OP here! I am so, so appreciative of the comments.

While I, too, enjoy Raos, I think that I am not going to send pasta sauce because 1) glass bottle and it if breaks it’ll be a mess 2) Europeans have been traveling around the EU, and the PI of the other lab was just in Italy last month.

The Trader Joe’s idea is also quite good - in fact, one is opening right under the Queensboro bridge in the next week or so, so there’s no need to schlepp down to Kips bay (I know DCUM from my time in Bethesda, but no longer live there).

When visiting Bavaria I did have a sort of puffy pancake with apple that was dusted with powdered sugar. So good! but I can see how it might not go with syrup. Still, a small plastic bottle might be nice to include.

These are all great ideas - the comments are incredubly helpful and I love the breadth of life experiences and different perspectives that the DCUM readership brings!

Quote from the OP

"Preferably something that she can share with her laboratory."

Can you imagine sitting around at work trying to dole out a little Rao's, BBQ sauce, or maple syrup so everyone can have a taste? Or maybe whipping up some tiny pancakes? lol

Brownie mix

Get a Mcdonald's hamburger. They are shelf-safe for years so it's fine to ship internationally.

Anonymous wrote:I’m Swiss. I think assorted nuts from TJ would be appreciated. We have them but they are expensive, small, and not much variety. Cookies and candies are much better back home. Hot sauce, bbq sauce, why not. Pancake mix and maple syrup would be a good idea too. Wine or liquor always safe.

I think this poster hits the nail on the head to include American pancak mix if giving maple syrup.

As for liquor: American spirits are not a bad idea.

I’m Swiss. I think assorted nuts from TJ would be appreciated. We have them but they are expensive, small, and not much variety. Cookies and candies are much better back home. Hot sauce, bbq sauce, why not. Pancake mix and maple syrup would be a good idea too. Wine or liquor always safe.

Question for the Germans on this thread: would an assortment of Trader Joe’s snacks be acceptable?

I suggest this because German foods are really excellent (bread, chocolate, liquor, wine) and the most American of foods (funnel cake, chili dog, chicken parm, etc) don’t travel well. So why not offer an assortment of America’s finest Frankenfoods? At the very least it may be fun to puzzle over what exactly is Everything But the Bagel chips or Spicy Porkless Plant-based Rinds.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also maybe Mambo sauce from DC. I feel like a lot of regional New York stuff, like Nathan's hot dogs or pizza, couldnt be shipped. Maybe a jar of Raos?

Omg stooooop with the Rao's sauce worship on this board. It's getting ridiculous

How is saying "maybe a jar of raos?" worshipping the stuff? But the fact that you hear it referenced so much on her proves that it is a good regional food

Regional?? What region of the US is that overpriced, overrated sauce from? And just because people are super into it on this board doesn't mean it's actually good.

But it is good, and people arent just into it on here, lol. This fixation on Rao's is so hilarious. And it's from New York, duh! Like OP asked for.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also maybe Mambo sauce from DC. I feel like a lot of regional New York stuff, like Nathan's hot dogs or pizza, couldnt be shipped. Maybe a jar of Raos?

Omg stooooop with the Rao's sauce worship on this board. It's getting ridiculous

How is saying "maybe a jar of raos?" worshipping the stuff? But the fact that you hear it referenced so much on her proves that it is a good regional food

Regional?? What region of the US is that overpriced, overrated sauce from? And just because people are super into it on this board doesn't mean it's actually good.

In New York, duh. And why do you feel so strongly about a pasta sauce brand that you're clueless about?

People on here are so bizarre.

Regional food is specific to a certain area. I can find Rao's in the CVS in NOVA. It's a national product. Just like Nathan's. They are both just basic American food. Somebody mentioned black and white cookies-- now that's a special NYC thing.

Do you understand the concept of shipping? You can get Old Bay at any grocery chain in the US, but it's still representative of Maryland and the east coast. Just like you can get Tex Mex seasoning anywhere but it's still a texas thing. Are these really hard concepts?!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All of you suggesting maple syrup, what do you think us Germans would use that with?

Pancakes, obviously! Although you can also use it as a general sweetener, like you would sugar, only it will give a maple, autumn/winter type of sweetness in baked goods. A lot of natural health people prefer to use it as well.

We don’t eat American style pancakes.

Well, start! They're great.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also maybe Mambo sauce from DC. I feel like a lot of regional New York stuff, like Nathan's hot dogs or pizza, couldnt be shipped. Maybe a jar of Raos?

Omg stooooop with the Rao's sauce worship on this board. It's getting ridiculous

How is saying "maybe a jar of raos?" worshipping the stuff? But the fact that you hear it referenced so much on her proves that it is a good regional food

Regional?? What region of the US is that overpriced, overrated sauce from? And just because people are super into it on this board doesn't mean it's actually good.

In New York, duh. And why do you feel so strongly about a pasta sauce brand that you're clueless about?

People on here are so bizarre.

Germany has really good Italian food, I don’t think they’d be impressed by a jar of Rao’s

I never had great italian food in germany, but anyway Rao's is perfectly good by any standard so I'm sure they'll like it. Of course, if any area has an overabundance of food, you wouldnt want to pack it (i.e. don't bring Tex-Mex seasoning to Texas) but I've never noticed a huge number of Italian spots in Germany anyway.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also maybe Mambo sauce from DC. I feel like a lot of regional New York stuff, like Nathan's hot dogs or pizza, couldnt be shipped. Maybe a jar of Raos?

Omg stooooop with the Rao's sauce worship on this board. It's getting ridiculous

How is saying "maybe a jar of raos?" worshipping the stuff? But the fact that you hear it referenced so much on her proves that it is a good regional food

Regional?? What region of the US is that overpriced, overrated sauce from? And just because people are super into it on this board doesn't mean it's actually good.

In New York, duh. And why do you feel so strongly about a pasta sauce brand that you're clueless about?

People on here are so bizarre.

Germany has really good Italian food, I don’t think they’d be impressed by a jar of Rao’s

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All of you suggesting maple syrup, what do you think us Germans would use that with?

Pancakes, obviously! Although you can also use it as a general sweetener, like you would sugar, only it will give a maple, autumn/winter type of sweetness in baked goods. A lot of natural health people prefer to use it as well.

We don’t eat American style pancakes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also maybe Mambo sauce from DC. I feel like a lot of regional New York stuff, like Nathan's hot dogs or pizza, couldnt be shipped. Maybe a jar of Raos?

Omg stooooop with the Rao's sauce worship on this board. It's getting ridiculous

How is saying "maybe a jar of raos?" worshipping the stuff? But the fact that you hear it referenced so much on her proves that it is a good regional food

Regional?? What region of the US is that overpriced, overrated sauce from? And just because people are super into it on this board doesn't mean it's actually good.

In New York, duh. And why do you feel so strongly about a pasta sauce brand that you're clueless about?

People on here are so bizarre.

Regional food is specific to a certain area. I can find Rao's in the CVS in NOVA. It's a national product. Just like Nathan's. They are both just basic American food. Somebody mentioned black and white cookies-- now that's a special NYC thing.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also maybe Mambo sauce from DC. I feel like a lot of regional New York stuff, like Nathan's hot dogs or pizza, couldnt be shipped. Maybe a jar of Raos?

Omg stooooop with the Rao's sauce worship on this board. It's getting ridiculous

How is saying "maybe a jar of raos?" worshipping the stuff? But the fact that you hear it referenced so much on her proves that it is a good regional food

Regional?? What region of the US is that overpriced, overrated sauce from? And just because people are super into it on this board doesn't mean it's actually good.

In New York, duh. And why do you feel so strongly about a pasta sauce brand that you're clueless about?

People on here are so bizarre.