Right?? The BBQ rub for the win!

Speaking personally, I think the BBQ rub is great, the cheese definitely not. Candies, well certainly in the UK Jelly Belly are very widely available, and not particularly something unusual so I wouldn't bother. And I'd stay clear of American chocolate unless it's the really good stuff like Amano. Anyone who brings me Amano Dos Rios (or any of their other bars, frankly) is a friend for life!

The only time I think a calendar or photo book of your local area would be appropriate (and not just dumped at the nearest charity shop once you've gone) is if you are doing a home stay / cultural exchange where it's very much focused on learning about each others' homes.

But that's just me! :-D

If you were coming to visit our home in Vienna, from Texas, I would be thrilled to receive real BBQ rub or packages of chili powder. Jams are always safe, but in Central Europe there is no berry or flower that can not be turned into either jam, schnapps, or natural "medicine."

For what it might be worth, Jelly Belly are readily available here, too.

Last time I was given chili powder from Texas I gave it away to a Calabrian who really appreciated it! My landlady loads me up with jam every season. I couldn't possibly eat more.

I get a lot of alcohol I don't drink (my other guests end up drinking it!) What I most appreciate is when people ask me in advance if they can bring me anything from abroad, but then I end up saying things like Vitaman D3 in capsules -- not very glamorous!

Other than that. I think practical gifts are very nice. I never have enough silicone spatulas, oven mitts, tea towels... I especially like kitchen towels. What I have too many of is knick knack bowls, calendars (free from the pharmacy) & scarves.

Booze

I will take that local batch bourbon if no-one else wants it!

I have heard that Canadian maple syrup is a hit in other countries, and it is a common item in the duty free shops in the airport. I wonder if it would be appreciated in Europe. One of our hosts in France went out of his way to get us tickets for caves, and I would like to bring something from Canada for him.

Sundried, my husband would jump at the bourbon too, especially small batch producers that may not be readily available here!

And Massimop, we buy Vitamin D3 capsules (and a couple of other related items) when we are Stateside (or in Canada) too!!!

Are you giving these gifts to Hungarians? Or to Americans living in Hungary? Hungarians might not like bourbon anymore than you'd like Unicum. I constantly read trip reports about Vienna where Americans say how disappointed they were in Sacher Torte. Since it is awfully popular in Vienna, maybe the Viennese don't like American-type high-fat sweets so much?

That said, high quality Texas pecan pralines might be a hit. They keep a long time.

I've not much use for Canadian maple syrup (I have no way to make pancakes) but I do love the look of those maple-leaf bottles it comes in.

I would think about the person you are giving the gift to. What do they like? One time we stayed at a B & B in Wales and the owner was a bee keeper - we loved her place and wanted to thank her with something personal and knew she collected bee towels. So bingo.

We hear a lot of suggestions here, then someone says that is something I wouldn't like and another says I love that item. So that is why I would try to narrow it down from something generic to something specific you know the person likes.

My most recent collection of TX souvenirs from this spring:

- one cap in the Lone Star State's colors with "Don't mess with Texas" on it (looks much sharper than it sounds)
- bags of bullsh*t and armadillo poop (candy! not the real thing)
- a pen holder in the shape of a cowboy boot
- one bullsh*t bag
- two or three fridge magnets (friends of mine collect them)
- one cowboy silhoutte shaped rack with three hooks
- weird t-shirts (I was in Austin, too)
- some stuff from the Texas Rangers museum in Waco.. but writing it, I notice that I must have misplaced it somewhere
- one artsy souvenir (a print) from the Amon Carter museum in Ft. Worth

In 7 out of 10 cases, I am no stranger to bad taste.

Local food, wine or alcohol always work for me.

Maybe it's because of my stage in life, but the last thing I need is a gift-shop knick-knack.

>> I constantly read trip reports about Vienna where Americans say how disappointed they were in Sacher Torte. <<

Based on my experience of living in Germany, I think that's generally true of a lot of desserts. I think it has to do with the sugar content. Anyway, I doubt I'd ever give a fresh dessert as a gift.

Sacher torte is kinda dry, imo, made to be had with coffee, of course, and tooth achingly sweet.

<American-type high-fat sweets so much?>

But low-fat it ain't, so I don't get this comment!

The great thing about booze is that you can easily re-gift it or serve it even if you don't like it yourself. And it's a conversation piece, if it's unusual, even if no one ends up liking it!

We are always happy to get maple syrup. The stuff in the supermarkets here is just not the same as the real goods, and the one Canadian family that sells it at the market in Le Buisson is only there every few weeks in summer, so we stock up, but it rarely lasts through winter because DH loves his pancakes and pain perdu.

One very generous visitor brought us two enormous jars of crunchy Skippy peanut butter. We're enjoying that. Nothing better than a snack of good apple slices with good peanut butter.

Booze is always good because you can pass it on.

We don't need or want knick-knacks.

I had assumed the dryness of the cake & absence of butter frosting lowered the fat in Sacher Torte in comparison to American frosted cakes, but could be that assumption is wrong. I don't know why most Americans don't like Sacher Torte -- except to say that I'm not sure Europeans appreciate American foods, and vice versa. (I actually quite like Sacher Torte, and don't eat it with whipped cream. It is not too sweet for me -- but Oreos are.)

I think you really need to know someone very well before you arrive with a bag of armadillo poop

It really depends on what the hostess likes, wants or needs or if, in fact, they even want anything.

Years ago when we visited others and brought a small gift we often wondered if it is something or hostess really appreciated or was it be something she put away in a closet never to be seen again or just "re-gifted" the first chance she got. We know for a fact that two of our friends re-gift things regularly.

One time we gave a small painting to a friend we visited that they hung up in a guest room where it stayed for a few years. Later she was visiting a mutual friend who lived near us and we were invited for dinner the night she arrived. Wouldn't you know it, she presented the painting to the hostess. We couldn't help but snicker to ourselves.

Our second friend must have forgotten that we gave her a specific house gift when we visited her last winter because this summer when she came to stay with us she gave us the same gift (still in the exact same gift bag).

So now we shy away from bringing gifts and instead treat the host/hostess to a very nice upscale dinner (or two).

When we are on the receiving end, we neither expect or want anything.

We hosted a couple from Texas and they sent us a waffle iron in the shape of Texas.

And I love sacher torte but haven't had any in years. The one they sold at the Eclair bakery in New York is one of my favorite food memories.

schnauzer wrote <<On my last trip (from Aus not US) I took a couple of bone china mugs with our native birds on them. In particular birds that I actually get in my garden. I think they were appreciated, except one hostess did have a cupboard full of similar mugs. But she seemed to like mine as well! (She posts on this board so maybe she can comment!) tee hee.>>

Well, I am very happy with my mug with Galahs on it!

Despite having many mugs with robins, blue tits, etc on them, the mug you gave me is perfect for my cafe con leche, just the right size for the correct amount of milk and coffee just the way I like it. So thank you again!

I am considering what to take as gifts to Australia (for B's girlfriend's family) - small jars of Marmite have been bought (more of a joke than anything else), but it seems most all else can be bought there, so I am at a bit of a loss.

Oh, and as for gifts from the US - I love to receive Jif crunchy peanut butter, and real, proper Ziploc bags, or Hefty bags.

When I'm hosting someone, the thing I enjoy most is being taken out to dinner. It's always a nice time spent with your guests, and less hectic than a meal at home. There's always extra work involved in hosting someone, and being taken out to dinner relieves you of cooking the meal, so you can just socialize.

A few years back, our hostess in Provence told us with some disdain that people from Seattle always brought her Starbucks coffee beans. Did not pass her seal of approval. Lol.

Well, you can get Starbucks coffee beans *everywhere* now! I'm not a fan, either. Glad that coffee that doesn't taste burnt is popular these days.

(Anyone bringing me Stumptown beans would be welcomed warmly.)

<I think you really need to know someone very well before you arrive with a bag of armadillo poop>

LOL

I like sacher torte a lot better than Oreos, myself, and would always take the whipped cream as it's so much better, somehow, in Europe than in the US.

I would guess that traditional American layer cake with frosting probably is higher in fat than sacher torte...