Gifts from the US: ketchup and socks

Anybody who wants ketchup doesn't deserve a gift.

Reese's PB cups seem to be the winner

I've had requests for contact lens solutions from my friends.
I know it doesn't sound like a nice "gift" but according to my friends it costs around $40 (CZK converted to USD) for a bottle of contact solution whereas in the US I could 2 bottles for $11 from Costco.

Yes, I have brought contact lens solution to France as well when asked to do so.

I'll bring anyone who wants Gold Toe socks to the UK , if you'll bring me BIG jars of Coleman mustard, Crespo olives de marche from Sainsbury's and any kind of bitter orange marmelade. I hate American marmelade, too sweet.

"Reese's PB cups seem to be the winner" - eww, no, disgusting !

The socks are interesting though !

Should have added that when I am in the US, I always bring back chipotle chiles as I can't get them here in Belgium and I love the flavour. I'll also be adding a can of tomatillos to my shopping list next time I'm over.

You can keep the peanut butter cups, though! I only like my PB with savoury things.

Reese's PB cups are pretty popular when I bring them back. We also get a lot of requests for Abercrombie & Fitch clothing.

Never realized that Gold Toe socks were so popular. Something you just take for granted in the US, I guess. The British, though, have especially lousy socks.

I like Reeses peanut butter cups - they're lovely!

I don't like anything from Hershey, though - tastes of soap. The kisses thingies are especially vile.

I'd quite like to try a Klondike bar or whatever they're called - those great big choc ices with a polar bear on.

My M&S wool socks work quite well, never put a hole in them yet

Perhaps if Americans learnt to cut their toenails...

Reese's PB cups seem to be the winner>>>

More an act of war than a welcome gift. We think American "chocolate" tastes of vomit (and it does - honest it does).

If I wanted something from the colonies a nice small distillery bourbon would be my choice.

When I read this thread's title, I thought it was a joke.

From a European's view, all recommendations are rubbish.

- You get reinforced socks in every sports shop in Europe (e.g. Decathlon), and they are much better than the American socks, because they are reinforced in several places.

- Ketchup is THE symbol of tasteless, disgusting and obesity-causing American fast food. If you eat Ketchup in such amounts that the content of sodium matters, you eat never anything that has a taste of its own (like foie gras, snails, blood sausage, rabbit, horsemeat, froglegs or other delicious European food). And the hype about "sodium-free" is regarded as another example of American health hysteria and ignorance (research has proven that not sodium causes heart problems but chlorine).

- I tell you what happens if a European is given a box of Reese's PB cups: He or she says dutifully "thank you" and throws the thing into the garbage as soon as the American visitor has left. To be honest: The American bake wonderful desserts, but any chocolate or chocolate bar or any other sweets from the USA taste revolting to Europeans.

- Canned tomatillos. We get fresh tomatillos in every supermarket on the continent, so forget the canned stuff. Do you Americans think that Europeans live in caves?

- The only good suggestion so far is chipotle. This is one of the few chile varieties we cannot buy here (but chipotle hot sauce is easily available and fresh habaneros).

Conclusion: Better take handcrafted items from your region and t-shirts and sweatshirts with American university logos. They will be appreciated.

beef jerky never ceased to delight my son and his friends in France when i sent it over - i have seen some jerky lately in airport stores but not in general in France at least. In fact American jerky probably ain't allowed because of genetic BS

Of course those of us who were contaminated at some time in our lives (just like in the zombie and vampire movies) can sometimes have weird cravings. When I am in the U.S. I can suddenly find my irresistibly drawn to a bag of artifical chemical waste cinnamon red hots for example.

>>>In fact American jerky probably ain't allowed because of genetic BS<<

Palenque, would you please be so kind to stop with your completely ignorant and anti-European prejudiced speculations?

(Of course, American jerky is available in French, Swiss, German etc. grocery stores, at least in the bigger ones.)

If I wanted something from the colonies a nice small distillery bourbon would be my choice.

I'll remember that!

tell you what happens if a European is given a box of Reese's PB cups: He or she says dutifully "thank you"

Not true, I have 2 English friends who start consuming before the whole gift is unwrapped

Ibuprofen. I always stock up with packs of 100 or 200 whenever I get to N America. They cost nothing and our fascist gestapo nanny state only allows packs of 16 or something useless to be sold here.

Mini-tubes of toothpaste, shampoo(not from hotels...), and other travel-size things. Can be difficult here but Boots is catching on.

Not very Christmassy though. Just about everything else is available here in third-world Europe, to be honest.

<<< They cost nothing and our fascist gestapo nanny state only allows packs of 16 or something useless to be sold here. >>>

In the UK you can buy any quantity of ibuprofen you like (even high strength ibuprofen - unlike paracetamol which kills yo in large quantities

'In the UK you can buy any quantity of ibuprofen you like (even high strength ibuprofen - unlike paracetamol which kills yo in large quantities'

Where? Not in Sainsburys. I'm not going into a chemist to stand there and explain myself like a naughty boy to a school teacher 30 years younger than me. An ibuprofen overdose is not good either, btw. I've walked out of a corner store in Canada with about 500 before now for very few dollars. Lasted for years.

<< like Reeses peanut butter cups - they're lovely!
I don't like anything from Hershey, though - tastes of soap.>>

I don't know what kind of adults routinely eat cheap junk candy like that, but I wouldn't want most any of this stuff and never eat it myself.

However, the above quote shows the abusrdity as Reeses is owned by Hershey's, it's the same company and I presume has similar chocolate recipes. Giving cheap candy bars as a gift is kind of odd, anyway, I would think it odd if Europeans did that to me (like my German relatives delivery me Ritter Sport andy bars as a hostess gift). Although Ritter is a lot more expensive than Reeses.

>>>If I wanted something from the colonies a nice small distillery bourbon would be my choice.<<<

Single barrel or small batch?

Traveller1959, if I could get tomatillos here in Brussels I certainly wouldn't go to the bother of bringing them from the US. But I've never, ever seen them on sale anywhere in this city (or in France, when I lived there). Perhaps in the UK...?

And as for the title of the thread, it was meant to be light-hearted. (I was amused at the Guardian article in the light of the regular discussions that crop up on this forum)

''However, the above quote shows the abusrdity (sic) as Reeses is owned by Hershey's, it's the same company and I presume has similar chocolate recipes. I don't know what kind of adults routinely eat cheap junk candy like that, but I wouldn't want most any of this stuff and never eat it myself.''

Since Reese's Peanut butter cups have been around since the 20's when they were an independant company, it's perfectly possible that they've retained the original recipe and aren't made from the same chocolate as other Hershey products. Or perhaps the peanut butter just helps disguise the taste. I don't know which, frankly.

BTW, Christine, you'll be pleased to know I've refrained from posting a similarly snotty comment on your recommendation for salad dressing on the other thread.

I'm off to wrap some Christmas presents, given that there appears to a distinct lack of xmas cheer on here.

I think the T-shirts and sweatshirts with school names would be a hit with under 30 yr olds. When we ate at "Stars and Bars" outside in Monaco, the server had a shirt on with "Old School Milwaukee" on it.

She said all her friends wanted that shirt, which we found odd because none of them knew what or where Milwaukee was.

Lasted for years

That's just silly. All drugs have a use-by date.

Can't believe Reese's are a winner. Many europeans just don;t get peanut butter - since they're not given it as kids. sort of like us and - marmite, is it? - it's just not something we "get".

Oh and we would use peeps for pipe lagging. The late Sandy Sabo gave me some peeps. I was honestly staggered.

She also gave me a nice Snoopy so it all worked out.

Snoopy now looks out on Blackheath - which is a long way from St Louis where he started out.

Reeses buter cups are sold at REWE stores which are everywhere (www.rewe.de). Hershey chocolates, Swiss Miss and some other things too (Marshmallow fluff in a jar... What are you supposed to do with this stuff??)

Since they're selling it, there must be some people wanting it.

why on earth would we britons want ketchup...we're VERY happy with our 'brown sauce'? get real, people.

british chocolate will soon all be owned by the americans anyway so we need to stop going on about this. we'll just look more foolish when the inevitable happens and our beloved crapbury and diarrhoea milk are owned by americans. how will we britons be able to put down american chocolate if our chocolate is owned by them. oh dear. this ain't good.

German idiot.

We should move on to which countries have the biggest trade deficits for comestibles.

The comments section reads like my grocery list when I go home!

My mother recently sent me (an adult, legally) two bags of mini Reece's PB cups and they are all gone. I don't share my peanut butter cups well though so I'm not sure if any of my British friends would enjoy them or not.

If I were to receive a hostess gift I would prefer a consumable one over one that sits in my closet. I'd rather have a regional or national specialty food than a sweatshirt with someone else's alma mater on it. Even if I don't enjoy eating it I can appreciate the novelty of it and the thought behind it.

When one brings maple syrup or peanut butter cups to a friend it's not because we think we're bringing a life altering experience, it's because we want to show our individual and unique appreciation for their hospitality.

I'm off to fine tune my grocery list and get directions to panzers!

Catsup is just another type of sauce. I don't see why people get so upset over it. Any sauce can be overused, though, admittedly, Americans are famous (infamous?) for the particular overuse of catsup.

hanl,

in Germany, you get tomatillos at Real, Metro, Ratio stores and probably in many others. I buy them regularly and make a stew together with persimmons, habaneros, chorizo, yams, cilantro and some other vegetables.

When visiting the family of our former exchange student from Normandy, we brought a bottle of Kentucky bourbon and candy from a NYC artisinal chocolatier. On another visit, we brought maple syrup and cookies from our (very fine) local bakery. All were enjoyed and appreciated. And, we really enjoyed our gifts of homemade "white lightnin" a/k/a Calvados

I swear some of you would hate puppies and kittens. I'll never post a travelogue on Fodors knowing the snobs will criticize what I ate or did on my vacation. Not everyone in the universe shares your erudite tastes. Some of the seething masses actually enjoy Hershey Kisses, Peanut Butter Cups, Walmart, regular gas, Coca Cola, McDonald's, rock music, ice cream, white sneakers and German food.

And you know what? We are quite happy in our misery.

Hershey's Kisses -- no way!

<<< today the Gold Toe brands account for more than half of men's sock sales in US department stores. >>>

So why are American socks so poor that one brand can dominate the market?

Nothing more hilarious than Brits pretending to be judges of food...

'All drugs have a use-by date.'

Really? Doh!

Travelgourmet -and Americans

Marshmallow fluff is meant to be mixed half and half with mayonnaise and used as a dressing for fruit salad. Some people use it to make fudge, but that's not real fudge.

In re: marshmallow fluff. I understand that a classic American college snack is peanut butter and fluff. This delectable food is right up the with "the Elvis," that is, peanut butter and banana slices.

Speaking of gourmet food, I was attending a Goethe Institute in Staufen several years ago. There's always an international night where everyone is supposed to bring a food typical of their country. (That's where I learned about peanut butter and fluff.)

Anyway, one girl was from New Mexico. She went to the local "gourmet" store, got some taco mix, taco shells, along with something that passed for hamburger, and made some tacos. What I found amusing that the two French women in the school fell in love with tacos and simply raved about how good they were.

I always think of French food as outstanding and French people as having refined taste in food, so it struck me as funny that these women loved the tacos.

>half and half with mayonnaise
Thanks, that's going to be my "party gag" on new years eve. Nobody will be able to guess what that gravy is made of.

The last thing I asked for when somebody was coming from the U.S. was popcorn salt. They couldn't figure out whether I was joking or not, so I had to tell them that I wasn't.

I understand that a classic American college snack is peanut butter and fluff.

I knew nobody that ate fluff when I was in college. Ramen, cold pizza, chips, and the like, but no fluff. Increasingly, a lot of college kids decide to experiment with vegetarianism or somesuch. I've never seen so much hummus as when I was in school. And tabouleh.

"So why are American socks so poor that one brand can dominate the market?"

They aren't and it doesn't. Who do you know that buys socks in department stores?

Go to the places people DO buy socks (like Wal-Mart or Old Navy) and you'll find the same Chinese (and, in the case of the US, Honduran) stuff that you get at Asda and Primark.

I'm surprised the original article wasn't bylined for Phil Space.

All drugs have a use-by date>>>

So now is the time to take that gram wrap out of my sock drawer?

Lawry's Salt.

Uncle Joe's Mint Balls.

You started it.

All of my daughters' German friends love Reese cups. I love them too. This isn't to say that the Belgian chocolate I buy isn't faboulous, it is just that I like both. I don't see why one can't like variations of chocolate without damning one sort or another.

As to ketchup, the companies like Heinz, make a different recipe for each country it is sold in. Thus British Heinz ketchup will taste different than the German or the American. That said, I really like German food a lot, but continually wonder about currywurst. Talk about awful food. I am guessing that every country has some sort of yucky food that others find disgusting. No reason to put each other down about it though, acting all superiour-like, as if your gourmet taste buds would suffer if you put something like a reesecup in your mouth.

Have never even tried marshmellow fluff.

I despise Reese Cups but I like Reese's Pieces.

>>>In re: marshmallow fluff<<<

The only way to eat it is spread on graham crackers - no peanut butter.

Okay, I'm American but I've never heard of Marshmallow Fluff. What exactly is it?

"Nothing more hilarious than Brits pretending to be judges of food..."

Oh I don't know - your "expert criticism" of football was pretty funny.

Avalon, I'm not sure either but I think it is some sort of room temperature Cool Whip. *gag*

Regular marshmallow fluff is indeed disgusting, in my opinion, but there's a vegan store in Seattle where you can get vegan marshmallow fluff that is really good. (Not that I am one to criticize tastes, as I have to admit to liking peanut butter cups, and I will even eat Reese's, although I prefer more upscale varieties. Otherwise, I can't stand milk chocolate, which is very odd.)

If a European guest wants to bring me stuff from Europe, I am not going to start criticizing it and pointing out that I could probably buy it at Whole Foods or a specialty grocery store. I'll find a use for it, I'm sure.

My Austrian friend brings us Sacher tortes, Fa soap and these Bounty chocolate/coconut bars I love (real crap, but she won't relent until I tell her what I want). She requests from us EVERY TIME: Helmans' mayonnaise, foamy pump soap, Disney or Looney Toons things for her little neices/nephews, and Harley Davidson accessories. She and her boyfriend are kind of biker nuts--way different from her corporate daytime persona.

Personally, in this global, e-commerce day and age, there is NOTHING I cannot find online or in a World Market store that I want while in Europe. I am sure it's the same thing there. The days of "trading" regional products are, I am afraid, OVER.

>>>kerouac on Dec 23, 09 at 10:21am
Avalon, I'm not sure either but I think it is some sort of room temperature Cool Whip. *gag*<<<

No, it's not like cool whip at all. Not even similar. It's like marshmallows, but spreadable.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshmallow_creme

I always think of French food as outstanding and French people as having refined taste in food, so it struck me as funny that these women loved the tacos.

Why would you find that surprising? There is nothing wrong with a taco. If really well-made (homemade tortilla's, pico de gallo, etc), then a taco can be really fantastic. Myself, I'm partial to a really good fish taco.

Besides, don't let the Frenchies fool you, they eat a lot of mediocre food. I remember getting the proper introduction to French dining - I arrived to visit my girlfriend studying abroad and her host family took me to Flunch (basically like Luby's or any other cafeteria-style restaurant in the US) for dinner. Now, nothing against Flunch - it serves its purpose - but that it serves some 60m customers each year puts the lie to notions that the average Frenchie only eats fine cuisine.

Personally, in this global, e-commerce day and age, there is NOTHING I cannot find online or in a World Market store that I want while in Europe. I am sure it's the same thing there. The days of "trading" regional products are, I am afraid, OVER.

I think you might be giving the shopping scene in many European countries too much credit. The US may have a decent selection of imported items, but many countries in Europe have a pretty meager selection of US products. Maybe in London, you could easily get any US product you might want, relatively easily, but in many places, the story is quite different. Denmark, for example, is a barren wasteland for imported foodstuffs, though we did finally get Dr Pepper...

Even then, you'd have the issue of cost. Where you can find many of these specialty items, you pay through the nose.

Danes adore licorice and licorice-flavored stuff like marzipan. Dreadful dreck, IMHO.

The PBMF sandwich is something we ate as kids. Most of the time my mom wouldn't let us eat that crap, but once in awhile if we caught her in a moment of weakness, we got the marshmallow fluff

These days I only use it to make fudge - and it makes terrific fudge. Some of you may say it isn't real fudge, but people have been raving about this fudge for decades, so it can't be too bad.

Hit post too soon...

Of course tacos can be absolutely fabulous, just not with pre-made taco shells and meat seasoned with "taco mix". That is another thing we used to bug my mom for when we were kids - right along with canned refried beans with cheddar cheese on top. At least it was easy to make. Sometimes I still eat that stuff, but I know good and well that if I had it for the first time as an adult, I would think it was total crap. Same league as Hamburger Helper - cheap, easy to make, kids love it.

Hah... I just posted this weird question elsewhere, but it seems appropriate to mention it here: http://tinyurl.com/yj4b76q

The French have apalling food.

Yes you can eat well, but most of 'em don't.

And yet they eat better than just about everyone else when they set their mind to it.

Most things mentioned thus far can be found in France with a little effort. Many American food items can be found at the "Bon Marche" food market in Paris, next to the department store. (Metro: "Sevres Babylone" lines 10 and 12)

Something I have never been able to find in France is "pencil cap erasers". I like to use pencils and I use up a lot of erasers. Also I have found that all office supplies are very expensive in France; items such as Scotch tape, rubber bands,pens, pencils,pocket calculators, pencil sharpeners etc. This is true even at the American "Office Depot" stores there.

Larry J

'And yet they eat better than just about everyone else when they set their mind to it.'

If you ever get the chance watch The F-Word on TV (Channel 4 in the UK). You will realise your clichés are just will-o'the wisps. Gordon Ramsay's French assistant walked into the kitchen of one of the contestants last night and told the (English) chef he would award him a Michelin star if he could.

http://tinyurl.com/ydxzxw4

And yet they eat better than just about everyone else when they set their mind to it.

That begs the question of why they so rarely set their mind to it.

Going to see in-laws in France and some requested for me to bring cinnamon gum - hot cinnamon gum

Flunch!! Just like Denny's! What memories...

When my German friends visit they go straight to the supermarket and get massive quantities of yellow mustard (French's brand), Orville Redenbacher's popocorn, hot salsa jars, and salt-free all-purpose seasoning. Their next stop is Dunkin Donuts which they see as the Portal to Heaven...go figure.

I'm not surprised in the least. When one travels, certain things 'click' into a memory of the trip, and if it was a great trip, anything that helps to bring back that memory is desirable. And if you go back to the same place, it makes it even better.

Welll.....when I am visiting friends in the UK, I am always asked to bring the large bags of Reese Cups from Costco. Gluttony knows no borders

<<No reason to put each other down about it though, acting all superiour-like, as if your gourmet taste buds would suffer if you put something like a reesecup in your mouth.>>

That's Fodors travel forum for ya! There's lots of well humored/sarcastic comments that I love reading and why I come back to the forum, but there are always a few who REPEATEDLY bash others with their "fine tastes" and total snobbery. To them I can only say "stuff it in your pie-hole". The country bashing is a staple and goes every which way - it wouldn't be a travel forum without them and their comments!!! And I LOL @ those that speak for a whole nation/continent!
//rolleyes//




anyway, I have a buddy who was born and raised in Frankfurt. He took one trip to the USA when he was a kid, and now can't get enough applebutter and twinkies in Germany. He loves them both. It is always on the top his list of things for me to bring as a host gift; he says they are near impossible to find in his area.

I made the mistake of not buying more than a 5-pack of Big Red Gum on my first trip to Paris before leaving the USA. I couldn't find it readily available in Paris. So I make sure to stock up on a personal supply before each Paris trip thereafter.

<<So why are American socks so poor that one brand can dominate the market?>>

They don't. That is a factual error (or made up) on the part of the blogger/reporter who thinks she was being witty.

~Jay

Marshmallow fluff was served on fresh pineapple at the sadly long-gone Nut Tree Restaurant between San Francisco and Lake Tahoe.

Our French friends still like to get brownie mix (especially the double chocolate kind), beef jerky, and dried blueberries. I haven't seen any of those in the stores around Nice, but I keep looking.

Another big hit is large bottles of vitamins: much cheaper in the U.S.

What the hell is marshmallow fluff?

It's a spreadable type of marshmallow that is bought in a jar.

One reason for buying pain killers in huge quantities
http://www.justice.gov/dea/concern/prescription_drug_fact_sheet.html

Most of those foods sound utterly revolting, but I must admit that I don't have a very sweet tooth.
Perhaps we should be sending "real" ketchup in the opposite direction, the stuff made from mushrooms.

When my son was spending his third year of university overseas in Leeds on a very small budget, he asked that we bring an extra large jar of peanut butter and a jug of real Canadian maple syrup when we came to visit him. He was very frugal but enjoyed his pancake breakfasts and peanut butter sandwiches and missed the "real" comfort foods from home.

You can buy peanut better everywhere.

And maple syrup. I think "very small budget" must be the key words here.

No, not maple syrup.

You can't find maple syrup on those little islands? Just take the Eurotunnel then.

But then one would be in France and that wouldn't do at all.

Yes you can get maple syrup here - but not in little local shops.

and Maple syrup is actually quite expensive here about £5 for a smallish bottle

And I was planning to bring CW bourbon and marshmallow creme (since he loves peeps so much) on my next trip to Europe until I read his post about Fodorites that meet him seem to die soon after.

Reese's PB cups seem to be the winner - they have arrived - I saw them in Morrison's the other day.

What the hell is all this? Ketchup and socks? Last time I was in New York I literally saw a British family overstuffing their luggage in the lobby with stuff they bought in America, and it wasn't ketchup and socks.

However, if you do want good durable American socks, get Dockers. I have found no equal for casual wear.

Reese's Peanut Butter cups are okay, but they are like fast food. Not meant to be a pinnacle of quality. If you want really good classic American chocolates that are readily available (at least out west), go get a fresh box made up of See's Candies. My in-laws who live overseas beg for this stuff every time we visit. If you are looking for a good milk chocolate from America, look no further. Remember, have them make the box for you, don't buy off the shelf from the airport.

I don't even know where to begin with marshmallow fluff. Just because you see it on the shelf in a store in America doesn't mean it is a national dish.

I'm not sure who has the edge in cross-cultural ignorance over the other, Americans or Europeans.

The real reason you've topped a 14 month old thread is........

Ok, I work at an airport and watch people shuffle contents of luggage around constantly to get it under the weight limit, number one thing people take back to Europe? DEODORANT, vitamins, perfume, pain meds, gum, Harley Davidson stuff, Levi jeans, cranberry sauce, fat boys b-b-que sauce.
Marshmallow fluff, you eat it out of the jar. I buy candy I can't find at World Market, mustard from Germany in the tubes.

I think it's another x member reincarnated for a little mayhem.

>>The real reason you've registered just to to top a 14 month old thread is........<<