I'm going to Sweden in a couple of weeks and I will be staying with a friend at her parents' home. I've read that wine or liquor is always appreciated as a thank you gift in Sweden due to the high cost of alcohol there, but I feel funny just loading up my suitcase with booze to bring them! Is this really the best option for a family I do not know very well? If so, should I stick to wine or liquor made in the US (something they might not have access to in Sweden)? Any ideas are welcome! We will be staying with them for eleven nights, so I want to bring a nice gift. Thank you!

Hi ashley3
First, make sure that you bring a liter bottle of Vodka. Get the bigger proof. I think Schmirnoff (sp?) has a red label and a blue label. The blue label is the better bottle. This will be happy for the mother and father of the family. This isn't the gift, this really is a nice thought.

I brought a lot of presents to Swedes. One item which did pleased a lot of friends for Art. I have sent eskimo carvings. There was a eskimo duck decoy which was made with branches from the tundra.

If you live in the Southwest, maybe some Navejo art. Good photo books would be good too. Something which shows places within the US. Nature views would be great too. How about a good photo book about the Route 66. This is well known, even in Sweden.

Try not to buy something very common. Sweden has most items which are found in the US. I lived in Sweden for ten years and there wasn't much I missed.

Give a bit of thought what you buy. The hosts will be very happy with a good memory.

Blackduff

Think small (in case they don't like it, it will be easy to put out of sight), think quality, think craftsmanship.
Well received gifts we have taken to relatives in Europe include small, particularly good quality Shaker boxes, myrtlewood boxes (from the Oregon coast), Mount St. Helen's glass.
The gift that got the biggest oohs and ahhs was a set of Tin Woodsman spoons packaged in a Shaker box. They really loved them. Although the TW no longer has a store in downtown Eugene, his products can be found in many high end crafts galleries.
I suggest you pay a round of visits to the best craft galleries in your area and see what they carry. A good starting point for ideas:
http://www.tinwoodsman.com/
http://www.earthenworksgallery.com/
http://www.therealmothergoose.com/
http://www.froghollow.org/

Thanks for the suggestions! I thought that alcohol seemed like a strange thank you gift, but I will be sure to bring a bottle of good vodka, just because.

I live in Boston's North End (the Italian neighborhood), so I'm thinking an assortment of pasta, sauces, and a cookbook might be good? I'm sure they would use the food and it also has a personal touch since it's from my neighborhood...any thoughts on this?

Thanks again for the great ideas!!!

Do you have any idea what their interests are?

Yes, wine and liquor are very expensive, but I usually shy away from that unless I know whether the family likes them or not (not to mention the weight and hassle of schlepping it over)

Lots of good ideas above, especially about trying to find something unusual/typical of the area where you live.

If they're outdoor types, a photo book of US National Parks or something similar (like your state parks) is often a big hit.

Eating out is very expensive as well, and most Swedes we know don't eat out very often. You may give some thought of taking them out to dinner one night (although I realize this isn't a lasting gift).

ashley
I had a friend from Minnesota who sent me a book. It was about Swedes and humour.

The book mentioned one chapter which was titled "Spice Abuse". It's about your children abusing with spices. It was funny but it was also true.

Basically, the Swedish spaghetti bolognaise sauce will made by putting some ground been into a frying pan. Put a bit of onion into the hamburger and then throw a dollop of ketchup. Yes, ketchup. The sauce is then finished.

When we had guests who came for a plate of noodles, they wanted to use the ketchup.

I think that a Italian cookbook wouldn't be the best choice.

Most Swedes pick berries everywhere in Sweden. I also know Mass. picks a lot of blueberries, so how about picking tools. I've seen some in Sweden who are a mixture of a comb and a scoop. Maybe you can find something special.

Baking books might be a good choice. They bake lots of cookies and bakes. The men often bake the cakes and cookies.

Sweden has a lot of hard cheeses. They're quite good but I'm sure a good old Cheddar would please most Swedes.

Remember that the taste police are looking for spice abuse.

Blackduff

ashley - I haven't looked in a while, but if you're considering food just double check on whether there are any restrictions on what can be brought into Sweden.

A Mt. Rushmore snow globe. The perfect gift for all occasions!

Thanks again for the great ideas! I know my Swedish friends love coffee, so I think I'll bring some Starbucks coffee beans, coffee mugs, and a baking cook book (love that idea!). I'll def be sure to check for any restrictions about bringing food in luggage first. Thanks, again!!!

<b>double check on whether there are any restrictions on what can be brought into Sweden.</b>

Funny, I just remembered that Coffee was restricted. But this was a few years back.

Fresh meat is not allowed. For that matter, you cannot bring meat to the US neither.

I did bring cheese for fondues and the customs never complained.

Blackduff

Oh! Or another idea just struck me while searching amazon... Ben&amp;Jerry's ice cream cookbook and a decent ice cream maker. I don't know if it's just the Swedes I know, but they always told me one thing they love about the US is the variety of ice cream available, ha! Hopefully their parents are also ice cream lovers!

Check to see if the Starbucks steamroller hasn't already ploughed its way into Sweden yet. If it has, your coffee beans might be less novel than you'd like.

Perhaps you could bring them some candy that is American in style. Salt water taffy and tootsie rolls come to mind.

No Starbucks in Sweden.
Your beans will probably be appreciated -- as long as you don't forget the booze!!!
You don't have to &quot;load up&quot; your suitcase, just get a bottle of vodka at duty free (if you need to change planes, only after last security checkpoint, of course).

ashley3... whoa, that ice cream maker will make one helluva spin with 230 volts in Sweden...

ashley3
The ice cream machine is a winner. You will have to find one which can run on 230 volts or provide a tranformer to pack with the machine.

But why don't you look in Amazon for ice cream machines, if Sweden has an Amazon. If so, the Swedes surely have one already.

Blackduff

Sweden has stores for household goods. An ice machine is definetely not a foreign object up there.

If you WANT to buy one, get one in Sweden and just take the Ben&amp;Jerry's book with you. Will save you the money for a transformer (and who would want that piece of equipment in a kitchen in the first place), plus your friends will have the store nearby in case that thing breaks down.

Hi Ashley3,
being Swedish myself, I just want to tell you that maybe not all of us want alcohol more than anything else...Quite a few Swedes do not drink, and many of us who do don't like vodka!
So ask your friend what she thinks her parents would like - personally I would be happy with some sort of American art, be it Eskimo or Indian.
And if you still want to buy vodka, at least buy Absolut and not Smirnoff!
Ragnar