Taking gifts to Italy- ? Chocolate
 

We are going to Italy and would like to take something "American" to our hosts.<BR>We were thinking of Sees candy, but I am not sure if that would be okay on the airplane.<BR>Any thoughts?<BR>Thanks.

You should have no problem carrying See's Candy on to the plane.

Why would you give someone a box of nasty imitation chocolates? much less a european who is used to much better quality chocolate, ever hear of Perugina?, they are some of the finest chocolates ever made and they are made in Italy. Maybe a nice bottle of american wine would be a better choice...

I suggest a pareau for each of your hosts. Although very "in" in Europe this summer, I understand they are in short supply in Rome, Florence, and Naples.

I would bring something that is from your area. I am from Seattle, so i would bring a bottle of our local wine, maybe some Seattle Best Coffee, or some smoked salmon. Even though Italy has wonderful wine and coffee it would fun to let them sample ours.<BR>Have a fun trip.<BR> Janda

How 'bout a Korean-made soccer ball?

i will be traveling to italy in a few<BR>days and will meet some of my relatives<BR>for the first time. i will take American Silver Dollars and American Proof Sets. i will also take an american gold piece for a special cousin<BR>of mine. american coins are very nice<BR>gifts and nice keepsakes.

i wanted to add that i was going to <BR>take some locally made chocolate with<BR>me but thought it would be silly as<BR>their chocolate, in my opinion, is<BR>far superior!

My daughter's German penpals LOVED the silly bubblegum treats we have in 7/11s and other convenience stores all over the US -- like the bubblegum "tape" strips, SuperBlowPops, grape flavored BubbleYum, all that goofy stuff. (ouch. makes my teeth hurt just thinking about it.)

Cincia, I don't think any food items would be appreciated in Europe as none of American food including chocolate can compete in taste and quality with European. <BR><BR>My son said 3-D mouse pads with SF views were wonderful gifts for his German friends but they are teenagers and use computers. <BR><BR>You are right, something American is the best gift, but not food please!

we were told that European kids (and probably adults, too) love M&Ms candy.

I just returned from Italy and had the same dilema. Every food item is far superior in Italy. I had the added problem of never having met my hosts. Someone suggested that Italian children love American pancakes with maple syrup but I did not heed this advice and wish I did! Maple syrup is in demand. They also love large lavish bouquets of flowers. If you live in Texas bring a cowboy hat. California, beach towels from the Beverly Hills Hotel.

Check for threads on this topic, there have been some great suggestions. Coffeetable books or small picture books about your home are, and, in the wake of 9-11, NYC, are often an interesting choice. A little heavy to lug over, but you won't be bringing them back. Life magazine has some collector photo compilations that were softcover but interesting. Even a regional cookbook, like the Junior Leaque of New Orleans' beautiful cookbook might be a nice hostess gift. I brought Lake Champlain chocolates in an interesting little box, and my hosts in Radda were very gracious about accepting what everyone on this board feels are inferior chocolates...(is there such thing as bad chocolate? Snobs..)<BR>-

Picture books are nice. Regional cookbooks are nice if the people you're giving them to speak and read English. My father-in-law fell in love with margaritas when visiting us, so I bring the components for him to make his own. On our last trip at Easter we brought, easter candies, marshmallow chicks, jelly beans for the kids. My husband's family loves things from NY, so when we went up to visit my family, I went down to Chinatown/Little Italy and bought an assortment of t-shirts, they're cheap and I look for the ones that are Hanes. Plus, mugs, shot glasses etc. Many of the t-shirts have things on them commemorating 9/11, and they loved those. In fact a few people have given us an order for my husband to bring with him in August. For my husband's sister, and aunts I got each of them a pin for their coat or jacket. All seemed quite pleased.

What a bunch of snobs. I'm starting to regret I bought tickets to go to Europe and enjoy what she has to offer, to learn about her culture, languages, and history, but I am afraid all I'll find is a group of close minded snobs.

123: Did you know that Perugina chocolate is owned by N-e-s-t-l-e-s. The quality is not what it used to be.

just received a request from a cousin<BR>in italy for a photograph of the<BR>world trade center/ny skyline.

Thanks for all the great suggestions. I was thinking See's because it is local, I know some ladies that used to make it. I think it is as good as European, and at least in the past See's wouldn't sell any place were the chocolate would not be fresh.<BR>Wine is good, I live in the Napa valley so that it sort of a no-brainer. <BR>We are going to take some pins since we ride Vespas and joined the club in Florence, we'll take pins from San Francisco.<BR>

Cincia, if it's any help I have given See's to several visiting European friends, even Belgians, who seemed more than willing to keep eating it. I'm a huge chocolate fan, and while See's is sweeter and lighter than my favorites and I wouldn't put it in the same league as a good Belgian chocolate, it is definitely not a "nasty imitation" chocolate, as somebody said above. Go for it.<BR><BR>

Cincia,<BR><BR>I think Sees chocolates are a good idea, but I just want to add that the person who said pancakes and maple syrup is correct. My daughter lived in Italy last year and the chef at her 4 star restaurant asked if we could send her Costco sized Bisquick and maple syrup. It is highly prized over there.<BR><BR>Denise

I also want to bring gifts. I am from Chicago and in Italy they think of Chicago as a mobster town. I hope I don't give up and bring a Michael Jordan shirt. The maple syrup is a great idea, made locally in the midwest. I also bought the hostess small turquoise & silver earrings.

When we travel to see our relatives in Italy and France every year we always bring them Godiva Chocolates. They absolutely go crazy over these fine chocolates. We also bring them jeans, and anything with american logo's, which they love to wear.

Godiva is Belgian, M&Ms can be bought in Europe. There IS such a thing as bad chocolate (but Sees does not qualify as "bad").<BR><BR>How about some state quarters? Jelly beans are tough to find in Europe. VHS tapes are good, as long as their VCR plays US versions too (CDs and VHS tapes are much more expensive in Europe than in the US).<BR><BR>

take them a bunch of levis jeans. they are a lot more expensive over there than they are here. if you are buying for teens or twenty year olds they will love it.<BR><BR>didn't know that pancakes and syrup were all that over there tho. good to know

I'm going through the same thought process over what to bring a friend when I visit him in Paris this summer. I hesitate to bring American cookbooks only because of the difference in measurements and oven temperatures.<BR><BR>What I think I will do is find something made by local or regional artists (candle and candle holder, for example).

From my experiences in taking over "American" gifts to friends in Europe, it wasn't so much the quality as the fact that it was American and different from anything else that they could get. For some reason my English friends adore Hersheys Kisses - even though I think Cadbury is a better chocolate. Our friends from Italy love that we bring them California/Oregon (you pick the US State) wines since they are so expensive for them to purchase locally. I'm sure that they will be quite gracious and will appreciate anything you give them.

My US friends always bring gifts, which is really nice and considerate. I believe the thought is the most important, not the actual gift. <BR><BR>Tastes are very personal, but I can tell which gifts I have genuinely liked: Wine from some small vineyard near them. A coffee table book of Indian culture with very good pictures. And when my husband first time became a father they brought a big beach towel with embroidery "Big Daddy". He liked it a lot, not because of the towel – towel is a towel is a towel – but because of the embroidery. He still uses it years later although it is really faded and worn now.<BR><BR>And my number one favourite (see Jane´s suggestion above!) is a pair of wooden candleholders made by some local artesan.<BR><BR>Not quite so good choice was a Christmas tablecloth. Nothing wrong with that, but too glittery for my taste. Somebody else would have loved that, too. And T-shirts with rowdy logos and pictures.

By the way, I like the maple syrup idea. I once watched a TV-program where they were "running" the liquid from maples, and it looked really exotic. I don´t think they dfo that anywhere else. So, the gift would be perfect if you could find a book with pictures that tell how maple syrup is done and give that with the syrup bottle.

Chocoalte should survive the flight, though it might not look so nice if it goes through too much temperature variation. I don't think the chocolate is an especially good idea, unless you have reason to think that they have a special interest in trying and comparing good chocolates from various parts of the world, in which case it sounds like a very nice idea. Obviously good chocolate is readily available in Italy--either Italian chocolate or imports from Begium and other fine European chocolate producers. I think it's great to take something American though, and I made a point to give very very American things to cousins whom I met in Italy. But I'd lean toward calendars with photos of your region of the USA, picture books, maybe good quality local American crafts if you have fine artisans in your area, maybe American Indian items if you think the recipients might be interested. I'd also consider sticking a mini US flag in whatever I'm giving, but I realize some people might find that tacky. (What some seemed to like best is a big bundle of postcards of varied scenes of my state, including some bucolic and semi-wilderness and seashore scenes that they didn't associate with a place so near NYC and Phila.) If you really want to add an American food item, how about something based on cranberrries or peanuts?

i am taking the better bottle of<BR>either jack daniels or jim beam for<BR>a relative and some american coins!

Chris is very mistaken. Godiva Chocolates are American made fine chocolates, not from Belgium. Godiva is owned by the Campbell Corporation, which is also American. Godiva Chocolates are exquisite and cost around $40.00 per pound.

Jack Daniels and Jim Beam both are available here (in Italy). As are Godiva chocolates, maple syrup and Bisquik. <BR><BR>Products specific to your home state are great ideas. Picture books are also great., I have given people the Above San Francisco book and they loved it. Other gifts from San Francisco are Ghiradelli (an Italian who made it big in America) chocolates in a Cable Car model or Golden Gate model.

re: AMY<BR><BR>http://www.godiva.com/about/faq.asp

Thanks for the back-up Cristina!<BR><BR>Currently, Godiva distributed in the US is made in the US. Figured I'd add that before someone else jumps in with how "mistaken" I am. <BR><BR>

Godiva is still Belgian chocolate, made to a Belgian recipe from Belgian chocolate, even if some is actually made in the US, it does not make it US chocolate - there is no comparison! As usual Americans lay claim to make/own/invent everything.