Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Rattie]

For some reason I never attended the International Snack Exchange. But I'll be sure to come by, at least to drop off stuff for people to nom

[Leophan]

We still need someone to write to events@eurofurence.org to be the formal organizer of this event. Otherwise it cant take place.

What would be required of the formal organiser?

[Akulatraxas]

Be our contact for the event.
And in this case: Take care that the room will be left in the state it was before you entered it
(Conops will help you)

[Leophan]

Sent an e-mail

[Lea]

Not entirely sure what I can bring all the way from New Zealand... and I don't think the Estrel would like me digging up a pit outside for a Hāngi http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C4%81ngi
Perhaps something for our World Famous in New Zealand Cookie Time - http://www.cookietime.co.nz/products.html

Well TimTams are quite popular in NZ / AUS as far as I got when I visited New Zealand last December and everyone who had them liked them (but you don't get them in Germany)

[Cheetor]

Righto, I'll put TimTams on my list

So far coming from NZ with me is
TimTams - http://www.arnotts.com/our-products/products/arnotts-tim-tam.aspx
Monte Carlo's (You will LOVE these!) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monte_Carlo_%28biscuit%29
And for lovers of Sushi I'll bring some RealWasabi - http://www.coppersfolly.co.nz/

[VulpesRex]

   I've been following this subject for a number of years now - have stopped by a couple of times, to see what people bring from their homes in the way of treats and snacks - but have never really participated, not sampled any of the snacks, because I could not think of any prepared snacks from the USA which aren't likely already available in European or Central Asian supermarkets, or which are so uniquely american or just mind-blowingly awesome (or snack-addicitive) that anyone would go out of their way to sample.

   Perhaps I'm just not seeing this thing properly.  In the USA, "snacks" are either freshly-prepared or baked treats, simple hors d'oeuvres or finger-foods, or pre-prepared mass-produced "junk food" most often sold in cellophane or foil pouches...think of a bag of potato chips or "packet of crisps", in a hundred different variations, like corn or tortilla chips.  An alternative would be bar or tavern snacks, such as a bowl of hard-baked pretzel sticks, or salted peanuts or pistachios in-the-shell, or foil-wrapped almonds and "Beer-Nuts"(tm).

   Or perhaps I'm just not imaginative enough.

   So I ask - is there anything which people who have travelled to our country find that they have heard of and would like to sample, or who have tried something which we have but that you cannot get at home and now crave and wish that someone could bring some?

   Please bear in mind that this is a large country, and some of our snack foods are regional in origin, and are not distributed everywhere (Tastee-Kakes, made in the City of Philadelphia and found in the states of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, come to mind as an example).  I live in California.

*Edited for spelling and clarity

[Leophan]

Bring Twinkies! (they are back right?)

[Ralesk]

VulpesRex: Well, my dear table partner Lance Ikegawa usually brings some of the stuff you mention to the Snack Exchange, and they are well received   You could ask him about the stuff he brings (I think he brought some stuff specific to Hawaii for that EF for example), maybe you can figure out something that's special in California or nearby states?

[Fineas]

...but have never really participated, not sampled any of the snacks, because I could not think of any prepared snacks from the USA which aren't likely already available in European or Central Asian supermarkets, or which are so uniquely american or just mind-blowingly awesome (or snack-addicitive) that anyone would go out of their way to sample...

These might be a bit dull as they where just one Google search away, however:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/796121

Most of these I have never been able to buy. I'm from the Netherlands and I have regularly visited: Germany, Tjechie and Hungary.
I have till this day not see any of these (here under listed) in the stores:

• Peanut butter M&Ms
• Reese's peanut butter cups
• buttermilk pancake mix
• maple syrup
• tinned Boston baked beans
• chowder
• Old Bay seasoning
• coating for fried chicken/tomatoes
• cheese in a can
• Lucky Charms
• peanut butter Kix

Disclaimer: I can vote for these in the Netherlands in the south region and Germany Westfalen as I have visited those recently ( < week ago) as I read some of the stuff might be available in Tesco, which I know spring up in Hungary, Tjechie, Poland and I know also have deep roots in the UK. Maybe the fine people that more actively participate in this event might know if they (still) are a US specialty instead of an International available product.

And another small note I have no idea how suitable they are for this particular event as it looks like some of this stuff needs to be prepared in some way and others you might need to like put in cups or plates. Furthermore if you will be able to bring any through customs at the airport. So you might want to send them to a friend in Europe in a box well in advance, please still check the regulations on those though :-)

[Drift]

@ vulpesrex:

In my opinion the snack exchange it is not only about bringing some super secret rare kind of food that you can only get in a special area/country. If you can, that's good, but as you pointed out it is more and more possible to get foreign snacks from all around the globe in specialised shops.
For me, the snack exchange is also about bringing some typical food/snacks from my area/country because I personally just like the taste of it, or because they are famous/important/traditional for a specific reason.

Take the ordinary peanutbutter jelly sandwich: No secret in the ingredients, I can easily make one from groceries that I buy in my local shop. But still, for me it is an American thing, one of your traditions. I did not grow up on those, it is still not common to eat them in Germany. Who invented them? And why? Do you have loads of peanuts in the states? That's cool stuff to know and to talk about! And if you don't know, or do not want to talk about it - just bring them because you love eating them, or they mean happy childhood to you, or to thousand other Americans .
Food plays a major role in every culture, and I think it is also great to share the facts behind it with others.  

Now about the question what kind of food to bring: yes, we had plenty of sweets and salty "junk food" the previous years. I guess it is just difficult to prepare food or snacks if you can not acess a proper kitchen. But there have been exceptions: to my first snack exchange, I brought some typical Nuremberg sausages - I stayed in the guest house, had a kitchen, and therefore just fryed an cut them before going to the event. For me not possible any more. Somebody else brought a chocolate cake that he baked the day before going to the EF. Again, there were some home made waffles that we ate cold. Also, we had nice cheeses/meats/fishy things, that did not need big preparations, but clearly have not been junk food.
So it is possible to bring some things appart from sweets and junk, if they only need minor/none preparation (like spreading peanut butter on bread ) or if you can prepare them beforehand. The most important thing is, that you are happy with what you bring .

[Ralesk]

That's a great comment

For example, last year we bought some bread and spread lard and put paprika and red onions on it — really traditional in Hungary (and the region), required little preparation and fun was had by all.  To my surprise the Japanese loved it.  Who would have imagined!

[Jorinda]

I brought those with me when I was in the US, just because I thought the name was funny. But they also tasted pretty good, and cannot be bought here. Also, they are easy to transport and good to share.

Another thing that is not available here: Lunchables. But in my opinion this was the worst snack that is sold in the US  so probably not worth carrying it all the way.

If I find the time to attend, I'll bring some Hallorenkugeln. Having a chocolate manufacturer next to my home makes the decision easy.

[KyuubiSaoirse]

Now, with all the more food-centered talk here, I'm really, really, REALLY considering bringing some good, proper leverpostej and the nice rye bread we have here in Denmark. especially the bread, I haven't found anything tasting even remotely like it outside of Denmark and very few Swedish brands (which is why I miss it dearly when I'm on vacation). And our leverpostej.... It IS a liver paté, but... It just tastes so different from your regular liver paté XD so... maybe that for the savory... and for the sweet, some home-made 'havregrynskugler'

[Cheetor]

So what do we do if someone decides to brink some Hákarl or Lutefisk?