Hmmmm...
When I came back from Malaysia in 1998 I tried to convince my boss to grab an import licence for sweet chili dipping sauce as I'd never seen it here and thought it was the tits. Twelve years later and it's on every shelf in every shop worth its salt, but it hasn't got my gurning face on it because my boss didn't believe how good it was.

What ingredient or item from your world travels do you wish your local supermarket stocked?
( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Tue 5 Jan 2010, 10:10, 32 replies, latest was 16 years ago)

Cocaine
Californian weed

etc etc
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Tue 5 Jan 2010, 10:11, Reply)

Mountain Dew, man.
Fizzy drink of the Gods.
( Devil_In_Tights the *real* DiT!, Tue 5 Jan 2010, 10:13, Reply)

Damn
I haven't had that stuff for years.
( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Tue 5 Jan 2010, 10:18, Reply)

In the states last year
we went down for Breakfast at the hotel and they were serving Mountain Dew in jugs. Flim was in heaven.
( Devil_In_Tights the *real* DiT!, Tue 5 Jan 2010, 10:29, Reply)

You must have been dining/shopping in the wrong places in 1998
The diabetes in a bottle that is the wondrous sweet chilli dipping sauce has been all the rage up here for as long as i can remember. My local Chinee supermarket do litre bottles of the stuff for 90p.
(Cancer Joy was short lived, Tue 5 Jan 2010, 10:14, Reply)

The Scots are famously ahead of the pack
when it comes to things with sugar in, eh?
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Tue 5 Jan 2010, 10:16, Reply)

Damn tootin'
Sugar is one thing, but SALT is where we really open up the gap. Gotta keep that heart attack accolade ours!

EDIT to say, one time we were in a take away chinee one night after the pub and I was poor and could only afford a bag of chips. I asked for the sawl'n'vinegurr and proceeded to season' my own pomme frittes. I put so much salt on them that the girl behind the counter actually dry retched as she watched me.

Best fuckin chips I ever had.
(Cancer Joy was short lived, Tue 5 Jan 2010, 10:19, Reply)

And acidic sweets, I believe
Those sour, fizzy numbers that literally dissolve the teeth.

GO SCOTLAND!

An example to the world of how to really not give a flying fuck.
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Tue 5 Jan 2010, 10:20, Reply)

A chippy, a bookies, a pub and a pound shop on every street.
Guaranteed!

I banned from my kids from those teeth melters, particularly the ones that just do away with pretence altogether and just present you with a bottle of citric acid with a deodorant style roller at the top for direct tongue application.
(Cancer Joy was short lived, Tue 5 Jan 2010, 10:27, Reply)

Just unhealthy things in general I think
A boy do we love it.
(PenguinOfDeath is Scottish, and most likely angry, Tue 5 Jan 2010, 10:22, Reply)

Reese's pieces;
Russian potato doughnuts (I never learned their actual name);
Tayto cheese n'onion;
Veda bread.
( crackhouseceilidhband Fuck off back to Mumsnet, Tue 5 Jan 2010, 10:21, Reply)

Thanks to my Grandma being German we were eating Nutella when I was a kid before it was sold over here.
She used to bring it back from her frequent trips home. Plus other Germnan goodies. She used to have these huge jars of blueberries that we would have with icecream and we had pumpernickel before it was fashionable.


Still hate her guts though.
( girlinthehole, Tue 5 Jan 2010, 10:27, Reply)

We used to get blueberry jam
and grade 1 maple syrup from Canada. The difference between the top ones and the bog standard syrup is as marked as it is with, say, olive oil. Magic.

As children we also used to get clothes, which were invariably hilarious. A pair of age 12 Canadian jeans would have a waistband a good 3-4 inches too big, even in the late 70s. Like fucking clown trousers.
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Tue 5 Jan 2010, 10:32, Reply)

Oh Nutella...

( Roota zweeeeeoooooowm, Tue 5 Jan 2010, 10:42, Reply)

Le chips
French crisps. Those proper salty greasy ones. Not been able to find a suitable replacement.
(TheColonel, Tue 5 Jan 2010, 10:34, Reply)

Foreign crisps!
Add those German peanut wotsits to my list.
( crackhouseceilidhband Fuck off back to Mumsnet, Tue 5 Jan 2010, 10:41, Reply)

My local Turks do them
They are supreme.
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Tue 5 Jan 2010, 10:45, Reply)

Dill crisps from eastern Europe
Some of them are Lays, some are some no-name brand. Dill flavour is "Dilles" in forrin, so I like to call them Phyllis.
( Roota zweeeeeoooooowm, Tue 5 Jan 2010, 10:43, Reply)

Turrón
From Spain.
I adore it. It's a bit like halva but a million nicer.
I try to stock up or ask friends to get me some.
*goes and looks online*
( Roota zweeeeeoooooowm, Tue 5 Jan 2010, 10:41, Reply)

Foie Gras
horse steaks

Croque Monsieur

Proper French onion soup, Provencale wine that isn't exorbitant.

I lose my shirt in French supermarkets.
I'm just going to move there and be done with it.

rafter
baz
(bazmorningstar efil4nat3b, Tue 5 Jan 2010, 10:47, Reply)

Ain't you the gourmand.

( girlinthehole, Tue 5 Jan 2010, 10:48, Reply)

Tie it round your waist, then.

( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Tue 5 Jan 2010, 10:49, Reply)

When I go back to Denmark
I do like to stock up on spunk.
( Devil_In_Tights the *real* DiT!, Tue 5 Jan 2010, 10:50, Reply)

Woah Nelly!

( Roota zweeeeeoooooowm, Tue 5 Jan 2010, 10:58, Reply)

Ruffles !

( G/PP 💩💩💩💩💩&#128, Tue 5 Jan 2010, 10:53, Reply)

OMG! I LOVE THOSE FUCKING CHOCOLATES.

( girlinthehole, Tue 5 Jan 2010, 11:10, Reply)

They're crisps.

( G/PP 💩💩💩💩💩&#128, Tue 5 Jan 2010, 11:21, Reply)

You can get chocolates called Ruffles.
www.treasureislandsweets.co.uk/acatalog/copy_of_chocolate_Raspberry_Ruffles.html
( girlinthehole, Tue 5 Jan 2010, 11:24, Reply)

Ooo, are they those coconut rasberry things?

( G/PP 💩💩💩💩💩&#128, Tue 5 Jan 2010, 11:26, Reply)

Yup!

( girlinthehole, Tue 5 Jan 2010, 12:59, Reply)

Belgian chocolate

( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Tue 5 Jan 2010, 11:17, Reply)

Fish Marinade from Denmark.
No idea what it is but it's pink and you use it on raw mackerel. Makes it taste like rollmop of the gods.
(porkylips looks better as the sun goes down., Tue 5 Jan 2010, 13:28, Reply)