What Do You Bring With You?

[realthaideal]

Alot of these posts hint at what we miss from home and can't find here, or wish we had. My solution to this has always been to bring over what I miss and can't find - or what I think is unreasonably priced in LOS. There's a little bit of a thrill to it too. Granted, I really could buy some cheese or pistachios here for example, but there's fun to unpacking your bags and knowing what you got in is safe in your house and ready to dig into.

This year I brought 3 lbs cryovac'd Kalamata olives, 5 lbs pistachios, Famous Amos Chocolate chip cookies, 4 cans of cranberries, Tabasco, one pint of Dijon mustard, and tons of rosemary I picked and dried myself while back home. And that's just part of the take !

Personally, I know some French people who use freezer packs to bring in all kinds of cheeses, olives, salamis and pates. That’s the next level for me.

So what do you bring back with you from your countries that you miss here ?

[farangene]

Del Monte Sweet Gherkin pickles. I only bring one jar back and that lasts about 4 months if I ration myself. I haven't found them anywhere in Thailand and they are the only pickles that I eat.

[tutsiwarrior]

when working in the gulf area of de middle east I load up on indian spices which are plentiful and cheap as there is a large south asian population...all locally packaged...easy to carry. this last time I brought back a quart tub of tahina to make baba ganoush and houmous; made the baba successfully with local eggplant but can't find any chick peas for the houmous...

from my last job in vietnam I was in the Saigon Coop supermarket on Nguyen Dinh Chi in HCMC in de kitchenware section and there were plastic noodle bowls wid covers, perfectly designed for a package ob instant noodles...one ob dose things that has a simple function but is pleasing to the eyes, beautiful...they cost the equiv of USD0.50 a piece. I bought 4 and on returning home they were instantly grabbed by the wife's family as they could appreciate their functionality as well...I fought to retain one for myself and warned my stepdaughter that if she touched it that I would cut off her 13 y.o. hands...

I use my bowl for my instant noodles every morning...add water from de kettle, cover and lean against the kitchen counter watching dem cook...beautiful...functional... there is even a little vent hole in de cover...

Edited February 11, 2007 by tutsiwarrior

[sceadugenga]

Vegemite

processed cheese spread

smoked oysters

kippers in a tin

dries peas (for soup)

I was a great fan of the fridgy bag for meat, sausages, cheese etc for a long time. The trick is not to freeze the meat, just get it really cold and pack some of those freezer bottles with it, then repack and freeze in Thailand.

[lomatopo]

Starbucks whole bean coffee, 2 lbs (and a box of #2 filters) as it costs about 75% less in the U.S. (exclusive of the free drink, any size, you get for each lb. you buy).

Pistachios, one 5 lb. bag

Candy: Twizzlers, Heath Bars, Altoids

The carry-on liquid ban has put a crimp in my export/import activities as I rarely check a bag and am reluctant to put liquids in a checked bag. Before the ban I'd bring in Patron (Silver) Tequila, 2 for $55 at the duty free. I also bring back personal care items like Mach 3 blades, dental tape, Swifter refills, dryer sheets and Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Soap (bars now, previously liquid, nothing quite so refreshing in this climate).

I'm not a picky eater here, and go back every 60 days so get to gorge on favorite foods, so I don't bring back a lot of ingredients or foodstuffs.

Olives might be a consideration, I miss a real martini. (I suffer through with a twist of real lemon now.)

Cheeses are also a consideration given the lack of availability and/or prohibitive cost? Just not sure how to pack them for travel or if they'll get confiscated?

[Momo8]

What I miss from home? Too long a list...and some things you can't bring over from Oz.

1. Real milkshakes and hamburgers from takeway shops by a beach

2. Violet Crumbles

3. Scallops

4. Wagon Wheels

5. Fish and Chips wrapped in newspaper doused in vinegar

6. Aussie meat pies you can stick the sauce in and squeeze or a pie floater.

7. Minties,Jaffas,Fantales

8. Burger Rings

9. Scones

10. Sausage Rolls

[November Rain]

I bring Walker's crisps, various pre-packaged foods that I miss, tinned haggis, English teabags and fresh scotch bonnet chillies (they taste completely different to the chillies here) Never tried bringing frozen or chilled food...

[Jet Gorgon]

Two big jars of Cheese Whiz, peanut butter (fresher), Reese's peanut butter cups, vacuum-packed semi-smoked salmon, Keene's dry mustard, farang spices, J-cloths for kitchen cleaning, and next time I will include marshmallows so I can make rice crispy squares for the neighbourhood.

[leisurely]

Until it started to sporadically appear in TOPS, Marmite was the number one thing, we would have all our visitors bring over jars of it.

Crunchies - completely unavailable in this country

Jelly babies - same same

Jars of Colemans mustard

Oxo cubes - prohibitively expensive here

Branston pickle - as above

Everything else I manage to make or do without. Necessity is the mother of invention (allegedly)

[realthaideal]

"... and next time I will include marshmallows so I can make rice crispy squares for the neighborhood."

Rice crispy treats may go over well. I had friends bring over marshmallows and graham crackers when they visited. Then I went out n bought some Euro chocolate at Tesco and taught the neighbors to make s'mores. I figured the toasting marshmallows would be fun for them and it was. Also a silly nostalgic thing from being a kid. Nice to enjoy a taste like that over here every now n then. Everyone liked them and the fact that you can make a pure treat version of a 'sandwich.'

And how did you bring over the semi smoked salmon ? did you ice pack it ? and do you mean lox ? I want to do the same next time.

[Wolfie]

English tea bags...

Cadbury's chocolate! (or any British Chocolate will do!)

I haven't been outside of Thailand for over 4 years now so i get friends to bring me stuff over occasionally. The Chocolate usually goes into a nice bottle of vodka to make my infamous cocktail chocolate vodka which goes down a treat and get you really hammered! The tea bags are consumed in the traditional way however

[Jet Gorgon]

"... and next time I will include marshmallows so I can make rice crispy squares for the neighborhood."

Rice crispy treats may go over well. I had friends bring over marshmallows and graham crackers when they visited. Then I went out n bought some Euro chocolate at Tesco and taught the neighbors to make s'mores. I figured the toasting marshmallows would be fun for them and it was. Also a silly nostalgic thing from being a kid. Nice to enjoy a taste like that over here every now n then. Everyone liked them and the fact that you can make a pure treat version of a 'sandwich.'

And how did you bring over the semi smoked salmon ? did you ice pack it ? and do you mean lox ? I want to do the same next time.

Big Korean supermarket sells semi-smoked salmon, almost like sushi, in big vac-packed slabs. I just refrigerate and then put in my checkin luggage. Cargo is really cold! Then I put in the minifridge if I stay overnight in BKK. If I take a train, I buy a small styro box and ice to take it the rest of the way. Oh ya, forgot to add fresh wasabi on my list. Anyway, great as cracker toppers, too, or sliced thin with cream cheese on toast. Best shared with friends once opened.

[sceadugenga]

Two big jars of Cheese Whiz, peanut butter (fresher), Reese's peanut butter cups, vacuum-packed semi-smoked salmon, Keene's dry mustard, farang spices, J-cloths for kitchen cleaning, and next time I will include marshmallows so I can make rice crispy squares for the neighbourhood.

I brought a tin of Keane's dry English last year, I get the occasional urge for a ham and decent mustard sanga occasionally, forgot it for about six months and it had gone "off". Like full of cobwebs. Same thing happened with some dried cumin I bought in Big C. What do you reckon? keep it in the fridge?

[JacknDanny]

Until it started to sporadically appear in TOPS, Marmite was the number one thing, we would have all our visitors bring over jars of it.

Crunchies - completely unavailable in this country

Jelly babies - same same

Jars of Colemans mustard

Oxo cubes - prohibitively expensive here

Branston pickle - as above

Everything else I manage to make or do without. Necessity is the mother of invention (allegedly)

Wow, I had forgotten crunchies!!!

8 yrs since Ive had one. Also remember the Toffee Crisps and Rolos, Dime Bars.

Hollands Staek and Kidney puddings

[Jet Gorgon]

Two big jars of Cheese Whiz, peanut butter (fresher), Reese's peanut butter cups, vacuum-packed semi-smoked salmon, Keene's dry mustard, farang spices, J-cloths for kitchen cleaning, and next time I will include marshmallows so I can make rice crispy squares for the neighbourhood.

I brought a tin of Keane's dry English last year, I get the occasional urge for a ham and decent mustard sanga occasionally, forgot it for about six months and it had gone "off". Like full of cobwebs. Same thing happened with some dried cumin I bought in Big C. What do you reckon? keep it in the fridge?

Yep, happened to mine, too, and I had not even opened the tin. It was mouldy. Try keeping it in the fridge.

[Grover]

weet-bix, cadbury chocolate, vegimite.

[kyb789]

I always bring back about 6 cans of Valley Fresh Chunk Chicken in a can. Never found it here and it is great for cooking since it is canned like tuna and already cooked. Just throw it in my favorite soups and dishes.

California wine. Always bring a few bottles. Good wine can be found in the markets back home at 400 baht on sale, but the same bottle found here will give you cardiac arrest at 2,100B..

I have yet to try to packing some on the plane, but I miss nothing more than California's favorite junk food....Taco Bell!

[tutsiwarrior]

I always bring back about 6 cans of Valley Fresh Chunk Chicken in a can. Never found it here and it is great for cooking since it is canned like tuna and already cooked. Just throw it in my favorite soups and dishes.

California wine. Always bring a few bottles. Good wine can be found in the markets back home at 400 baht on sale, but the same bottle found here will give you cardiac arrest at 2,100B..

I have yet to try to packing some on the plane, but I miss nothing more than California's favorite junk food....Taco Bell!

yew ain't alone, pal...see the recent thread...I'd kill ta getta fix...