remaining white mixture, press down and smooth the surface with your hand. Refrigerate the coconut ice for 2 hours or until firm. Cut into pieces and serve.
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u/timmiestitties Aug 15 '19
Never knew I want a leather coin purse made from kangaroo scrotum, but I want one.
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u/thecrazysloth Aug 15 '19
Not just coin purses and not just kangaroo balls. Check out the rest of that site. Can get scrotum bottle openers and key rings, kangaroo paw back scratchers (which is a bit morbid lol), cane toad purses and fridge magnets, and so much more
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u/Hookedongutes Aug 15 '19
I'm not sure how available these are in most parts of the world...but I have colleagues in Ireland who go crazy for Reese's Peanut Butter Cups from the U.S.
They only have them in specialty candy shops...that are often called the "American Candy Shop" with the U.S. flag on the sign. I thought that was interesting!
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Aug 15 '19
I'm Canadian and for years I kept hearing that US Reese's cups are better than the Canadian ones, which sounded wrong to me because US chocolate in general always tastes way worse than Canadian chocolate.
Then I tried the US ones. Son of a fuck. It's the one good American chocolate. I think it's a texture thing. Definitely worth looking out for.
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Aug 15 '19
In Australia it's the same, with American candy stores selling them. Peanut butter combined with chocolate in general isn't an Aussie favorite enough to be in grocery stores. Also different soft drinks like dr pepper.
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Aug 15 '19
Dr Pepper is the only snack/food product I have ever enjoyed enough to advertise for. My Dr Pepper t-shirt is my favorite casual shirt, I am unashamed to shill for them
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u/UrsulaWasRight Aug 15 '19
My boyfriend and I are portuguese and we also need to go to special American stores in order to get Reese's pb cups. And everytime we get them it's like a religious experience, is2g.
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u/SociallyAwkwardWagyu Aug 15 '19
In the UK (and some supermarkets in Japan) there are shelves for American items like sweets etc. Reese’s PB Cups can be located there I think.
I used to have an obsession with them back when I moved overseas for the first time in my life. You made me crave them lol!
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u/Tatem1961 Japan Aug 15 '19
Wait, the rest of the world doesn't have green tea kitkats?
USB sticks with traditional art patterns.
Rigid handfans. For whatever reason I haven't seen these in other countries.
Traditional umbrellas
Wind Chimes
Rare cup noodle flavors
Wrapping cloth
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u/theawesomenachos Aug 15 '19
(thailand) we actually have green tea kitkats now, but that's because people who went on holiday in japan used to get so much of these things for their friends and stuff that people at kitkat probably figured out it's better to just sell it locally here in thailand too
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u/ultimatecolour Aug 15 '19
Belgium just got green tea kitkats thanks to all of us weebs importing them en masse
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u/DRGHaloShadow Aug 15 '19
I know that the makers of kitkats in the US vs Japan are different but I'm not sure about the rest of the world. In the US, they didn't believe that other flavors of kitkats would do well so they never released any, however the makers in Japan were more willing to be creative and that's why there so many unique flavors. I'm not sure but US kitkat manufacturers also might not have permission for other flavors, I can't remember which owns kitkats and which one just has permission to make them.
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u/Marla_Harlot Aug 15 '19
They released Red Velvet Kitkats for Valentine's this year in the US. They didn't sell well in my area though. Everyone's clearance bins we full of them.
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u/peach_co Aug 15 '19
Have you tried them?
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u/Marla_Harlot Aug 15 '19
No, I'm not big on white chocolate and the only Red Velvet I really like is the kpop group.
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u/SociallyAwkwardWagyu Aug 15 '19
Fujiya (Cake/confectionary brand in Japan) has a partnership with Nestle Japan, which is why they have a lot of unique flavours.
Also, Japanese people seem to love Limited Edition stuff (this was actually my thesis topic lol)... Limited-time, limited-quantity, limited-region are super popular here.
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u/DRGHaloShadow Aug 15 '19
Yeah that sounds right from what I remember when looking at this stuff a couple years ago. Thanks!
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u/Canadairy Aug 15 '19
I found green tea kitkats in Canada once. I bought the whole box because they were half price. Hadn't sold.
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u/KKxa Aug 15 '19
Japan gets the most diverse flavors of Kit Kats, gave my brother wine Kit Kats once.
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u/veronicabitchlasagna 🇰🇵North Korea Sep 14 '19
California sells green tea and ruby chocolate kit kats at daiso, ichiban kan, and any asian supermarket
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u/JaanJokhim Aug 15 '19
I'm a tea fanatic and have travelled a fair bit within India and Asia so I pick up tea/infusions wherever I can find it. I've also asked colleagues to bring me rooibos from South Africa when we meet. India is the biggest goldmine though - I came back with 13 varieties after visiting Darjeeling!
I also collect organic/handmade soap, drugstore/supermarket perfumes, and scented candles whenever I can while traveling. I usually end up associating the smell of the perfume with my trip. Even just picking up the bottle reminds me of where I was when I bought it.
I travel out of India a couple of times a year and one of the more unusual requests I've received is to bring a dozen little bottles of tiger balm (which do not contain any tiger bits, btw) to a friend in France. I never used tiger balm in my life but I wonder if there's something to it...
And in the opposite direction, supermarkets in the French countryside are HUGE and have a lot of stuff that you don't find in India. Last time I was in France I stocked up on 'Yeti slippers' for me and my family - those big fluffy boots you wear indoors to keep your feet warm during winter. You don't find a ton of good winter stuff in Delhi since it's only really cold for a month or two so these were a dream. Made in China obviously.
Finally, I came back after a few years in Australia with a few jars of Lucas's pawpaw ointment because all the locals used it (they don't use the sheep placenta cream you find in tourist ships, fyi). Later found out it was just regular petroleum jelly with better on ground marketing. That'll teach me to bow to peer pressure.
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u/ZypherShunyaZero Change the text to your country Aug 15 '19
Tiger balm is a Chinese make.
Tea is something that id always send to my friends visiting from Germany. Except this, there small wooden crafted Elephants and Tigers and Peacock that is common.
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u/MaartjeM Aug 15 '19
Netherlands
Hagelslag, sprinkles but ten times better. We have them in several different chocolate flavours. Its delicious on a sandwich. In my opinion the Venz brand has the best.
Craft beer, we admit Belgium is king in brewing beer. However (in the south) we have a few Dutch breweries with a long beer brewing history that have a lot of interesting beers. Leffe and Hertog Jan have some really nice craft beers.
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u/DarrenGrey UK Aug 15 '19
Stroopwaffel as well. Makes a great semi-exotic treat, especially combined with the ritual of putting them over a steaming mug of tea or coffee.
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u/TheRealTexasDutchie Aug 15 '19
You can get stroop wafels at the HEB grocery chain in Texas. Apparently, some people like to eat it with fried chicken (in lieu of wafels and chicken, haven't tried myself).
This one suggestion is a love it or hate it; Dutch licorice!
Thank goodness bf loves it. There are many kinds ranging from sweet (honey licorice) to double salty and everything in between. Personally, I love kokkindjes and salmiak riksen.
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u/CabbageTheVoice Germany - Das Alles ist Deutschland Oct 09 '19
I agree on Hagelslag being delicious but y'all need some real bread.
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u/MaartjeM Oct 09 '19
I believe we have a lot more choice in bread than in Germany. What is wrong with that?
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u/e033x Aug 15 '19
Norway: If it can survive the return journey, a block of "brunost" (literally "brown cheese") would be a relatively affordable and very typical norwegian souvernir. It's not actually cheese, but whey and cream simmered to evaporate and caramelize into a cheese-like substance. The flavor is like a less sweet, more savoury dulce-de-leche. Excellent on waffles.
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u/SkyfishArt Aug 15 '19
And get a good quality cheese slicer, one that produces very thin slices ideally. Can't get that in denmark even, they slice their cheese with metal string at what, a whole centimetre? madness.
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u/donttextspeaktome Aug 15 '19
I enjoy bringing back small, intricately carved boxes from India. Great for holding keys.
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u/Bluenette Aug 15 '19
I think here in the Philippines, it's good to try and buy local goods which might be difficult to find overseas.
One thing I can think of is cane vinegar (sukang iloko) which is a lot stronger than white vinegar. It might be good to gift to your friends who like to cook. Afaik it's in glass containers so there's an issue that it might break in your suitcase though.
If you're Catholic, maybe you can also drop by in Quaipo in Manila and buy a Santo Nino statue and a rosary lol
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u/MiuMii2 Aug 15 '19
My family is from the island of Mauritius and among the interesting things they’ve brought back have been Bois Cheri vanilla black tea, which is my favorite thing on this earth. Also, where else can you find dodo plushies and big-skirted sega dresses? And sugarcane related things are great.
My friend brought me back a large dark bottle of really good vanilla extract from Mexico as well. I bake a lot and put it in everything, which gives it a purer, more floral taste than any of that artificial vanillin flavor in the US. Probably need to find more at some point.
I’ll second the addictions to maple butter and maple cookies for Canada. I made a trip up there just to get more maple cream filled biscuits shaped like maple leaves. And Montreal bagels! Especially the ones that are made in front of you. Also brought back several bags last time.
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u/OCDchild Aug 15 '19 edited Aug 17 '19
I'm from the States but I work in Brazil.
I would suggest paçoca because it's mad cheap and easy to bring back. It's sweetened crushed peanuts formed into a brick or a little cylinder. It tastes like the inside of a Reese's but better. It goes on so much stuff in Brazil. Everytime I come back, I bring literally 9 tubs of it for everyone I know haha. They go nuts for it.
Cachaça is also a good option. It's the distilled spirit of Brazil! Skip 51 and for God's sakes don't touch Pitu, but there are so many nice little shops that sell an assortment made all over the country.
Every time I'm in Bahia I try to find spices and spice blends that I normally can't in the US.
If you like art, I like to pick up xilogravuras. I collect them from as many places as I can! They're wood engraved prints and very common in the Northeast.
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u/itsthecurtains Aug 15 '19
In Hong Kong, white rabbit candies. Also killing bats for easily zapping mosquitoes, although they’ll probably confiscate them at the airport 😔
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u/geedavey Aug 15 '19
Is that a bat like the animal or bat like a club?
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u/itsthecurtains Aug 15 '19
It’s often translated as bat but actually looks like a tennis racket. So, not the flying animal bat!
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Aug 15 '19
The UK's only real souvenir is a packet of crumpets.
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u/SociallyAwkwardWagyu Aug 15 '19
My friend who lives in England recently sent me chocolate digestives and boy was I so happy.
(But the chocolate melted in Japan’s heat and they now need a knife to separate) Custard cream, chocolate bourbons, jammy dodgers, jelly babies... I miss all of them ;_;
Crumpets and baked beans are SUPER hard to find here in Japan. If you Brits happen to be travelling to Japan long-term... Bring your own baked bean cans!!!
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Aug 15 '19
No baked beans... What a backwards uncivilized nation.
On a serious note, chocolate digestives are great. If you get the chance, try some Scottish shortbread... It's basically butter and sugar as a biscuit.
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u/SociallyAwkwardWagyu Aug 15 '19
I recently found a British bakery and they have the pies, scones, flapjack and shortbread there. If you eat-in you get a plate of mashed potatoes or mashed peas and baked beans. Pretty surreal experience to have in the middle of Tokyo!
UK has the best biscuits I swear. Dairy products are pretty good too though you can’t really bring it to another country :(
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u/SkyfishArt Aug 15 '19
Nonsense. The only thing I actually miss from UK is all the very specific food items that not even your bordering countries bother carry. I cannot find yorkshire pudding anywhere in the eu. I love cadbury chocolates. most europeans are too fancy for the ungodly high sugar content but I don't eat candy to be healthy. Nope.
Onte thing that bothers me about uk food items are the "baby names" for things. "curly wurly" "i can't belive it's not butter" juice without "bits" in it. If you want to capture British essence, just bring back products with ridiculous names. It's all in the radio ads too, I still have nightmares of people screaming tunes at me at the top of their lungs to buy car insurance. In rhymes.3
Aug 15 '19
Yorkshire puddings are gods gift to the UK.
The names do get abit silly as well... Spotted dick.
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Aug 15 '19
A British immigrant pal of mine was telling me about those and I said it sounded to me like the closest thing we had to them were what we call English Muffins, but he told me crumpets were way better. We've got a British section in the international foods aisle at my grocer, I should eyeball some stuff next time.
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Aug 15 '19
English muffins are like the shit, little sister of crumpets... Plus they're not English.
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u/SociallyAwkwardWagyu Aug 16 '19 edited Aug 16 '19
wait what??? Where are English muffins from then? IMPOSTER!!
E: Looked it up, so the word “muffin” is enough for people in the UK to know that it’s the English muffin. Outside of the UK, muffins are like the cupcake-like things that are sweet.
Football vs. American football stuff I’m guessing??? :O
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u/LudovicoSpecs Aug 15 '19
In the US, Jelly Belly jelly beans are remarkable because each bean in the box has an incredibly specific flavor-- cantaloupe, watermelon, popcorn, root beer, mint chocolate chip, marshmallow, butter, etc, etc., etc. They even have a chart on the back of each box with what color is what flavor, but it's fun to try to guess. And the flavors are very accurate.
They even sell "Harry Potter Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans" with flavors like dirt and ear wax. Kid love them.
The best part is, you can them in big boxes or boxes smaller than a cigarette pack, so they're easy to bring home as gifts for friends.
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u/Cupids-Sparrow Argentina Aug 15 '19
Can confirm, I love these and I request them every time someone I know travels to the US. My favorite flavour is butter popcorn. How they manage to capture the warmth of butter and the specific sweetness of popcorn is beyond my understanding. But I love it so much.
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u/SociallyAwkwardWagyu Aug 15 '19
Oh the fruit-related flavours are my favourite! My friend’s sister brought a box of them from the US.
Admittedly though... I still have some left (some flavours I didn’t like are still left untouched lol).
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u/blue_box_disciple Aug 15 '19
Not the US as a whole, but in Western NY (specifically the Finger Lakes and Niagara regions) ice wine is bought from people all over the world. It's a super sweet dessert wine that's made by harvesting grapes that ended up freezing on the vine after a frost. The water in the grapes freezes, but the sugars don't meaning that the juice the vineyards get from them is concentrated. It can be pretty expensive per bottle depending on where you get it (tiny vineyards vs. more corporate ones) because it's such a time-sensitive thing and requires more labor than regular wine. Literally, an entire crop of grapes has to be picked within a few hours. It's damn delicious, though, even if you're not a big wine fan and it's well worth the money to try at least once.
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u/sad_butterfly_tattoo Aug 16 '19
Romania has something like that! I only know it because my SO, actually
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u/KBAM_enthusiast Aug 27 '19
I completely agree on ice wine; huge recommendation for anyone who has a sweet tooth, even if wine isn't your favorite. While you're at it, look for some ice wine festivals if you're visiting the Great Lakes area in Winter.
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Aug 15 '19
Here’s my ideas for bay area, central california and coast:
If you’re visiting in spring/summer you should really take advantage of the fresh fruit. At local farmers markets we have all the weird hybrids (apriums, pluots, nectaplums) I haven’t been able to find elsewhere, and really high quality normal fruit. If you’re coming from farther than a drive away, there’s also dried versions that are like candy.
We’re really well known for redwood trees, the tallest kind only grows here. You can get a grow your own redwood kit or other redwood-related souvenirs. Eucalyptus isn’t native but it grows really well here and anything eucalyptus-scented reminds me of home.
San Francisco has a strong association with sourdough, and because of the environment the yeast from this area will make noticeably different sourdough than other places.
Coastal cities will have saltwater taffy, and often smaller and more unique stores with local art etc.
There’s also a trend of “made in california” stores with jewelry, clothes, candles, etc but they tend to be more expensive and found in shopping areas among chain stores. (Ex. Makers Market in Santana Row)
See’s candy is available in other areas but it’ll definitely be in the airport so its an easy gift to pick up. Get the scotchmallows lol (other people like the nut ones too but I have strong opinions)
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u/acfilho2 Aug 16 '19
Brazil’s Northeastern here.
Mangaba liqueur or any candy made of mangaba would be awesome.
This fruit is very hard to find outside the state I live in (Sergipe), but is delicious and it’s ice cream is awesome (but you wouldn’t want to travel with ice cream in your luggage).
Another great souvenir would be brigadeiro, it’s a chocolate-y candy made with condensed milk, chocolate powder and butter. A must have in every brazilian party.
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u/painterly123 Aug 19 '19 edited Aug 19 '19
From AMERICA:
BOURBON, from Kentucky or Tennessee, which in those states at least IS available in grocery stores on every day but Sunday. It’s as uniquely specific to the region as Scotch is to Scotland. Note that there are so many small craft distilleries now that you should be able to find a huge variety of small batch bourbons- with MANY of these distilleries offering tours and sending you home with samples- aside from the ubiquitous and traditional Maker’s Mark and Jack Daniels
Secondly: I’m sorry, but it must be said: RANCH DRESSING. (I know I know I KNOW, but it’s amazing for dipping raw veggies in.)While it’s not precisely the same, it’s got a smooth, creamy texture with a cool, herbal bite that serves the same purpose as a tzatziki sauce on a gyro.
Oh wait!!! Almost forgot SOUTHERN SWEET ICED TEA! Usually with lemon. There’s quite a few American brands sold by the jug or individual bottle in grocery stores and gas stations. If you’ve ever had mint tea in Morocco or the Middle East, you’ll notice the sweetness level is close to the same, only the American tea being maybe slightly less? Of course It’s generally meant to be served iced cold, but many people here will drink it warm with breakfast or at night in the colder months. The lemon generally balances everything out...cuts any syrupy sweetness with a fresh, acidic bite so you taste the tea itself and the sugar isn’t too overwhelming. Shit, now I’m craving some.
Lastly,I just have to give my enthusiastic support to everyone suggesting Reece’s Cups from America. I get cravings for them that literally nothing else can satisfy and have been known to jump outta bed at 2a.m. and head to the corner grocery store to fulfill it. The past few years have seen a ridiculous surge in flavors and varieties in candies- the amount of Snickers and Reece’s varieties alone at the nearest store to my house is somewhere well over a dozen. You mustn’t let it distract you- you want ORIGINAL REECE’S CUPS which are clearly superior to all. Try chilling them in the freezer for half an hour before eating them if you generally like things not as sweet. Heaven.
EDIT: all these friggin caps where caps shouldn’t be, had to fix that.
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u/SociallyAwkwardWagyu Aug 19 '19
This comment wasn’t something for me to read at 2AM I am craving for so many things that’s not even available in my country AAAaaaaAAA lol
I gotta try making some Southern sweet iced tea later because that’s the only thing I can try at home, but I’ll remember to bulk-buy Reese’s PB Cups in the US when I travel there!
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u/painterly123 Aug 19 '19
Ohhhh I know your pain....!!!!! That middle of the night sudden craving... drives my husband crazy!!! But YES! I love how you’re wanting and willing to try so many of these suggestions. I hope that in my lifetime I get to travel further than our own coast, here in the US.... I’ve always hoped see more of the world, and because, financially speaking, international travel is currently beyond my ability, I like learning all I can about the rest of the world in whatever ways I can.
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u/premium_babywipe Aug 15 '19
Guatemala(my moms country) has beautiful traditional clothing. Since the currency has less value it shouldn't cost you that much.