[cris]

don't bother bring any thing the french can compare it to ,they will think the french are doing it better (wine is a good example). if you are briging food stay on the safe side :assorted jelly bean in a mapped box,brownie mix with instruction translated (go for the ghirardelli),pecans of any kinds,spices if they are foodies too(chili or fajita mix, old bay ) any liquors (as in kentucky bourbon )an foremost any local specialty :berry jam ,honey ,local cooking spices mix . Any french at some point in is life wore a t-shirt/sweatshirt with university of..... choose a local school ,team .
enjoy your trip

[dbd]

some people say it is rude to bring wine as a gift in France, it suggests that your host's wine is not good...I'm not sure if it's really true but don't dare just in case. It's true that most French people can't imagine wine being good from anywhere else, there is so little foreign wine in the stores (at least where we live, la France profonde).

[Cheryl Emerson]

Well after reading everyone's answers, I am even more confused. I too an trying to determine what to bring. I am going to Scandinavia...maple syrup is too sweet, their Mirabou chocolate is owned by an american company...alcohol seems to be the answer...it continues to be pretty expensive there, but seems SO impersonal! thank you!

[Franca]

I always like to bring food from the area I'm coming from-- packs or cans of salmon from the Northwest; orangle blossom honey or key lime sauces from Florida; maple products from Canada (syrup, cookies, candy), etc. If you're coming from Georgia, think peach things and pecans, or boiled peanuts. Sometimes people have brought me things I end up thinking is gross (sun-dried cuttlefish anyone?), but at least it was nice to try something from another culture.

OH- one thing to note: Be sure you know what the border customs people will allow into the country. Some, like Australia, allow NO FOOD OF ANY KIND. Europe, so far as I know is pretty lax, but check the country's website just to be sure you don't waste your time and money.


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Tell a friend about http://www.foodvirgin.com . Explains everything newbies need to know when dining out on a new foreign cuisine.

[itroussel]

When I come back from a visit to the States, I always bring back spices (allspice and mixes), GoodSeasons salad dressing mixes, BigRed chewing gum, choc. chips, dried cranberries... stuff with pretty long shelf live... I also used to put in my suitcase some cranberry sauce and Pumpkin puree (I can find them both in Europe now). As for gifts, what I used to bring were, either mugs stuffed with apple-cider spices or some of those flavored coffees that are so popular overseas... just for the the fun of it... or some cookie cutters with cookie mixes / a cookie recipe book and spices... The college/university T-shirts always work too! Oh! and also Freezer paper: I'm a quilter and, as all quilters do, I don't use it for its original purpose, but for quilting!!!
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le lundi, c'est ravioli

[Denise]

I'd say avoid anything too sweet, but cookie cutters and recipes are a great idea...as are good cookies in general...here in southern France at least cookies are not widely available and what passes for chocolate chip cookies and brownies (known as "bro" nees, as in, 'hey bro!') here is not very good. Maybe good cookies would convince Europeans that American cuisine has some value!

[chochotte]

We have Krispy Kreme outlets all over the place in the UK at any rate, don't know about the continent though.

[Melly]

The French couple that I stayed with in Paris had not heard of crystalized/candied ginger. (Although I found it here in the Netherlands.) They told me that until recently they didn't often see fresh ginger in the store. They also said that French cuisine uses herbs more than spices. If you think there is an interest, what about some interesting dried mexican peppers. I would also bring recipes (preferably converted to metric weights) if I brought any exotic ingredients. I'm getting ready to order a supply from Penzey's.