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Fun candy to bring to kids in Europe
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Anonymous
| OP here, thanks everyone for the responses! Good thinking on nixing the gummy worms. When I asked what I could bring for the kids, the parents said that anything with "Gap" on it is ultra-cool there (Portugal). So I was going to get each kid a sweatshirt as the main gift, but I also wanted to bring a couple of fun sweet things for them to try. Was also thinking of sour patch kids as a twist on the gummy candy. |
Anonymous
| Twizzlers, smarties and sweetarts, salt water taffy |
Anonymous
| They have the equivalent of sour patch kids. |
Anonymous
| Nerds. They definitely don't sell them anywhere else (ok, I'm guessing). |
Anonymous
|
Regarding chocolate, I have to say, I have a whole lot of relatives and friends in Switzerland (Swiss - not ex-pat Americans!) and they all ask for Hersheys every time I go visit them!!! I couldn't believe it the first time - I thought they were nuts with all the good Swiss chocolate there.
They also love getting peanut butter. I always bring jars of it. |
Anonymous
As a European expat and chocoholic I can only second that - it would be best not to bring them ANY American Candy, definitely not any chocolate, ... Reese's could possibly be the only exception... that's a personal preference. How about sports paraphernalia? Like NFL/NBA....baseball caps, T-shirts? If it must be food, I recommend sth with peanut butter (or simply peanut butter), or some crazy chips flavors of Doritos or the like... |
Anonymous
| Is American chocolate a bad idea for all Europeans or just adults? US candy is very sweet and I would think most kids would like it, no? |
Anonymous
| We got a request for lollipops with the gum center from German kids. |
Anonymous
It isn't so much that US chocolate is sweet, as much as that it is all sugar and no fat. The discerning palates of even miniature Europeans can detect this. |
Anonymous
|
Yes, it has nothing to do with adults vs children. It's not really that US chocolate is sweet or too sweet, or how much fat is in it or whatever, but it really tastes different - the chocolates that are especially horrific often have corn syrup as their main ingredient in them (take a look at some of the wrappers - you'll be surprised). Now what business does corn have in chocolate? Exactly. It is an insult to even call itself chocolate. Kind of like the bread in our supermarkets' bread isle, pretending to be bread. Sorry, I digress.
LOL about the minature Europeans and their discerning palates, but it's true!!! To the poster with the Swiss friends asking for Hershey's: I share your surprise, and bewilderment! In fact I would have been no more suprised if they asked you to bring them prepackaged single cheddar cheese slices. ... but well, if they ask for it...what can you do? |
Anonymous
| I saw some cool ones the other day--big chocolate footballs with trading cards from various NFL teams. The chocolate might not be great, but I'm sure it's pretty darn American. |
Anonymous
| Around the 4th of July, I stock up on "American" paraphanelia at the Gap. It's usually a pretty big hit with the kids. (Germany again). |
Anonymous
| This isn't quite candy (although maybe it is) but some English friends take boxes of Lucky Charms home with them. |
Anonymous
|
Another German here... definite 'no' on the American chocolate.
How about the 'fruit leather' from Costco (the all fruit fruit roll-up stuff you can get it at other grocery stores too). Marshmallows are fun too. Gum in the tape dispenser was really cool when I was a kid. And gum in general is good, there are different Orbit flavors here for example compared to what we get there. The Gap outlet has logo sweatshirts (I didn't see them at the regular gap this season). |
Anonymous
| I love American chocolate! I think Swiss and Belgian chocolate all tastes the same. Now Belgian waffles are another story-yum! |