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What's something cool from the U.S. that's hard to get in Europe?

VictorR said:
You may find this collection of photos of various "American food" sections in different grocers across Europe to be helpful in finding what may be accessible there.
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OMG this link was hilarious. A lot of that stuff I don't recognize, and these all look like stereotype foods. It's like our Chinese section of the local Walmart is just bulk rice.

Forest Cat said:
it's a running joke here that Americans put cheese on everything.
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Really? Maybe you don't put cheese on enough things?

But, there is an explanation for cheese. The government subsidizes a lot of food producers and guarantee a price. So there's social engineering for people to consume cheese.
 
Outdated said:
In my country timber and plant products need to go through quarantine and many food products are completely banned due to bio-security concerns.
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Yeah, but since everything in Australia is trying to kill you, it's easy to assume everything imported would do the same.
 
Outdated said:
That's the sort of suggestion I would make, something cultural. It would pay to check on customs rules and regulations though, I don't think Europe is very strict in general but some countries have very strict rules on what can and can't be brought in to the country.

In my country timber and plant products need to go through quarantine and many food products are completely banned due to bio-security concerns.
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Jewelry made by indigenous peoples sells well here locally at arts & craft fairs. Where the public is reasonably aware of the actual participants and where they get their rocks and minerals locally to make such things by hand.

Though most parts of the US are not necessarily in close proximity to Native Americans as we are.
 
Lysholm said:
Really? Maybe you don't put cheese on enough things?

But, there is an explanation for cheese. The government subsidizes a lot of food producers and guarantee a price. So there's social engineering for people to consume cheese.
Click to expand...

It's just a silly joke, like when you buy an American car it comes with two slices of cheese. And Kentucky bourbon with cheese in the bottle.
 
Forest Cat said:
It's just a silly joke, like when you buy an American car it comes with two slices of cheese. And Kentucky bourbon with cheese in the bottle.
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Kirk: "Spock, what exactly does he mean by that?"
Spock: "Hell if I know, Jim. Er uh.....Captain. Though I believe the Germans would say, "Das macht nichts".
Kirk: "So now I'm Jim? Never mind, Spock. But try to ease up on all that Romulan ale."
Spock: "Yes, Captain."
McCoy: "In a pig's eye!"
Kirk: "Bones, do you know what any of that means?"
McCoy: "Not a clue, Jim. Er uh...Captain."
Kirk: "Scotty, just one to beam up."
Scotty: "Can do, Jim."
Kirk: "Really? You too?"
Scotty: "Aye, Captain. The haggis is in the fire for sure."
Kirk: "You're damned right it is!"
Jack Nicholson: "Bill, I think that's MY line."
 
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So, I looked on amazon.de and everything I search for - like hammer or cheese - has por*****phy in the results.

"Die liebestollen Handwerker" I have no idea what this is but now I want one.
 
Lysholm said:
"Die liebestollen Handwerker" I have no idea what this is but now I want one.
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You want a lovestruck craftsman? Okie dokie.

So I guess it depends on what he does or makes....presumably by hand. Maybe I should stop there.

-Entschuldigung.
 
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Judge said:
You want a lovestruck craftsman? Okie dokie.

So I guess it depends on what he does or makes....presumably by hand.
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Full send and double-down.

Honestly, though, those rural European women...they don't make 'em like that in the States.
 
Judge said:
True, as long as something is physically and culturally "genuine".
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A Paul Bunyan figurine. :D I have never seen that in Europe.

bunyan.jpg
 
I live in a pretty culturally "americanized" country, so we get most of the typical brands. Most of what we don't get are the more infamous products. I'll list everything you can get in the US which you probably can't in normal grocery and tourists shops in Europe. It would be helpful to know which country your friend lives in as peanut butter and Oreos are really not difficult to buy in most places.

Cheeze-Whiz, Hot pockets, bread (very sweet in the US), SPAM, American cheese (infamous), Hershey's milk chocolate (seen as disgusting. Apparently you use spoiled milk?), conserved milk, stuffed crust pizza, guns (especially assault rifles), a genuine dreamcatcher and moonshine.

Now, in terms of memorabilia, what I see as quintessentially statesian is army worship, and culturally the US army is a big part of the US image. If you want to get something really american, get some army memorabilia, either US army tourist tat, or actual US equipment (maybe army rations?) or clothing. While most countries in Europe have armies, they don't tend to be culturally significant, and you certainly can't buy memorabilia or tourist things connected to them.

I am not saying my recommendations are good, but they are all something you can't really get in Europe, and can immediately be identified as statesian. I wouldn't want any of those things, but you know your friend better than I do, so it's up to you. I didn't include stuff already mentioned (weed) or something which would be unpractical to give (a black widow spider, a Pontiak car, a bald eagle, a licensed amusement park, a 12 man jury).
 
Stuttermabolur said:
I live in a pretty culturally "americanized" country, so we get most of the typical brands. Most of what we don't get are the more infamous products. I'll list everything you can get in the US which you probably can't in normal grocery and tourists shops in Europe. It would be helpful to know which country your friend lives in as peanut butter and Oreos are really not difficult to buy in most places.

Cheeze-Whiz, Hot pockets, bread (very sweet in the US), SPAM, American cheese (infamous), Hershey's milk chocolate (seen as disgusting. Apparently you use spoiled milk?), conserved milk, stuffed crust pizza, guns (especially assault rifles), a genuine dreamcatcher and moonshine.

Now, in terms of memorabilia, what I see as quintessentially statesian is army worship, and culturally the US army is a big part of the US image. If you want to get something really american, get some army memorabilia, either US army tourist tat, or actual US equipment (maybe army rations?) or clothing. While most countries in Europe have armies, they don't tend to be culturally significant, and you certainly can't buy memorabilia or tourist things connected to them.

I am not saying my recommendations are good, but they are all something you can't really get in Europe, and can immediately be identified as statesian. I wouldn't want any of those things, but you know your friend better than I do, so it's up to you. I didn't include stuff already mentioned (weed) or something which would be unpractical to give (a black widow spider, a Pontiak car, a bald eagle, a licensed amusement park, a 12 man jury).
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A black widow spider and an assault rifle :tearsofjoy:
That would have a fun time getting through customs.

All the foods you listed are pretty much exclusively American, and they are disgusting imo. I have met people from other countries who have moved here who surprisingly really liked “American” food. But not many.
I don’t even like it lol except for burgers, and with the huge caveat that they can’t be greasy.

Something I’ve heard a lot from European immigrant friends is how disgusting and overly rich/saturated our pastries and cakes are compared to the ones they’re used to. As someone who can’t eat a cupcake without feeling nauseous, I’m not surprised.
 
Stuttermabolur said:
Now, in terms of memorabilia, what I see as quintessentially statesian is army worship, and culturally the US army is a big part of the US image. If you want to get something really american, get some army memorabilia, either US army tourist tat, or actual US equipment (maybe army rations?) or clothing. While most countries in Europe have armies, they don't tend to be culturally significant, and you certainly can't buy memorabilia or tourist things connected to them.
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I'm confused. Are you implying that foreigners are obsessed with our military regalia?

Quite odd given my personal understanding of such things on a retail basis translates into items bearing a swastika carrying the most demand and value whereas US military equipment amounts in comparison to little more than what we refer to as "surplus". Stuff to be used on a practical basis or camping, without any real intrinsic value compared to real items of the Third Reich.

I know, I once worked in a military hobby shop in the late 70s whose owner was a collector of the real thing. Of course the sad part of militaria from the Third Reich is that so much of what is on the market today is counterfeit, or misrepresented as German when it's actually Spanish. Still, regalia from that nation an particular era commands a premium relative to market demand.

As far as our culture goes, we as Americans are pretty low-key about our military compared to many other nations. Something I know a little about as well, having been born and raised in a military family. A lot of us were quite amused seeing a former president who was so miffed because he couldn't have foreign-style military parades of men and equipment. That someone actually had to explain to him that it's not part of our culture.
 
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