Food From Abroad

Penelope_Penguin

DH has just returned from a trip to China with (due to a combination of Chinese generosity, and DH's desire not to insult his hosts) 500g :eek: of Sichuan peppers. He had them in a fish soup, and after chewing on one thought he was having a severe allergic reaction, such was the numbing effect on his tongue and lips

From other trips he's brought:

Kimchi – Korean fermented cabbage :undecided

Bright green wasabi peanuts from Taiwan


Dried plums from Taiwan - yes they do taste as bad as they look I tried soaking them in brandy to see if they'd be any better - they weren't and nor was the brandy :rolleyes:



So Ju – Korean firewater

Salt liquorice from Sweden - :drool: :drool: :drool: the children don't like it :j

Liqueur chocolate from Amsterdam :drool: :drool: :drool: the children aren't allowed it :T

Peanuts from India, wrapped in newspaper

Green tea from Taiwan

Tea from India

Coconut and ginger sweets from Malaysia

What have you brought back, or have hiding at the back of your cupboards?

Penny. x

nuttywoman

Oh God! Kimchi !
Daughter bought some from London last year to try before she went to South Korea for 12months.She`d heard they eat it all the time.
Its stinks terrible, we put it in the shed out of the way!
She eats it now over there and loves it,lol

Sola

I once brought a bottle of sickly banana and hazelnut liqueur back from Greece ... it congealed in the drinks cabinet for the next decade until I threw it out.

fletch3163

I came home with tons of apple tea from Turkey, complete with the authentic cups. Yep, I put them in a cupboard and never looked at them again until some decade later when I threw them out. What does salt liquorice taste like then? Normal liquorice is bad enough:D

Jillinoz

I've just returned from a work trip to Barcelona and managed to fit in a trip to a supermarket (one of my favourite things to do in a different country) and am delighted to have brought back the following goodies:

Jar of manzanillo fino olives

Tins of Ortiz white tuna in olive oil (the Rolls Royce of tuna, apparently, and dolphin-friendly, I hasten to add)

Tins / jars of asparagus (a delicacy, I assure you )

Bars of turron

A stack of locally-made chocolate in the most fabulous retro packaging (cheap as chips but looks very expensive and will make great stocking filler presents)

Vintage cava (got a bottle chilling in the fridge as I write )


Otherwise, I always stock up on tins of chestnut spread whenever I'm in Paris.

Any other tips for best buys from other countries?

mumoftwo

When I go to Holland to visit family I bring back:
Chocolate sprinkles
Indonesian sweet soya sauce
Indonesian Conimex herbs and cooking spices
chocolate letters (given at Sinterklaas time)
liquorice, lots of it.. yummy
spiced biscuits (speculaas)
wafels (you can buy them in Asda here, but not taste fresh)

From here I take for my sister: oxo cubes, horlicks, jelly, dreamtopping, chocolate (especially flakes) brown sauce

purpleivy

When I go to Canada to visit family, or they come here, I get PAM spray.
Decaff coffee in France, saffron, herbes de provence,
baking bits and pieces in Germany... nugat, ritter chocolate for ds (yes I know we can buy it here!)

will see if I can think of anything else.....

dh once went to Guernsey on short biz trip. Went to the market and bought 2 massive crabs, wrapped in newspaper and carrier bag. Never say he's not romantic!

Softstuff

fletch3163 wrote: »

I came home with tons of apple tea from Turkey, complete with the authentic cups

Hehe, the funny thing is in Turkey, apple tea is referred to as Turist çay - tourist tea!

The best thing I ever brought back from trips there were recipes, since Lahmacun (turkish pizza), börek, gözleme and many other recipes are all very very frugal.

As for bringing back actual foods, I always grabbed packets of tripe soup, powdered lemon drink and spices.

If you ever hit Singapore, green tea is a fantastic bargain, and I looooove ginger candies there.

annaangeluk_2

I bought a chorizo back from spain last time we went. I had it in my hand luggage but didn't realise you couldn't bring food through! I was sweating as I went through customs - petrified I was going to get arrested for smuggling a sausage!!:rotfl:

I'd have left it in the airport but there weren't any bins and I didn't want to leave it somewhere and get into trouble for that as well!!!:eek:

Funny thing is, I got it home - cooked it and it was horrible!! Chucked the rest away! :rotfl:

noonesperfect

fletch3163 wrote: »

I came home with tons of apple tea from Turkey, complete with the authentic cups. Yep, I put them in a cupboard and never looked at them again until some decade later when I threw them out. What does salt liquorice taste like then? Normal liquorice is bad enough:D

Oh no! how could you throw away Turkish apple tea? I love it.

meanmarie

How could you throw away chorizo anngeluk??? It is one of my favourite Spanish things.

I wonder Pen Pen if you have any better luck if you soak the plums in sak! with a little sugar....I don't like the Japanese dried plums, but the soaking seems to make a difference. You could always ask Rick Stein what to do with the Sichuan peppers as he is fond of it!

I always bring Parmesan cheese and salami back from Italy and some pecorino cheese from Sardinia, also some of their wonderful torrone (nougat)
In Holland I have tasted the best smoked mackerel ever, but haven't brought any home...there is also a type of spiced bun I bought there in the market...spice is Kaneel, for which I can't remember the English at the moment, but its a tasty bun.

Softstuff, I would agree that bringing back recipes is great, provided you can get the ingredients you need...will remember the tea and candies when I am in Singapore in early July, thanks for the tip

This is making me hungry, so goodnight all

Marie