>>It really isn't that long ago when hideous tinned beans, white breads, sugary everything and fatty everything were the standard fare, with scarcely a real piece of fruit in sight.<<

Twaddle. On stilts. And rollerskates. In a tutu.

Hi ss,

>...foods that we have here in the US that may not be available in the UK.<

Vienna (pronounced Vie enna) sausages
Grits
Rotel tomatoes

((I))

O. K. I get it. I just looked up Graham Crackers on Wikipedia.
Note to sailingsailing-don't give these to anyone as a gift if they can access Wikipedia!

When we lived in the UK, the NA foods we longed for and that weren't available included GOOD bagels (yes, I know that there are a few places in the UK to get good bagels, but that's not the same as having a decent bagel selection in the neighbourhood), potato bread, a better selection of barbecue sauce, and certain types of produce like spaghettie squash (I would have killed for spaghetti squash), acorn squash, NJ sweet corn and beefsteak tomatoes with paper-thin skins, Vermont (not Canadian) maple syrup, Boars Head brand bacon and, well just about Boars Head anything, soft shell crab, Dungeness crab (also would have killed for that), Moravian cake, PA Dutch dried beef, bhicken breasts on the bone, and a few things that we were better off NOT having access to: Twizzlers, Cheez-Its, Girl Scout cookies. Most of my list can't be shipped anywway and I doubt Brits would have any interest in, for example, Pennsylvania Dutch specialties.
FWIW, we learned loved things from the UK that we couldn't get in the U.S. -- Tilda's organic pesto sauce, certain cheeses, mmmm...We shopped mostly at Waitrose. We thought many of the selections at Sainsbury's didn't live up to the hype. Just our opinion. (And even Waitrose doesn't come close to Wegman's)

Most of the time, we tried to enjoy what the local cuisine had to offer and gorged ourselves on NA favourites when I'm back in the U.S.

The only food items I would bring back to the UK from the U.S. as gifts (rather than for our own consumption) would be high quality wines from small producers in CA and Oregon.

Oh I sooo miss spaghetti squash!!!!! Mmmmmm

Or how about something like a nice local liquor? In BC they make Ice Wine so I have brought that back for friends as a gift...something they dont get here?

I DO miss acorn squash, split and roasted with a little maple syrup (US or Canadian). We may try to grow some next year.

"<i>I think zeppole lived in an alternate universe.</i>"

And still does.

I think Tahl has a great idea - I'd cruise the aisles of my
nearest TJ's and choose a fun selection of uniquely N.A.
foods and condiments to amuse and confound any Brit.

As a Canuck, I make a run for the border every few months to
visit my nearest US TJ's and I always come home with fun
things uniquely Yankee but eminently edible.

I had to chuckle about missing spaghetti squash.
We grew it one year and it was the most rampant plant I have ever met. It grew and fruited like a mad thing.
Neighbours were given several and we ate several of the beasts, but you can soon get sick of it.
One thing that kept me slim in the US was that I hated the chocolate and the biscuits (cookies). I also couldn't find ground almonds and had to use a coffee grinder. An American friend of mine loves suet puddings and laments the fact that she can't get suet in packets as you can in the UK

Certain cuts of steak (flank steak, skirt steak)>>

That's nice, Annhig, that you have a decent butcher near you that stocks these cuts of beef. I'm in zone 2 and I don't.

<<'you should have little problem finding buttermilk'>> I do have a big problem but lucky enough I'm an internet savant and I just add some lemon juice to whole milk. Again zone 2.

<< maple syrup [not sure what you mean by good, it certainly costs enough]>> obviously a great metric for good maple syrup

<<molasses [it's called treacle and is next to the golden syrup]>> no it's not, darling

<<and non-alcoholic apple cider - isn't that just apple juice?>> again, no it's not, darling

<<turkey sausage and turkey bacon, if you must, look for Bernard Matthews.>> Brilliant suggestion! WTF is a Bernard Matthews and where do I find one?

In six trips to Ireland and Northern Ireland I have found exactly one Dr. Pepper. If I ever go there to live I am going to have to find someone willing to keep me supplied. Not going to be easy; guess I'd best stay in Texas.

MissPrism: "Neighbours were given several and we ate several of the beasts, but you can soon get sick of it."

YOU might, we didn't.

And to annhig, apple cider is not merely apple juice.

"That's nice, Annhig, that you have a decent butcher near you that stocks these cuts of beef. I'm in zone 2 and I don't."

I've never encountered a proper (= selling meat from carcases, as opposed to bought-in cuts, as most supermarkets do) butcher that didn't sell skirt or flank. Or a branch of Waitrose (apart from their motorway franchises) that didn't sell buttermilk. Decent Sainsbury's (like Chapel Market) do too, though a lot of microbranches don't (all this crap about US stores' ranges conveniently forget that real estate is worthless in the US, so supermarkets, even in New York, are far bigger than in Britain)

There are dozens of proper butchers, a score of Waitroses and about a dozen buttermilk-selling Sainsbury's, in Zone 2.

Can't even begin to understand the point of non-alcoholic cider, though. My limited experience in North America is that it's no more than apple juice with gratuitously added sugar (or more likely: pointless and lethal added corn syrup).

But then pointlessly added corn syrup is what distinguishes all American food. Even those tasteless slabs of dead cow you all idolise are pumped up on maize.

Apple cider is made from the whole apple, skins, stems and all, and doesn't have additional sweetener. It has a depth of flavor that apple juice lacks. Usually we buy a couple of gallons of it, freshly made, in the fall; we freeze one for later use.

Lee Ann

Christ on a cracker, Flanneur. Given your extensive knowledge of my local Waitrose, I suggest you avail yourself of their extensive menstrual cramp relief section. Hint: it is better than Sainsburys.

Lee Ann, apple cider freezes successfully?! I never knew that; thanks for the tip! I adore apple cider -- Flanner, you can find out the facts about it on wikipedia -- and look forward every year to making mulled cider on cold autumn evenings.

sailingsailing

try this website - free shipping within the UK for orders over 50gbp

http://www.americansweets.co.uk/usa-...essoda-1-c.asp

This might be a cheaper option for you - I expect the price per item will be higher than you'd pay in the US but shipping costs to the UK are horrendous.

Happy shopping :)

LondonYank - Bernard Matthews is a brand and available in most supermarkets.
http://www.bernardmatthewsfarms.com/default.htm.

sailingsailing, if you are still there, today's BBC offered up the perfect solution!

Dunkin' Donuts.

Apparently people in the UK eat tons of Krispy Kreme donuts, but there is not a single Dunkin' Donut to be found. I don't know about you, but I fink Krispy Kreme donuts not only greasy, but tooth-achingly too sweet. Dunkin' Donuts aren't as good as graham crackers, but it is a fair bet they'd be eager for more donuts.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15309466


Annhig,

I can also buy at the local Italian supermarket -- should I ever want to -- all 3 types of Coca-Cola, all the various Pepsis, the Fantas, the Italian colas, the Turkish colas, and then we could go on the colorless types of sodas -- Sprite, Canada Dry, etc. -- and then another half dozen odd sodas (chinotto, violet, etc). I don't blame you for preferring to spend your time in Italy looking at art at the Museo Doria Pamphilj instead of soda at the DiperDi, but I assure you that there are whole rooms full of nothing but soda in supermarkets in Italy -- most of which happened to be owned by French corporations. It's not a purely American thing. In fact, Schweppes is more popular in Italy than it is in America.

Tarquin, Cathiejoe, janisj

Not an alternate universe. I lived in London before the "tide turned" and food there became edible. (Minimally.) That said, Giordano Bruno was absolutely correct, and believe me, it is much better where I am.

"<i>. . . and believe me, it is much better where I am.</i>" As you insist on telling us over and over and over and over again. Trying to convince yourself??