I just brought back a jar of Ile de Re salt mixed with herbs from La Rochelle; I cannot get this in the US. Why would someone living in France think this is odd? Most of the people buying this were French..is it odd that they were bringing it back to wherever they lived in France?

Would you find me strange if I said I bought a box of Morton's salt in the US to take back to France because it tastes better? (Don't worry -- I didn't.) Or if I smuggled an American Big Mac to Europe "because they're better there"?

Recently a poster imported a 12-pack of cans of Coke to Paris in his baggage. Is this not cause to chuckle?

<These are tied bundles of dried herbs (bay leaves, thyme,arsley etc.) like little logs about 3" long, packaged in as many as 24 to a bag.>

before you decide what to have your son bring back consult US Customs as many plant materials are not allowed in - i don't know about herbs or if Robjam declared them on her form where it says to check yes if carrying any food items - they may be perfectly allowable but many items like that are not. There are often Beagle sniffing bags at my home airport Customs and they are said to be searching out food items not declared. Don't get your son's name on some list of violators. So check first. Cheese and any meat may fall into the Verboten class.

Back to the beagles - they sniffed my bag and dog put his nose on my daypack and wouldn't budge - i was eating a carrot because i knew it would not be allowed in but dog smelled where it was a few minutes earlier - carrots and many veggies are just not allowed in. I was sent to a thorough screening machine to look for other secreted food stuffs. And subsequently at times i've been singled out for thorough searches though i was never in 35 previously years of trips abroad.

Kerouac somehow I do not think you are a cook!!! Or at any rate you do not seem to know much about salt. Ile de Re salt is a bit of a stretch from MacDonalds! Even you must admit that.

Some of the products I bring home may be available in the US (Fleur de Sel from the Camargue, for example) but the price differential makes it worthwhile for me to bring home. Same with Piment d'Espelette, to mention two products discussed above.

Ile de Re sells in the US for $42.00 for a 12oz bottle..that's by voulume not weight! I've never seen the various subtly flavored salts anywhere in the US , and the ones I've gifted to my foodie friends have always been a hit.

I used to bring back the bouquet garnis too, but we have an Oliver & CO source here in FL so I haven't bothered lately. I've shown it to CIs and never had a problem with it.

Dottee - can I adopt your aunt?

I have often wondered what would happen if I brought a couple of baguettes with me. I miss that stuff.

I agree about the cost differential.

I like to buy tins of foie gras in supermarkets or the duty-free store right at the airport, that are at the most 1/3 of the price I would pay at Zabar's for comparable quality. My Whole Foods store rarely has anything comparable.

I have also brought olive oil from Provence and chocolates and macaroons from Pierre Herme and Laduree - well worth the trouble. Some of those chocolates did not survive the long flight though, as I gradually gave in to the maddening temptation

Cured/hard cheeses are allowed, here's a link to the regs:

http://preview.tinyurl.com/36wjd9

There are wonderful shrink wrapped sausages & cheeses in grocery stores in France, that the dogs don't seem to smell coming through customs. I tuck them into the "dirty laundry" bag. But your son might be embarrassed by being caught, things like truffle oil or freeze dried truffles are always good.

There are wonderful shrink wrapped sausages & cheeses in grocery stores in France, that the dogs don't seem to smell coming through customs. I tuck them into the "dirty laundry" bag. But if your son might be embarrassed by being caught, things like truffle oil or freeze dried truffles are always good.

I just remembered one of our best food finds - quail stuffed with foie gras from Picard! Served as a first course, they rendered our guests uniformly speechless - until honesty got the better of me, and I confessed that they were not my creation .

The stuffed capon from Picard even has the French falling on the floor when they eat it, but I doubt that it could be brought successfully in one's baggage. A little bulky.

If you bring back salt bring fleur de sel.
Tinned meats can be brought. It isn't beef that is the problem--it is cured MEAT that is not allowed.
Cheeses can be brought in.

Forget the olive oil.
I always brought back various olive oils from each trip.
French olive oils ate wonderful and light.
Now liquids are prohibited, and they may leak or break in a suitcase.
Damn the terrorists!
I do buy canned fois gras at the airport, as it is not more expensive and is often on sale.
Fresh truffles, when they are available, I stuff them in my suitcase.

an article in our local fish wrap talked about the beagle brigade and said they catch a lot of ethnic Italians trying to smuggle in sausages!

If you haven't brought back canned foie gras in the past 6 months you might be in for a surprise. As I said mine was confiscated in November. I'd brought it back, canned, for the past 30 years with no problems until this time. Food imports can change frequently. The excuse is Bird Flu now! The USDA-APHIS , which regulates food and animalproducts changes their guidelines frequently and those are the guidelines the Customs Service uses. Just try making sense out of their website..impossible.

Hi ilu,

>...some food from Paris that will travel well and of course pass through customs.

Dried Cepes (forest mushrooms)
Olive Oil
Wine
Pastis - not Ricard or Pernod
Macarons from Laduree or Pierre Herme

Not Pernod or Ricard...? Ridiculous! Ricard is very very popular in parts of France. Pernod less so. They will both travel well! And happen to be a great buy right now at CDG duty-free.