What products have you have enjoyed in the US, but are difficult to find in Europe?

europe is a big place with very different tastes and availability of food and other items. but i'll try:

salsa. we don't do good salsa like you do. ours is like ketchup with a few spices and some lumpy things mixed in.

except for a few select stores, it's pretty hard to find anything halfway decent and when you do it is very expensive.

although we do have a better selection of bbq sauce (mostly US brands) than salsa, you can't go wrong with that. not sure where you are going but US style bbq (i know there's not just one) is pretty well liked in europe.

Genuine Maple Syrup is always a crowd pleaser.

I'm visiting a friend next week in the UK. When I asked what she fancies from the US, I was very surprised when she asked for...

Fortune Cookies!

I guess the Chinese restaurants in UK don't serve fortune cookies???

I wonder if beef jerky is something available in Europe? They are easy to pack and hardly take up any space.

I'd be worried about brining salsa (or bbq sauce or syrup, or really anything that is a LIQUID) as you'll have to put that in your checked luggage. The last thing you want to happen is have the glass jar break and all your belongings get soaked.

Is that the standard etiquette, to bring a tour guide a hospitality gift? If anything, I would think a cash tip would be most appreciated at the end of the tour. If for some reason a more personal gesture is in order, then I would probably go with a thank-you card and flowers, again at the end of the tour.

I have had 11 foreign exchange students and most were from Europe. NONE of them has ever had a BLT (bacon lettuce and tomato sandwich)and every one of them had an unbelievable attraction to them. Almost all took two to four pounds of American bacon home with them to make them for their families. You might try to take some with you, you can wrap in a number of layers of newspaper, put in your deep freeze for a couple days and make it the last thing you put in the middle of your suitcase before you leave. It will still be frozen when you get there. My one exchange student from Bangkok found a store when he got home that has American bacon and he makes them for his whole family and they love them. I almost can't believe that none of them have ever had one or that everyone liked them. The bacon they have in Europe is not the same and will not work.

Another is corn on the cob. My current exchange student from Italy just had is family visit and they have never had corn on the cob. The loved it. I would say that 75% of my friends in Europe have never had corn on the cob. It is a great feeling when you have to teach the French how to eat something. They have a hard time eating with their hands.

I realize that this might not be the right gift for a tour guide, but I thought I would share my experiences with you anyway.

Good suggestions!

Just for clarification: the tour guide is from England, if that is helpful information. I mentioned Europe in general in my earlier post because she travels all over Europe quite often.

After the previous posts, I was thinking that Bronco Bob's Raspberry Chipotle Sauce could be a possibility... it is great with cream cheese and crackers.

>>>>>
I guess the Chinese restaurants in UK don't serve fortune cookies???

I wonder if beef jerky is something available in Europe? They are easy to pack and hardly take up any space.
>>>>>>

no we don't do fortune cookies...fun idea.

as for jerky...many parts of europe are very much into dried meats of some sort. we (uk) import a lot of south african biltong and many have an appreciation for it and france, spain, etc are very into dried meat. 'jerky' or dried meat in general does not make us think of america.

yk

In six trips from Europe I have taken back with me 6 bottles of wine in my checked luggage and not one has ever broken. I just put each bottle in a sock and pack them around my clothes in the suitcase. In the case of maple syrup you could put it in a ziplock bag in case the bottle would break.

Apres_Londee

I think your suggestion is the best answer. Cash first then maybe flowers.

Depends on your hosts really.

Maple Syrup is readily available in Switzerland. The problem is that most consumers don't know what to do with it.

Corn on the cob is becoming very popular. You can even buy it in the fall at many street fairs.

Love the ideas of fortune cookies and beef jerkey. I've seen beef jerkey sold at some bike shops but the price is outrageous.

Salsa is a tough one. You either love it or hate it.

Nestle's Chocolate Chips! A huge bag of pecans..shelled of course. Jello pie mixes. Irish Spring Soap. How about a T-Shirt/Polo shirt from the 'ARCH'.

Grits.

How about Fluff and Nutter! No don't take that! But how about a cokie can full of homemade chocolate chip cookies or any other homemade cookie.

I've discovered, from talking with British penpals, they are unfamiliar with Tootsie Rolls and salt water taffy. Both of those candies travel well.

I don't know if a hospitality gift is normally given to tour directors, but I am a teacher traveling with a group of teenage students, and I thought it would be fun for them each to get the tour director something as a thank you (along with the cash tip).

So far all of your suggestions have been excellent. I must say, this post has been very enlightening.

Duncan Hines Cake Mix
Jif Peanut Butter
Annies Mac and Cheese
Hershey Kisses

In times of globalization, 99.9% of products are available everywhere.

Here some items that we Europeans bring from the USA:

- Oreo cookies (in many European countries not available)

- canned green chile (in Europe available, but only low quality - however, only few Europeans eat really hot food)

- Underwood chicken spread

- honey-mustard sauce

- shirt folders, orange peelers, rubber glass openers

Maple syrup is easily available everywhere in Europe but hardly used. Corn on the cob is available everywhere but rarely eaten. Items for Mexican cuisine are widely available (since the football championship happened in Mexico) but only poor qualities (Casa Fiesta, Fuego) and have become out of fashion here.

In Germany, jerky is available, but most Europeans do not like it.

I was just talking to my DS about this thread(which I'm finding really interesting), and I couldn't believe that fortune cookies would be such a hit in England.

Hope I'm not hijacking the thread, but do they have rice krispie treats? I reasoned to DS that they probably don't, and I've always hated the artifical taste of the ones ready-made for you. I thought it was be a good idea if you could prepare them for your friends there - but we wondered about marshmallows...do they even have them in Europe?

Love the idea about Duncan Hines cake mix - although you would probably have to find the correct temp. for there ovens.

> but we wondered about marsh mallows...do they even have them in Europe?
Yes.

As an American living in the UK, I ask for incredibly silly things when we have guests (Tang for husband, iced tea mix, Fig Newtons, Triscuits). We actually have lots of American foods available here, but we miss our comfort foods sometimes!

My dad's coming out next week and is bringing Girl Scout cookies - I'm beyond excited

I think something specific to where you live would be perfect, again, if it's really appropriate to give a personal gift. My mom brings BBQ sauce and salsa gifts when she travels as she lives in Houston.

Honey roasted pecans and peanuts!! I take some to the owner of the apartment we rent in Lauterbrunnen each year!

A close second is peanut butter.

Are Oreos available in the UK? If not, that is must to include in the gift.

There have been a lot of food suggestions, which have been very helpful.... any other ideas?

almcquiggan:

"I am a teacher traveling with a group of teenage students and I thought it would be fun for them each to get the tour director something as a thank you"

Are you getting one gift from the group to give with the cash tip or is each student going to give something?

You probably can't go wrong with the Tootsie Rolls or Chocolate Chip Cookies. I am an expat living in the St. Louis area and some of the other suggestions would not be my cup of tea. (personal taste)

Please share with us how this all works out and enjoy your tour.

Sandy

Oreos are available everywhere, but they're nothing special anyway.

To each his own, Loogo

Double-stuffed Oreos

almcquiggan:

Hello again:

I agree with poster pittpurple who said "again, if it is really appropriate to give a personal gift"

Sandy

>>>Are you getting one gift from the group to give with the cash tip or is each student going to give something?<<<

I was wondering this, too. That's a lot of junk food and knick-knacks, if each student is bringing something (remember most Europeans simply don't have much extra space in their homes and kitchens)

I would still go with flowers and a nice card signed by all the students, but if you really want to present her with something "local" then I think I'd take $5 from each kid and pool the money and get one nice thing as a gift from everybody.

Wow, all of the advice so far has been really helpful. I am reconsidering multiple food items... maybe some local wine, some hershey's kisses.... or some sort of apparrel or umbrella that has something related to St. Louis on it and a nice card.
How does that sound?

I once brought over Nutter Butters for a friend when I was visiting England. Since then, it has been a fail safe item to give to other friends there and is always a hit.

The Noodle Bar in Maidenhead has fortune cookies. One of the few places that I've seen them.

Logos, the Oreos factory in Europe seemed to have very lazy quality control staff. Unequal stuffing, overbaked cookies, etc. So they don't match up to the real thing (although I always preferred the gone but not forgotten Hydrox).

Girl Scout Cookies!!!! It's probably better that they don't have them in Europe, but ohhh, do I miss the chocolate covered peanut butter cookies.

Graham crackers...can't make s'mores without them, so don't know why they even bother to sell marshmallows in Europe.

REAL Cheerios. They do sell Cheerios in Europe, but not the original all oat variety (they have started selling an oat Cheerios in the UK, but it's NOT the same as the original).

The Sainsbury's in Maidenhead carries Oscar Meyer bacon, the kind that's perfect for BLTs. But it's not a patch on Boar's Head--the BH company knows how to make bacon!

I agree about barbecue sauce. Can't get the good stuff. Or good babyback ribs (even though Denmark is a major producer...guess they export the lot). Last week, we bought some ribs with a "barbecue glaze" at Marks&Spencer. The ribs were lousy and the barbecue sauce was just AWFUL.

Also agree about corn on the cob. It's just not fresh enough and it's not a sweet enough variety. No wonder Europeans don't eat it. Who would?

Spaghetti Squash. Very hard to find. Ditto for acorn squash. Also Dungeness crab and fresh soft-shell crab.

I stock up on as many of these goodies when I'm back in the U.S. to bring home with me. Or if they're things I can't bring back with me (like softshell crab), I just enjoy them on my visits to the homeland.

But, overall, the American stuff I like but can't get is balanced out by the things I can get in Europe that would be hard to find in the U.S. Just a little give and take.

IMO, food gifts are iffy...barbecue sauce won't be that welcome if your tour guide turns out to be vegetarian.

So...my standard recs for American gifts to Europeans include...Mount St. Helens glass, a small, well-made Shaker box, a Tiffany key chain with a sterling silver Checker Cab charm. That kind of thing.

The GS cookies makes me smile. I'm a GS leader and we send cookies to the troops. I don't know why it didn't occur to me to take them as hospitality gifts. My daughter is returning to Serbia this summer for a ballet workshop and we wanted to take something to the ballet teachers there from home....I've got a bunch of boxes of GS cookies in my pantry. What a great idea.

My initial idea when I read the question though were "moon pies." I'll bet that isn't something readily or easily found in Europe!

There are plenty of places to buy fortune cookies in the UK ther are plenty of chinese super markest if the big main chains don't stock them. The same for Salsa, yes you can get salsa like ketchup if you don't look around for it but there various varities to buy. Corn the cob is readly availble, Oreos are avaible in the Uk and so is honey roasted nuts Sainsbury do lovely ones that once you start eating them you can't stop.

I have to agree with Apres_Londee about giving a cash tip at the end of the tour.
and a cahs gift would be morthat if you give a tour guide something then cash is what I would giveou

I think a unique to USA trinket is good also. For instance, I live in Indianapolis; a 500 mile race souvenier is good. NYC - something from the "big apple". Something from Amish Country, Grand Canyon, San Francisco, New Orleans, etc. If going to Rome, Italy - something with the name Rome, Georgia on it. The trick is not to end up with something so tacky the person will just throw it away!

But I agree, a small USA gift along with the tip is a very nice gesture.

I like the Girl Scout cookies idea - now that's American!

Another thought is a personal invitation card which includes your tip. Hand her a picture of your group (with names of each person) on an invitation that if she ever visits your area to give you a call for a personal tour!

Have fun.

What a great discussion! I would like to bring something to my Italian aunt/uncle (in 70's)and then my cousin's two kids, Fausta is 16 and Genesio is 12. Think the kids would like Toistee Rolls or Hersery Kisses? I like a brownie mix too but whatever I bring I must first take to France and then 2 wks. later I will visit the cousins so I must carry in luggage the whole time! I know the Kisses will melt so I have to forget them. Have other suggestions?

You know that is a tricky one because Europeans often do not have the same hankering that might thrill an American expat.

We have been traveling Europe for almost 2 years and can find most things here.

Zip lock Baggies and aluminum foil are much better in the US at a better price, but not exactly a present kind of thing.

We have my mom send stuff to us like that or pumpkin pie ingredients. My child misses a little mac and cheese but playdates with UK, Spanish and other European kids show that they do not often care for it at all.

I think you might be better off giving something small and unique from your area like key chains or T-shirts.

I would definitely not bring Hershey's Kisses since most mass-market American chocolate is so inferior to UK or EU chocolate, so why give them definite PROOF of it ... and also beware on things YOU think Brits might like, such as Mac & Cheese or Peanut butter ... English and continental friends of mine cannot see WHAT we see in such foods.

Ditto with the homemade cookies... nice but have you tasted EUrorpean baked goods? To die for. Besides which, what if she is watching her weight?

Perhaps one small bag of those toasted pecans (not a nut found often in Europe) but otherwise, flowers and MONEY ... she is undoubtedly not paid a fortune, and would appreciate something for what she truly wants or needs.

Nestle's chocolate chips?????

I visted Broc in Switzerland,where Nestle has a major factory...Nestle is a Swiss company.

Why take bacon to Europe? The French have fabulous "bacon"...

Sweet corn, yes. Seafood... heck no...visit the Ocean villages of France or any seafood place in Paris, and you will be blown away.

I would second many "reluctant" voices here: Something what an ex-pat craves for, may be totally boring for a local. And either you, your students, or the tour guide may have to schlep around all these items during the trip.

Since a hospitality gift is not something I would consider to be expected by the guide, I would keep it somewhat easy to handle and don't spend a lot of money on.

Does your school have its own line of souvenirs or clothing? Something like a school ball cap, or t-shirt, sweater, or a mug?

Or is there a chance you can get all the students participating in that trip together for taking a picture with one of your landmarks (and which would that be ) in the backdrop -- and have that pic printed on a t-shirt or mug?

I'm blanking out here so maybe someone knows what I'm talking about - it's marshmallow and chocolate (not a s'more) - it's a candy of sort - only available during non hot months. I've tried googeling mallowtktktk but to no avail - any ideas?

Cowboy, great idea about the picture. I just received a mouse pad made with a personalized picture and I really liked it. It was something practical, yet memorable.

I also like the invitation idea... very thoughtful.

I am still stuck on the idea that I would like to bring her something edible... I guess it is because I am such a lover of anything sweet. I do know that she loves chocolate... but the US is not known for its quality chocolates.

Keep the suggestions coming

I am really enjoying this thread. It is interesting to see what everyone has to say.

Great ideas from Cowboy (as usual)

Brownie mix? We can get them at Migros or Coop. Remember, US brownie mixes are in American measurements.

Chocolate chips? Actually, they are hard to get in Switzerland. I buy mine direct from the Felchlin outlet in Schwyz.

Marshmallows? I can't find any real, soft WHITE marshmallows in my area. I brought some over from the US once and found they didn't take the flight very well. I had to throw them away before using.

Girl Scout cookies? A cute idea.

Again, if your hosts are expats or frequent travellers to your country, they will appreciate many of the above foods listed. If your hosts are locals, the gift might totally be lost on them.

A few things that seem to be big hits with our European friends:

- York Peppermint Patties
- Yankees caps
- Good American wine. Especially something not readily available in Europe, like an Oregon Pinot Noir. Don't bring 2-buck Chuck, the Europeans have plenty of cheap plonk of their own.
- Salsa. The salsa in Europe stinks.
- Girl Scout cookies.

BTW, loved the grits response. We went to Charleston a few weeks ago and I made sure to bring back 3 bags of grits.

love the GS cookie idea!!! Geez...I miss Thin Mints!!!

Carta - I know what you're talking about, but I can't think of the name!!! UGH!

I keep a list in the kitchen to write down all the things I want/need to bring back from the US each summer. One of my "staple" items....grape jelly! In 7 years - I haven't been able to find it! Can find every other variety under the sun - but not grape!

I frequently bring back sweets each year for my DH to take to the folks at the office. The 2 biggest hits - chocolate coated candy on sticks and New Orleans pralines!

Just give her cash and a thankyou card signed by all the kids and maybe a photo of the group. Any gift you take will have to be lugged around the whole trip. Imagine what a packet of Oreos will be like after rolling around a suitcase for several weeks getting mushed and crushed?

Forget the Hersheys. I'm a chocoholic, but think Hersheys is just horrid! The Brits and Europeans have far better chocolate at home.

G Steed wrote: "Nestle's Chocolate Chips!" - you do realise that Nestle is Swiss, not American?

Hi Speckles,

Nestle's chocolate chip packages are not available in Switzerland. Personally, I think there would be some consumer demand for it but Nestle is too busy marketing their coffee machines to think about chocolate chips.

Speaking of Nestle, we have a Nespresso and with our last order of coffee, we received a box of dark chocolates for free. A nice touch.

My two teenagers adore getting Tootsie Rolls from USA, we cant get them in Europe and they are a big novelty, a disaster for teeth, but loved and adored by teenagers!

Okay here's the thing....

When you are abroad for a while, you miss the nostalgia almost as much as the taste. Hershey's kisses are all about the nostalgia, same as the DH cake mix, and definitely the oreos.

Don't even get me started on hamburgers

You miss them because they remind you of home!

Send me those horrid Hershey's and oreos please.

g.

A small bag of candy is good, or some other type of local St Louuis treat. I would also think about items that a Tour Director would need that can "double" as gifts:

-compact travel umbrella
-pens- TD's always need pens
-instead of a mug, how about a plastic water bottle (Nalgene type)
-deck of cards
-luggage locks
You should be able to find all of the above with "St Louis" on them?
-picture of the group with the Arch as well?

I wouldn't suggest a baseball cap (most European TDs I have seen, don't wear them)

>>>>
you do realise that Nestle is Swiss, not American?
>>>>>>

nestle is a global company that owns EVERYTHING. does anyone really think of their brands as swiss? low quality 'quality street' is about as british as you can get and it is owned by nestle. as is polo. etc, etc.

gruezi - you are SOOOO right!!!! Biggest treats I got recently - a big container of Twizzlers and a box of Milk Duds!! YUM................

You septics do know the war is over don't you?

The days when a Brit's head could be turned by a pair of nylons or chocolate that tastes of vomit (as hersheys does) are long gone.

We have all we want now and aren't going to be over impressed by any "food" that a yank may offer us. (Someone once gave me some Peeps - they are excellent pipe lagging)

What we would like is something from America such as things like sports shirts (and depending on age maybe baseball caps) or other trinkets. Also - depending on the age of the kids - bourbon would be nice.

Failing that - bring powdered egg and snoek.

Walkinaround - yes I know Nestle is a huge global company (based in Switzerland), which is why I was wondering why a poster would suggest gifting a Nestle product to someone based in UK/Europe as something that is not readily available.

What I did not realise is that Switzerland does not have Nestle choc chips. We have them here in Australia and it's not something I would think of as unique if looking for a gift.

..but far better than Hersheys!

speckles... not being able to get Nestle's choc chips in Switzerland was a surprise for me, too.
I live in Germany, and Nestle choc chips are a staple sweet in every supermarket since the long-gone days of my childhood.

We have all we want now and aren't going to be over impressed by any "food" that a yank may offer us.

This says more about the British lack of taste buds than anything else. I've said it before, and I will say it again: The French may criticize American food. So may the Italians. Perhaps even the Spanish. But most certainly not the British.

The questiopn is what to get an English guide - and I am here to tell you that Nestle are everywhere here. We call them "nestels".

One things about Hershey's that Fodorites obviously don't know...in the Hershey area itself, they sell a limited range of much higher quality chocolate, surprisingly good (and I lived for years in Brussels and spent a good chunk of time in Switzerland, so I do appreciate good chocolate). We used to enjoy receiving the old Hershey Bonbon gift sets at Christmas. However, the OP is not from the Hershey area and won't be able to get the good stuff.

I agree that a good pen would be a nice gift, as long as the TG isn't the type to lose pens. Or have them purloined by colleagues or members of the group the TG is leading.

Nix to the umbrella. If you want to buy the TG a good compact umbrella, the best come from the German company Knirp. And for a fancy umbrella, pick out something from the store along St. Germain in Paris.

Orval, I lived with a French family that had a second home in La Baule and owned a Michelin-starred restaurant. So I learned a lot about good French seafood from them. But Dungeness crab fresh from the Sequim (WA) coast is hard to beat, even in France.

What are Peeps? What is snoek?

marshmallow peeps!!!

You usually get them in the US at Easter and they are usually either ducks or bunnies in various shades (yellow, pink, blue). In Dubai - I saw orange pumpkin peeps, but my son said they weren't very good.

My Swiss relatives always appreciate smoked salmon from Washington State.

You don't EAT the peeps!! Their real function is to add a bit of whimsy to the Easter basket and to make you feel better about gobbling down all the chocolate; by leaving the peeps, you can righteously claim that you didn't eat EVERYTHING in your basket.

A very few people actually like the peeps. For most everyone else, their only purpose beyond basket decor is to see how long they last. Like cockroaches, peeps could easily survive a nuclear bomb.

How about something more personal-a postcard from each kid's favorite place with a little note and thank you and/or email addresses. Something to remember the kids by, assuming the experience is good for the guide. Key chains or magnets of US landmarks or tourist places-non-perishable, small and compact.

BT - my brother didn't just eat the peeps.....he mutilated them! He especially liked the little bunnies. He would eat it bit by bit......1 ear, the other ear, the head, then he would eat the body in 2 bites. But he didn't eat it all at once. He would bite off an ear and then put the bunny into MY basket. Then I'd come back later and see the other ear gone.....

Ah- such happy childhood memories!!!

Please do not bring chocolate. I always found that European chocolate is much better than American chocolate. And do not bring marshmallows or other candies.

A good idea is to bring a T-shirt or sweatshirt of St. Louis university.

Yes, that's true, I forgot about the mutilation opportunities for peeps and chocolate bunnies. Another creative outlet for the Y chromosome half of humanity. Ahh, brothers, what fodder would we have for nightmares without them?

Mallowcups. (finally remembered)

glad you remembered!!!

Ok, if you want to give a gift, take something relating to St Louis. I'd nix the food ideas to be honest - very little of what we want to eat from the US is unavailable in the UK.

I don't understand the people who say they can't find fortune cookies in England...even our local Chinese takeaways give you them, and Chinese restaurants definitely do (well, 90% of them). Meat jerky is available in any supermarket (in the beer aisle!). American chocolate doesn't taste as good to us. Oreos are quite widely available (our local Asda - Walmart equivaleht - does them).

Splenda!!! By the end of my last trip I would have paid big money for a little yellow packet.

I agree w/ Apres...cash money is best, in a pretty card, amd maybe with a small classy personalized gift. For instance there are those little shops that sell engraved articles for graduations and such like cups or frames or pretty keyrings. I would go for a small silver item like a bookmark or keyring and have it engraved with her name. But as a side gift to the mula.

ams

Most of the items mentioned seem to be familiar comfort food, sought by expats perhaps but a tourist must be in a bad way to miss this stuff for a couple of weeks.

travelgourmet - take care. I have the privilege of taking part in The War Against Terror (TWAT) for a few months each year and have to dine in one of your military chow halls for a month at a time, somewhere in a hot & dusty place. (Don't worry, the British Government is charged for it). While it is impossible not to admire the effort made to reproduce hometown USA for your troops overseas the results are tasteless and boring and not a great advertisement for American cuisine. There is a running gag with the UK contingent that the food has been prepared in a "food blander".

Good British restaurants have moved on in the last 40 years and now rank with anything in Europe, although you will pay for it.

Fresh seafood, cajun, 'soul food', anything native and fresh in the US of course is second to none but I would expect that from a huge country awash with cheap food. But don't knock things you clearly aren't comfortable with. And CW is right, Hersheys does taste like vomit.

I'll join in on the Cherrios debate. I bought Cheerios at Tesco in London, and threw them out. They were sweetened -- (maybe like Honey nut cheerios in the US?) -- but NOT the same as our regular whole grain Cheerios which have no sugar.

I'd just be happy to be able to get an iced tea in a restaurant (not the canned sweetened variety -- but regular brewed iced tea)!

nona1 must eat in some very odd Chinese restaurants.

No self-respecting Chinese restaurant in Britain - or nowhere I've ever eaten in China - serves fortune cookies. Occasionally you stumble over really crappy Chinese places in the suburbs of Scunthorpe where you get them after the boil in bag sweet + sour chicken unseen anywhere else since the early 60s. Otherwise, they're as Chinese as chop suey, that other US-invented contribution to revolting food.

The British equivalent, BTW, is a damp, sometimes scent-impregnated, "towel" made of some non-woven textile in a plastic pouch. If you press the pouch right, it makes a very pleasing plop as it bursts. Often described as a "hot towel", it's traditionally served at the same temperature as our beer. Or slightly colder.

I have had Cheerios in America and really disliked them.
American friends of mine also dislike them.
Biscuits (cookies) and chocolate are much better in the UK IMHO

I'm not surprised that people in the UK prefer their Cheerios. They are full of sugar. Many Americans prefer sugary cereals too. I was just stating what I like that I can't get in Europe -- the topic of this thread.

I don't think this thread was meant to be yet another "whose is better", but rather a "what you like but can't get" thread.

Neo,

This is the life I lead these days... constant barrage of "everything of ours is better" from the British. It does get so tiring...Next move my kids will be in American schools. We are all tired of it.

BTW, I too really miss iced tea!! I brew my own now so at least when I'm at home I can have it.

But I do miss a lunch of a good ceasar's salad with grilled shrimp and a bottomless cup of unsweetened fresh-brewed iced tea...

and, for the car ride home a couple of those absolutely horrid Hershey kisses

gruezi

I think what the tour guide wants is cash - not a "present". They are VERY poorly paid and definitely depend on sizable tips for their livelihood.

Fortune cookies are an invention in America, so no, "Chinese" (quotes intentional) restaurants elsewhere don't do them.

A US food gift for a European tour guide is a tricky one, a bit like looking for Swedish rap to give to an African-American host, or French Rock to a Hells Angel.

Chocolate is right out, as are cheese (I've never seen cheese in any form other than a topping in the US), biscuits, spreads and sauces, as well as anything else containing High Fructose Corn Syrup, or genetically modified anything, which wipes the board pretty clean.

Ice tea mix? That would be tea and ice no? Both readily availaible everywhere in Europe.

Any powdered mix, cakes or cocktails etc is a no-no, thinking about it. Nothing out of a can either.

American beef pastrami is both good and unique, but not practical, also American beef is banned throughout Europe as a form of toxic industrial waste.

I am thinking really hard here...A good American wine.

Chances of finding a European who doesn't drink are pretty slim.

American beef is banned throughout Europe as a form of toxic industrial waste.

Absolutely false. These things are easy to verify. I suggest doing so before looking uninformed.

As for cheese, Humboldt Fog is one particularly well-regarded American cheeses. There are also several other smaller, local producers - Vermont, in particular has a lot of artisanal producers.

If one has not found quality foodstuffs in the US, they must not be looking very hard. I've lived in both Europe and the US, and I have had pretty equal luck in finding quality products.

"Ice tea mix? That would be tea and ice no? Both readily availaible everywhere in Europe."

Obviously, JR, you've never tried it. Ask for a pot of tea and a huge glass or more of ice and you're very limited on it happening. Pour hot tea over two small ice cubes (the most you're likely to get most places) and you won't get ICED tea.

We laughed till we hurt with about 6 attempts once at a seafood restaurant in Ireland. We could actually see a huge ice machine by the entrance to the kitchen and they displayed fish on a huge bed of ice. We explained what we wanted. We managed to get a pot of brewed tea, but the ice cubes kept coming one or two at a time in a small cup. We kept explaining we'd like a lot of ice so we could pour the hot tea over it and make it completely cold. The waitress would light up like she finally knew what we wanted, disappear, and finally return with two more ice cubes -- one for each of us. After each trip she kept looking at us like she couldn't figure out what we were doing with all those ice cubes -- like maybe we were hiding them or something.

I would give something from your home town, though most tour guides are not well paid and rely on tips or a cash bonus. Some food delicacy that is specifically local is always a nice gift.

(On another travel board we do a secret santa at Christmas time - which means oer the last couple of years I have received canned peanuts, grit mix, New Mexican honey, prickly pear cactus jelly and candies (which were delicious!) In return I have sent local honey, biscuits, and locally made crafts.

As a English woman, what I most like to receive from the US is proper ZipLoc bags. I have to resort to buying them on ebay here, and paying a small fortune for postage as they can be heavy. Large sizes for packing my suitcase for travel (squeeze out all the air), small size for all sorts of things, and medium is most useful in the kitchen.

My kids really like supersour sweets - the sort that you cannot help but have your face contort when sucking them! We also like maple syrup (travel in a ziploc bag!) though we can buy it here easily enough. Jif peanut butter is great. BTW we can buy beef jerky here in most supermarkets. Also Oreos and Hershey bars are widely available.

"Absolutely false."

Absolutely true...Prove me wrong..

All I know is our dear Scottish friends seem to really like the can of spam we bring each year.

Here you go:

http://tinyurl.com/66sg79
http://tinyurl.com/5kksjc


Don't they teach research skills in Europe?

Neo,

I just had the same iced tea experience last week. The waitress was very sweet but unless you've had real iced tea, I think it's hard to imagine what it is.

So I gave up, tipped generously, and went home and brewed my own...

g.

But don't knock things you clearly aren't comfortable with.

Whoa now. I never claimed that there is not good food to be had in the UK. Indeed, I have had several very good meals there. I am looking forward to dinner next Saturday in London. I am quite comfortable with the food on offer in the UK, spanning the full range from traditional to modern British to the exhaustive range of non-British restaurants. I think Stilton is the greatest cheese in the world. I think British beer is second to none. I have absolutely no problems with British food.

But, having a some good restaurants does not make for a long established culinary tradition. My point is simply that, when the French get all snotty about food, they at least can point to a relatively long and illustrious list of dishes and food products that are widely regarded as excellent. The UK does not have anything approaching that reputation. And to dismiss American food, which has at least an equal reputation to UK food is silly.

Oh my god, 1% of imported beef comes from the US. That may be the reason for the increasing rates of cancer in the EU. It has been banned since 1989, how could they EVER agree to let this toxic waste get into the EU again...

I couldn't care less that in retaliation the americans limit their import of camembert.

travelgourmet, thanks for the links. I've been hearing for ages that the reason you seldom see American beef in Europe is because it's considered "toxic" waste or something similar to that. But even a friend in London told me they CAN buy it and sometimes do, it's just very expensive. I guess when someone doesn't want to pay for quality, it's easier to trash the product as being inferior than admit they really don't want to pay for quality. Sort of like saying "I wouldn't drive one of those junky Rolls Royces if they paid me".

Regarding the American beef...

I assume Switzerland is considered Europe. I buy US Certified Entrecote Steaks here about once a week. They are very expensive, but taste a lot better than the others offered so I pay the price.

Absolutely true.

gruezi

>>>>>
This is the life I lead these days... constant barrage of "everything of ours is better" from the British. It does get so tiring. Next move my kids will be in American schools. We are all tired of it.
>>>>>>

this does say a lot about british/english society. there are reasons for this:

1. we are the poor, whingeing old man of europe. look around...eastern europe is enjoying new found opportunities in eu membership. their economies are growing and freedom is still relatively new. optimism is there. even our 'poor' cousin, ireland has left us in the dust. spain and portugal are enjoying new levels of wealth and are in transformation. we are bored, frustrated and hardly optimistic. what do we have? WWII is long over (although you wouldn't think so watching our tele). the concorde is just hanging in museums. hmmm, doesn't sound much different from america's situation. we're long past our sell-by date and we want to make sure you totally understand that you are over too. your decline somehow makes us feel better about ourselves. we love it. it makes us giddy inside.

2. due to our colonial past, it is not politically correct to be arrogant. we love to be pompous but we really can't any more. we also have this damn value called 'tolerance' (like america's 'freedom'). there is not a lot left to 'britishness' and nothing left of englishness. tolerance is something we can hold to. but at the same time it backs us into a corner and frustrates us. we can't protect any of our values but we must accept/tolerate everyone else's.

3. america is a bit wounded now. it's an easy target. and the types of americans here generally believe these days that anything non-american is better anyway.

america is really the only country we can lash out against. some will lash out against foreigners in our midst but that's far too politically incorrect for most people and it goes against our tolerance value. hard to lash out against the french...we all want to move there so it looks a little silly if we constantly say how crap it is. what else are we supposed to do? yes we are more than just a little sad.

so instead of lashing back, you need to understand why we act this way and feel a little sorry for us.

on behalf of britain, i apologise and ask for your understanding.

Oh my god, 1% of imported beef comes from the US.

But you know me. A stickler for accuracy.

I never refuted a claim that American beef dominated store shelves. I refuted an incorrect claim that it was banned from import.

isn't it sad that we had to change from what this thread was all about to yet another "we're better than you are" and "you're all a bunch of pompous asses" threads. What is the point? I apologize for sort of getting drawn into it myself on my last post.

I stand corrected

http://tinyurl.com/5tkltx

95% of US beef (which is hormone treated) is banned in Europe.

Briefly non hormone treated US beef can be imported, but there isn't much of it, and as walkingaround point out, expensive.

Switzerland isn't in the EU.

walkinaround,

If your post is sincere, then it was very big of you and I thank you...

I try to be tolerant as well, but occasionally these American bashings just put me over the edge.

I thought I was actually getting a lot more immune to it, but some days are better than others.

Just yesterday I had to listen to my daughters principal at her British school talk about how rigid and uncreative the American school system is and how advanced their program is compared to it... OMG, I couldn't agree less...but I kept my mouth shut for my daughter's sake.

gruezi

"Obviously, JR, you've never tried it. Ask for a pot of tea and a huge glass or more of ice and you're very limited on it happening. Pour hot tea over two small ice cubes (the most you're likely to get most places) and you won't get ICED tea."

Hmmm...I make my own, make tea, let it go cold, put it in a bottle then in the fridge, pour over ice.

Am I missing something?

Yes, you did miss something. You can't do that in a restaurant!!

g.

Thanks, gruezi. I thought it was clear I was talking about in restaurants. Guess it wasn't.

In places where I rent an apartment, I can do that too, but it's difficult in a hotel, and next to impossible to order it in a restaurant, where most tourists get most of their meals.

I am drinking fresh brewed iced tea at this very moment. I haven't found a cup of iced tea (brewed like in the US) in all of my European travels.

I have never found it in restaurants. When I visit the folks in Atlanta, it's pretty much all I drink! It goes nicely with my double stuffed Oreos, mac and cheese, peanut butter (Jif, not the fake stuff in Coop) and other goodies I can't get here in Luzern.

The things you learn on fodors - I had no idea I was a patron of 'weird' Chinese restaurants! Perhaps it's a regional thing then, I've had them lots of times. In fact I've got a little collection of the funniest fortunes on my fridge door.

I hope you're still with us almcquiggan. General idea seems to be cash is best plus maybe something tiny and locally relevant to you.

I am new to drinking iced tea now that I have quit driking Coke and Pepsi and the like. I do like regular non flavored teas.

Almcquiggan have you decided yet?
Maybe an iced tea machine for her hotel room? Along with money of course.

<<< Author: almcquiggan
I am not sure what is not typically found in Europe that would be enjoyable to receive as a gift.>>> Great idea, but unfortunately all the North American produce that we actually (eg good peanut butter, maple syrup, honey roast pecans, beef jerky, even BLT sandwiches) are already freely available - in British supermarkets at least.

The things that expats long for (eg Hershey Kisses) aren't available simply because they don't meet our tastes.

Something like a polo shirt could work, if you had any idea what her size was. Bit embarrasing if she turns out to be a bit on the large side!

Personally, I like the idea of a postcard from each student with a few words on the back explaining why they particularly like that part of their home town.

Oh, fortune cookies, I've only ever had them once at a chinese restaurant, it was fun to recieve one after a meal, but not sure whether I'd appreciate a bag full!

Yep, I am still with you. This thread has taken a little bit of a detour though.

To address the issues that have come up:
I have traveled to and lived in other countries and I beleive that each country (including the US) has things that are absolutely wonderful and things that are just crap. Instead of making it a contest. Can't we just appreciate that everyone has differrent tastes and different things that they are used to. We have a tendancy to long for the things that we find comfort in and familiarity with.... it is like going home. We assume a lot of the time that the things that we like, others will like also, but it is just not the case.

After all of these posts I have realized that it would be absolutely impossible to correctly guess what the tour director would genuinely appreciate (because no matter what country one is from, there is no way to know what one might like... as evidenced by this thread).... I think that my best bet is a bottle of wine from a local winery, a picture of my group in front of the Gateway Arch, a couple of quality St. Louis pens, some candied nuts from a local confectioner, and a nice thank you card with the invitation to visit us if she is ever in the area.

How does that sound?

<<Just yesterday I had to listen to my daughters principal at her British school talk about how rigid and uncreative the American school system is and how advanced their program is compared to it... OMG, I couldn't agree less...but I kept my mouth shut for my daughter's sake.>>

Right there with ya, gruezi! My kids are in an IB school, but a lot of the curriculum is styled on the British system. And many of our teachers are British. We are getting ready to move back to the US and it is frustrating to try to figure out exactly how my high-school kids' math and sciences classes will transfer to normal US public school. Some of the teachers/admin folks are great - but there are a couple who just don't understand WHY there would be a problem since there is little problem transfering them back to the UK. And they get "put out" when I mention that there are several topics that the math classes don't cover because they teach "integrated math", so even tho my kids are in the advanced math classes, I'm going to need them do some catch up work this summer.

What an odd thread. It strayed so far.
alm. how about an American designer's scarf?
You never have too many and it's something she won't get there, most likely and it will remind her of your good will.

I would love to be a fly on the wall at the tour guides house, if some of these suggestions were acted upon.

To give someone who you don't know items such as bacon, cake mix, bbq sauce or fortune cookies would be pretty strange to me. Think how you would react if you were presented with these items.

Get something from St Louis such as a book and get all the students to sign it with a thank you note and some cash/voucher

Geordie

Hi almcquiggan,

Chiming in with some suggestions and a comment.

When I lived in St. Louis, there was a very old, famous candy company called Switzer that made licorice. You could smell it when you crossed one of the older bridges into the city. They were known for their red licorice, so that might be interesting if they still exist and make it. I think they also made traditional black licorice and later, other fruit flavors.

A silver (or gold) charm of the Gateway Arch with perhaps a little book or article about it would also be interesting. In some ways, it is our equivalent to the Eiffel Tour and certainly represents St. Louis.

A nicely bound copy of Life on the Mississippi or Hucklebury Finn by Mark Twain would be special and also very American with connections to Missouri and St. Louis.


While a little gift it extra nice and thoughtful, the posters saying to tip are also right on. When I was teaching and took students on tours, the tour company gave suggested amounts for tips. The last time I looked, it was three dollars per day per student for the guide and two dollars per day per student for the bus driver. It is best for you to collect this at the beginning of the tour because, by the end, some students will have overspent and be borrowing from you and other students.

yeah - we did "stray" a bit....sorry about that!

I think that my best bet is a bottle of wine from a local winery, a picture of my group in front of the Gateway Arch, a couple of quality St. Louis pens, some candied nuts from a local confectioner, and a nice thank you card.

These all sound good to me (apart from the photo) but I think it would be over-kill to give them all, if that is your intention. Guides want cash tips not gifts, so tip plus one gift is more than enough. Good ideas though.

The reason I don't think the photo is a good idea is that I think it'll just end up in a cupboard at best and in the bin (most likely). She is not with your group for fun or because she likes you all. You are not her friends. You are a job. I just can't imagine anyone displaying a photo of a bunch of people they had to deal with for work for a week. People put up photos of friends and relatives. However lovely your group is, they don't really mean anything to her.

Grcxx3-

Since we've already hijacked...

Yes, same thing here - IB program and it doesn't match up at all and I'm not overly impressed. We came from a very good school system.

I've been supplementing with tutors for math and science since we have to re-enter US system at 10th grade.

Good luck!

g.

(continuing hijack...) - my boys will be going into 10th and 11th grades in a strong school district in Houston, so I know what you mean. My older son is actually in better shape since he will have completed the whole science curriculum. I do like many things about the IB program - but flexibility is not its strong point!

Thank goodness you have boys... I think they move better at that age!

It will be a big change going back won't it?

I wonder how I'll do - forget about the kids

g.

(continuing hijack... )...
I think we are all looking forward to being back. We've been gone 7 years. I'm just not looking forward to cleaning my house again!!!

As others have said, just about everything edible that has been suggested here is easily available in the UK anyway, and most Brits don't like American chocolate. It's illegal to import meat. Any sort of souvenir she'll likely just throw away as not worth the effort of transporting home.

It's not usual to give tour guides gifts, just a tip at the end.

Do you think Imos would pack well? Or Fitz's rootbeer? I'm a St. Louisan living abroad and that's what I miss!

Someone suggested ... grits!?

The British have quite enough revolting food of their own, thanks just the same.

Corn on the cob really has to be fresh. The very best I've ever had was from our garden, when we picked it, shucked it, and tossed it into the big pot of boiling water on the stove -- all within about half an hour.

The farmer's market sweet corn is pretty good, too.

Hey - don't knock grits until you've had them prepared correctly!!! The little "instant" grits packets you get are horrible. Add some grillades (a New Orleans-style veal/beef stew with tomatoes, onions, and peppers) and you've got a great brunch!

Root beer is an interesting idea... do they sell root beer in Europe?

In a few places, but the taste isn't quite the same. (and root beer taste varies regionally in the U.S., too).

I couldn't imagine giving someone a bottle of root beer, that seems odd.

But root beer is a VERY odd choice as a gift, for anybody, not just a guide (I still think cash is best followed by one of non-food items I mentioned in my first post; the food items I mentioned were examples of things I couldn't find easily in Europe, NOT gift suggestions). The only food item I could possibly think of giving would be a good local barbecue sauce (if you know the guide's not vegetarian) but that would be in addition to a cash tip, not in place of one.

If you're determined to give a non-cash gift of some kind, I'd shop for her during free time while traveling--by then, you'll have an idea of her tastes. So what if it's not from St. Louis? For example, if she says she likes hand lotions or candles, splurge on something from the Jo Malone store (there's one by Windsor castle, for example). At best, she'll love it, at worst she can exchange it for something she wants after you have flown home.

Grcxx-

You made me laugh. Switzerland is so expensive I am looking forward to giving up my newfound Hausfrau role...

A housekeeper here makes more per hour than I did as a nurse in the US and with benefits for health paid by employer...

g.

gruezi - I'm just spoiled! In Egypt, I had a lovely young woman who worked 3 days a week for about $90 a month. Here it's higher - I have a lovely Azeri woman who works 2 days a week for $150 a month. I am just going to have to teach the boys how to clean toilets!!!!! Won't THAT be fun!

Are you moving back to the DC area?

meant to mention - IF we had been staying in Azerbaijan, we would be sending our oldest to a boarding school in Switzerland.......so I would have been enjoying a lot of time there!!!!!

Grcxx-

We're from CT and still have our house there, but my husband has been flinging the word "Dubai" around lately....

It doesn't sound like me, but I think I could at least work at the American Hospital there. I do miss my job...

Switzerland is a great place to live though. I will miss it when we go.

g.

Gruezi, did you ever try for a CRA job at one of Switzerland's big pharma companies? Lots of nurses work in those roles and they also hire foreigners for short-term contract positions. I know American nurses at pharmas also working as medical writers, primarily working on protocols and clinical trial reports.

(highjacking again...so sorry!)

gruesi - Many people like Dubai - but it isn't really my favorite place. It's great for shopping (that's where all go to get our "stuff"!) - but it's very hot (duh!) and very expensive and very modern. To me - it had no sense of culture or history or anything. It's like everything is "new and improved!". However, it is a big airline hub - so you can get all sorts of places from Dubai (UNLIKE Baku!).

I am not sure what the school situation is - but if that happens, let me know and I will ask around. I have a couple of friends who live there.

BTilke - great idea and thank you. They hire in Basel which is a bit of a commute for me, but I may have to go that route if I go any more stir crazy. An employment center here suggested the same. The work actually sounds fascinating to me as I'm in oncology and pharmacology is a real interest.

Grcxx - everyone that knows me thinks Dubai and I are not a good fit - I love culture and hate to shop - but I'm trying to keep an open mind. I hear the schools are pretty full, but my kids are already on a waiting list just in case. I'm not going there mentally until I hear something more than conjecture, but I promise to write you back if it gets more real...

Hey, this thread has taken a nice turn for me! Thanks!!

gruezi

Gruezi, go to www.inpharm.com and check out their jobs in Switzerland (advanced job search function). Almost every pharma company and agency in western Europe does at least some of their recruiting via inpharm

Also, look at the www.emwa.org jobs page...Kelly Scientific is recruiting CRAs, etc., in Basel and possibly Zurich as well for pharma clients.

Lastly, check some of the other pharma recruiters in Switzerland like RSA (based in Zug).

I would not give a tourguide food; certainly not most things mentioned here. Maybe an American cookbook from somewhere like Williams Sonoma (well, I would like that, and we don't have WS in Europe).

A t-shirt of sweatshirt from Abercrombie & Fitch would be good, but I suppose you will not know what she looks like. A&F is available in London, but much more expensive. It's not available elsewhere in Europe and is quite popular.

<<<Root beer is an interesting idea... do they sell root beer in Europe?>>>

Ginger beer (carbonated soft drink) is traditional in England, is that the same as root beer?

BTilke-

Thank you so much!!

Just updated my resume last week and this is top on my to do list.

You're very kind!

gruezi

I keep on thinking off the exausted Tour Guide, alone and exausted in her hotel room at the end of the day.

She (I suppose she is a SHE) needs comfort. So, what about out chocolate covered pecans and a bottle (or a half bothe - to make sute she is still operative next morning) of red wine - perhaps from Oregon. What about a good read- mayby something about Louis and Clark!

(By the way, thanks to the wobbly dollar, american foodproducts are popping up all over the shelves of west euro supermarkets.

Good luck! And remember, Europeans have CVs, not resumes!

Root beer and Ginger beer are definitely not the same thing.... I made that mistake once It was not a pleasant experience for me.

and more shocking - they include their age, marital status, and a photo!

I've lived in Europe for the past 10 years and love it when people bring me treats from home. My favorites are chocolate chips (which all my friends over here ask for as well) and Entemann's cakes - I don't know if you have them in St. Louis or if it's an east-coast thing.

I think your tour guide will appreciate whatever personal gift you decide to bring her. Its a lovely idea. From my experience,
Oreos are found all over England. In addition, people from that part of the world generally do not like Hershey's chocolate - its pretty chalky in comparison to Cadbury's Milk Chocolates. Maple Syrup, although available over here, is very expensive, so a gift of syrup is generally well-received. Another big hit is Jolly Rancher candies. Decent salsas are available in Marks & Spencer (although they don't have any really fun ones like they'd have at home).

Tulips, in case it's of use, there's an Abercrombie & Fitch shop in Edinburgh too.

A photo on CVs ?? I've never seen one.

"there's an Abercrombie & Fitch shop in Edinburgh too."

Eh?

I know it's your city, but there isn't. London's their only branch outside North America,and the only other sites they're actually developing are in Tokyo and Copenhagen.

They're looking for a site in Edinburgh, but if it's been found - never mind opened - it must be the best kept secret in retailing history.

A photo on CVs ?? I've never seen one

This is pretty common in Denmark. As is marital status, age, maybe even religion. Things that would never be mentioned in an interview or on a resume in the US.

The CVs I saw for people applying of for the director of our school had photos, marital info (wife's name), kid's names/ages, birthplace, age, etc.

Definitely not something I was used to!

As far as photos on CVs (and most other things) there is no one, single, European way.

In my part of Europe it is unheard of the put a photo on your CV but it is apparently standard in Denmark. I have heard the same of Germany too.

Might I tentatively suggest that really choice food items seem to travel on their own wings unless a country bans them for purposes of its own.
If an American product hasn't found its way onto European selves, and vice-versa, there is probably a good reason.

As far as food goes: I (being a citizen from the Netherlands) always pack a few bags of Starburst Jelly Beans after visiting the USA.
There are jellybeans available in the Netherlands, but they just don't taste as good as these!
Plus I always take some chocolate chip cookies (different brands) and some chocolate bars not available in the Netherlands (e.g. a Mars-bar, we do have Mars-bars, but they are very different, our Milky Way looks a little like the US-Mars bar, but not completely).
Other products I take home with me aren't really suitable as gifts (most of them come from the drugstore and are OTC-medicens, which are not OTC in the Netherlands).

provincial britons are very precious about their chocolate. but to put it in perspective, half of europe will not touch it as they don't like 'milky' and chocolate with additives (eg british chocolate) is not liked in many european countries. in fact selling british chocolate as 'chocolate' in some countries was even illegal several years ago due to the additives that we like to put in our chocolate. this sparked a great trade battle across the eu with the adulterated chocolate countries (eg britain) sort of winning out.

missprism's argument that anything american that europeans would like is already imported has been used here over and over and it is silly and arrogant imo. imagine an american saying the same thing...that everything good from europe is already sold in the us. that's just silly.

in reality, we in europe have dynamic tastes, we like to try new things and we can appreciate foreign things beyond what we see on our grocery shelves every day.

For years, it was diet coke...outside of Britain and Ireland for years the sugar free coke product sold in Europe was coke light...now some fall for the argument that it is the same thing as diet coke only with a different name....nonsense...it is a completely different very foul tasting drink...

Recently coke zero which tastes identical to regular coke but with zero calories was introduced in the USA and is slowly making some inroads in Europe but now in the USA we have a variation called coke zero cherry....not available in Europe (although in the UK, at least as this past February, they have a drink called diet coke with cherry which has very little coke taste and tastes more like cherry cough medicine and I think is very good).....

Recently coke zero which tastes identical to regular coke but with zero calories

If only this were true.

It tastes more like regular Coke than Diet Coke (or Coke Light), but I don't think it tastes the same. Since I only rarely drink soft drinks, I want the full-sugar, full-flavored version when I do get one.

I don't know...I did a taste test thing, you know they blind fold you and give you small samples of each...and frankly I couldn't tell the difference between coke zero and regular coke...I sure did find a difference with diet coke and forget coke light.

Diet Coke is called Coke Light here (Belgium, but also in most other European countries). It's the same thing, just called something else. They don't sell Diet Coke here.
We do have Coke Zero as well, which seems to be marketed for men, while Coke light's target market is clearly women.

Since I can't get my fresh brewed iced tea here in restaurants, I must confess to having become a Coke Light addict. I know it's pretty bad for me, but I miss my cold lunch drink...

In the US I used to drink diet Cherry coke as a special treat...

Our young Czech friend and her family enjoy:

* Peanut Butter
* Ranch Dressing
* Kraft Mac and Cheese
* Marshmallows
* Ice cream/oreo flavor choc bars
* Chocolate Chips
* Space Ice Cream (from hobby store, dehydrated)
* Brownie Mixes
* Reeses Pieces

* Tshirts with American words on them
* Things from Bath and Body - lotion, soap, etc.
* Stained glass window catchers that are representative of where we live
* Something made locally, such as pottery
* I live in Iowa, so things with corn and pigs on them

Most Europeans live in limited space, unlike Americans, so I always try to find things that do not take lots of wall/cupboard/living space.

Tulips...

I don't mean to belabor the point (even though I suppose I am) however...

Coke light is a very different drink than diet coke...they do not taste anything alike...trust me on this...the only places in Europe where the silver canned coke drink is diet coke are the UK and the Republic of Ireland (where diet coke tastes the same as in the USA)....as a matter of fact, I hate it when some British retailers do not buy their coke products from the official British bottler (who have taken to putting a label produced in the UK on their coke products) and it's easy to tell when the silver canned drink is the very foul tasting (at least to me) coke light....(several years ago we had a whole thread on this subject which I started...I'm just a coke addict but only drink certain flavors, my only vice in life)....

In that case, Diet Coke is just not available in most of Europe then; only Coke Light.

MONEY.

She wants MONEY.

She does not want cheap conveinence foods. Boxed cake mixes, cheap candies, yuck, what are some of you thinking? Tour guide is NOT an expat, she is not longing for waxy chocolate chips or stale cookies.

A postcard, a fridge magnet , fine, but really she wants your MONEY.

The poster who pointed out what would happen to photo was correct btw. really, she does this for a living and your group is not so unique that she will remember you after the next 5 groups she does this summer.

Tour guide is a grown up, and needs to pay bills, not get tootise rolls and what next, toilet paper?

My french granny always sent us " care packages" from France , my mom used to get so exasperated with them saying " what does she think we live in a jungle and don't have our own soaps and linens?" LOL

Give money.

peanut butter, creamy salad dressings like Ranch and Blu cheese, ice trays, grits, Mexican food, Dr. Pepper...These are some of the things that I remember missing or not being readily available when I've lived abroad.

bozama,

I agree with you that money is the best tip...

But I disagree about the food... My Swiss neighbor LOVES when we give him treats from America and my kids friends do too...Those much maligned chocolate chips are like pure gold here. All the American moms smuggle them back and we sell chocolate chip cookies at our International Festival. All sold out in a flash!

My neighbors favorite is Duncan Hines cake with the gooey icing that I personally don't like but my kids love.

g.

Gruezi, if you come to Schwyz once, I'll take you to the Felchlin outlet where you can get huge bags of chocolate chips. They are a bit smaller than the US version but just as delicious.

If anyone seriously believes a bloody cake mix or bottle of syrup is a suitable present for a total stranger, they should try this simple experiment.

Imagine you're a tour guide in New York. A group of English customers, at the end of the tour, and after your unsubtle pitch for a tip, gives you a choice between a bottle of HP Sauce and a packet of McVities Digestives. They tell you one of them has a neighbour whose cousin's sister in law went to America once and met someone who liked HP Sauce, but apparently you can't get it in Dean and DeLuca.

Now would you:

a) Strangle the dimwits, reckoning any jury in the world would let you off on grounds of provocation.
b) Call the local psychiatric ward. I mean: that dumb, they're a danger to themselves and society
c) Conclude all English are self-centred buffoons.

d) "Oh how sweet, some provincial little treats. what a nice thought. We DO have a special relationship after all." Then throw in the bin.

I think that the last two postings just about close the subject.
Give the poor soul a decent tip.

It's a different matter if you are visiting friends in another country and you get a specific request.
I remember my daughter going to visit an American friend in San Francisco, laden with Heinz baked beans (it seems that the British ones are different from the American ones), jaffa cakes and rabbit flavoured cat food

What is this American thing with hospitality gifts?
Nobody is likely to take a little gift for a waiter, so why should a tour guide be any different?

Schuler - I will definitely be in touch on that chocolate!!

Josser - I don't think it's an American thing .... least not where I come from. I think the post title is misleading as it asks what products people miss - that's what most people responded to.

Flanner - I don't think too many posters here actually think they shouldn't tip with cash. OTOH, I get the impression that there is some kind of personal relationship with this tour guide above and beyond the business part. In that case, a nice gift along with cash isn't inappropriate.

almcquiggan - Not sure what your question really was aiming at, but I for one have enjoyed reminiscing about foods my family and I miss!

g.

Flanner and Josser
Between you, you have suggested a comedy routine.

A hardbitten New York diner waiter approaches a party of Britons, shifting his gum from one cheek to the other.

British father says, "Now would you like a jar of Branston Pickle, a packet of chocolate digestives or a Tunbridge Wells paperweight?

BTW, there also seems to be an idea that people want brownie mixes.
I must be an ungrateful soul, but that would go straight in the bin.
I rarely make brownies, but if I do, I use good ingredients including good quality chocolate.
It's not rocket science to make them and should not want to make them from a mix chock-full of E nunbers.

What's needed is a New York version of Gerard Hoffnung's guide to London.
There may already be one.
It should contain:
Americans in service industries are insulted by tips.
Give them a fridge magnet or a small food item from your native land.

Tips for London include:

The city’s brothels are easily identified by the large blue lamps outside. Step inside and ask about prices.

The number of yellow lines at the side of the road indicate the number of rows of cars that can park there
Test the famous echo in the British Museum reading room
Tourists can gain priority in queues merely by walking to the top waving their passports and shouting out their nationality.
In London, it is customary to shake hands with all passengers when boarding a train

Here's a story: I went to Ireland and had the great opportunity to meet one of my favorite authors at her house in Ireland. My husband, parents, and I all had tea with Anne McCaffrey at her kitchen table and had a lovely time. I found out what she loves and can't get in Ireland - angel food cake. So I mailed her several boxes worth when I got back, in thanks

Flanner, Abercrombie & Fitch is on George St - I forget what the premises used to be but it's on the north side of the block between Hanover St & Frederick St. Looks pretty boring.

Well I think their target market is anorexic teenagers with too much cash on their hands...

Caroline:

This is bizarre. A&F are putting out press releases saying they've only got one European branch. Their website lists just London. Their filings with America's SEC list only London.

This isn't (just) extreme pedantry: I write about this for a living.

Are you sure you're not confusing it with:
- A local business called Abercrombie (good Scots name)?, or
- A local shop with some A&F clothes in the window?

No, it is an A&F shop, opened about 3 months ago I think. I have now remembered it is in the old James Thin bookshop, the one with the clock outside.

When we traveled in a class to Germany we brought the American ingredients to make chocolate chip cookies. One key ingredient was the biggest bottle of real vanilla we could afford to buy. Vanilla is one thing used frequently in Europe, but is very expensive to acquire. Especially the 'real' stuff.

This basket of ingredients included the recipe, as well as US measuring cups.

It was a fun gift! I would give this, along with cash, and a bouquet of flowers. Everyone likes tulips!

Good luck

Phew.

I'm not going mad. It's Brooks Brothers - sensible providers of reasonably well-made, though unreasonably overpriced - clothes to the sane - that's opened there.

When you have the misfortune to see an A&F - providers of even more overpriced junk to children with an unhealthy interest in homoerotic posturing - you'll see they're really not that easily confused.

But why Brooks Brothers are wasting energy in Edinburgh when they could be opening at the end of my Cotswold street, where they'd get mobbed, is beyond me.

Since Brooks Brothers was totally owned by the British firm of Marks and Spencer from 1988 to 2001 (who changed it to a discount operation opening lots and lots of outlet stores and trying to market cheaper ripoffs of their own previously fine clothing as well as reducing quality of their main lines), and then sold to an independent Italian owner, it's hard to consider them an American company anymore. The Italian owner has returned to some of their old manufacturers in an attempt to regain some of their more particular "old time" customers that Marks and Spencer lost for them.

Ah right, I beg your pardon, flanner. IME an easy mistake to make, confusing 2 lines of dull American clothes

Since most A&F stores feature giant window posters of half dressed adolescents in bed together and a shirtless young buck standing in the doorway, confusing it with Brooks Brothers is hilarious!

Perhaps a "product" that we enjoy in the US but not always in Europe, is a sense of humor that does not always involve a put down of entire other cultures...

When my brother came for a visit last month, I requested one and only item that I cannot find in the stores in Paris: popcorn salt.

I once brought popcorn in the tin "pan" and that was a big hit! They heated it up over their outdoor barbeque and all were amazed of the bubble shape the flatness became!

Really good peanut butter

<<Perhaps a "product" that we enjoy in the US but not always in Europe, is a sense of humor that does not always involve a put down of entire other cultures...>>

THank you gruezi - I agree.

Our European friends are crazy for Dr. Pepper. Although, I think you can buy it in Holland now.