Edible Souvenirs: Taking Flavors of the World Back Home

Nowadays, wherever you go, you can buy a souvenir. It can be a T-shirt, a bag, a towel and of course the most popular souvenir in the past decade – a refrigerator magnet. Most souvenirs are sold in shops or in the streets and in some countries, vendors are walking up and down the beach selling you all sorts of things. Some products are nothing more than a tourist trap. An object sold as an artisan handcraft, folk art or even jewelry can be fake. You should be careful when you buy such objects because you can end up paying a lot of money for a fraud.

Buying a present for a friend is a very personal thing. You have to know somebody well to be able to buy him/her a present they would appreciate and like. How many times did you get some useless trinkets and you kept them? Just because someone went to Oktoberfest you give them a beer stein. If you know that your friend doesn’t drink, there is no point in bringing him fine Chilean wine or a French Cognac. Traditional Venetian mask is not the best choice for those who prefer minimalist style in their homes. But a good piece or Parmesan cheese can make almost everyone smile.

Edible Souvenirs From Around the World

We all like to eat and most of us love presents. When in Greece, avoid T-shirts with Grecian heroes; go for traditionally made extra virgin olive oil. If you visit Slovenia, don’t reach out for the refrigerator magnet, buy Piran Salt, harvested in the same way for almost 700 years. Bavarian white sausage when in Munich or a cheese from Netherlands makes a perfect gift especially if you are buying it for a food aficionado. When visiting India, buying spices is a must. With a good blend of Indian spices, you can’t go wrong because almost everybody likes Indian cuisine. In India, you can also buy an excellent Darjeeling tea – the champagne of teas. From Istanbul be sure to bring Turkish delight and halva.

But there is nothing like delicious chocolate gifts and there is nobody that can resist them. Salzburg is famous for its Mozartkugeln, a dark chocolate coated, marzipan balls. If you are in Vienna, make sure to stop by Sacher hotel and buy gift wrapped Sacher cake. When you visit Paris, don’t buy miniature Eiffel Tower, buy macarons, delicious colorful cookies. All the chocolate lovers know that Belgium’s chocolate is the best. But if you visit Australia, instead of toy kangaroo, you must buy chocolate. There is Zokoko, Bahen&Co and of course Daintree Estates. What makes this chocolate special is that this Australian chocolatier is growing his own cocoa beans. He is also using local dairy and sugar products. Haigh’s is one of the oldest Australian families of chocolate makers. They have been making chocolate since 1915.

Buying with Love

So the next time you take a trip, don’t spend money on useless things. Don’t buy souvenirs just for the sake of buying a present. Do it with love and respect to the person they are meant for. With good quality edible souvenirs, you can’t go wrong. When you buy an edible present, you should take care of persons taste too. It wouldn’t be smart to buy Spanish ham to a vegetarian or Mexican chili peppers to a person who doesn’t like hot goods. Like with every other present, edible souvenirs should be given from the heart.