Poll: Food/Cooking Souvenirs?

[Gina O]

Oh yes..... I collect cookbooks from where ever I go! Last month, I wound up with 4 new ones including The Oregon Trail Cookbook and A Taste of the Tropics. (Okay, so I did a lot of traveling last month! :) )

[Wendy w]

I love to buy regional cookbooks. If the area has a specialty product, I will buy it. On my trip to AZ in May, I bought cookbooks from Sedona and Jerome. One of the most delectable ones that I have is the one from the Monterey/Carmel area.

[Susann]

We haven't been able to travel lately, but I collect mortar and pestles from all over the world. To me, they represent cooking in the purist sense.

[gertdog]

Absolutely! On my recent vacation to France, I lugged home a 1-pound package of spaghetti because it came in a cool painted metal cylinder with all info written in French. Two bucks, and I think it's a great souvenir.

I buy regional cookbooks too. I was tempted by some gorgeous-looking books in France, but knew I'd never use them b/c the time spent in translation would be too daunting! :)

I also try to bring home little samples of the specialties of a region. My suitcase is always crammed with tiny bottles, jars, packets, etc.

[Nancy171]

I never seem to take anything home, but whenever I'm in a foreign country I visit all sorts of groceries, small markets, etc. They're some of my favorite tourist attractions.

[Lynn B]

I LOVE to buy (regional) cookbooks whenever we travel. They are such wonderful souvenirs!

And I also ALWAYS lug home FOOD! When we go to Mexico, I bring home as many fresh tortillas as I can carry! (or rather, DH!!!!) :)

Last winter we went to Barbados and we carried home so many wonderful spices and hot sauces (and lots of RUM, too!) :) Kona coffee from Hawaii... etc. Actually, most of my travel souvenirs are EDIBLE! :)

Lynn

[Beth]

Oh, me too. I buy cookbooks, wines, spices, coffees and teas and specialty items I might not find at home. It need not be exotic. When I go to California, I always bring back Tillamook Cheddar in large loaves that cost about what a tiny piece does here. I may bring back salad dressings, rice blends, goodies from Trader Joe's, unsweetened Ghiradelli chocolate for baking. I love to explore grocery stores and other grass roots places where ever I visit.

[lindrusso]

I don't tend to buy food souvenirs that necessarily represent the region, but I do like to try to buy things I can't get at home - which is a lot! This weekend we were in New Orleans, but we were flying and didn't want to lug things home, so we didn't do any shopping. However, next week, my mom and I will be in Chicago and I will be hitting Whole Foods there to try to get some items I can't get in IN. I also want to stop at an Italian deli that I know of to get some really good balsamic. From what I remember, they have a whole range of prices there. I'd love to hit the Trader Joe's that Grace told me about, but it will probably be too far and not enough time to fit it in.

And when my mom comes, she will be bringing my hubby and I a bottle of Chianti Classico from Italy. I've been wanting to try Chianti, but don't have many choices in our wine store (or rather, I suspect our choices are not good ones), so I'm very excited to try it.

[chefbec]

Always. I usually get cookbooks of the region's food, like Mexican, or sometimes I get food. When I was in Paris I bought "real" mustard from Dijon. YUM!

[Tangerine]

Always, too!!

I think the two things I love to momento most are regional cheeses and teas and soaps and other delights that are in a tin, and a new addition for my loved collection of pure linen dish towels.

The beautiful tins become tea caddies or store sugar cubes, matches, and other little things. Linen towels are a joy hanging off hooks and racks in the kitchen, stacked on a shelf, drying a teacup or crystal goblet.

Both have a charming way of bringing back memories of visited places.

Tangerine

[Little Bit]

I thought I'd bump up this thread, since I've been doing more thinking about travelling than doing it these days.

I love shopping when I travel. My family teases me about it, but I have such a good time! One of my favorite things to do is to seek out 'locally produced' grocery stores and gourmet shops, especially the ones with organic produce. They always have such interesting things to see. I can't usually get much food, but always manage to find some interesting local thing I'd never have found if I'd stuck to the usual tourist haunts.

I hate being burdened down with lots of bags though, so I try to stick to purchases I can carry in my hand luggage.

Earrings are a good choice, especially if they are kinda cool and funky. One of my favorite pairs is a little silver whisk and ladle.

I also enjoy getting various pepper sauces for my 'nothing's too hot for me' dad to try.

[vbak]

I pick up food items from different areas too. We went to Chicago's Chinatowna few weeks ago for dinner, and stopped in one of the grocery stores to buy egg roll wrappers, dried mushrooms, rice noodles, etc. to make egg rolls. We may go to Galena {a beautiful town in Il.} this week , and we will stop at the cook store, cheese shop and wine store. I am hoping for some oyre liquor{SP?} from Germany when my daughter, SIL and DGS come home at Christmas.

[Jewel]

I try to resist, but I usually come home with something! When I was in Minnesota last fall I found a 'Pepper' store in the Mall of America, and I wanted to bring the entire store home with me! I allowed myself one souvenier that would be easy to pack, which was the 'ground jalepeno powder'. YUM! That stuff gets sprinkled on everything. My buddy picked up their 'Hot Peanut Mix' covered in the same jalepeno powder, and since I'm going back to MN in a few weeks she's begging me to buy more of those peanuts! They're addicted...

When I'm in California visiting my parents I always buy a few jars of the best 'restaurant' BBQ Sauce we know of called "McLintocks". Really dark and gooey, a lot of molasses, perfect for ribs!

And from Hawaii I brought home a container of Turbinado Sugar Crystals for baking. DH had to buy Macadamia nuts even though we can get them here! He says they were cheaper in Hawaii and "just taste better knowing that we got them there!"

I've never been into regional cookbooks, but now I may have to start looking! :D

[BosunsWife]

I buy regional cookbooks both from places we have traveled to and places we have lived.

I also buy food items. When we go home to my mom's (Washington State), I buy all the food that I can't get in Hawaii or would have to pay astronomical prices for. My suitcase always contains canned chipolte peppers, tomatillos in the can, just about anything out of the ordinary for mexican cooking. Here you can get just about anything relating to asian cuisine, but mexican is hard to find. If its Old El Paso or Rosarito you can get it LOL, but nothing more.