I've just returned from a lovely holiday on my favourite island of Corfu. Instead of the usual tacky souvenirs, I bought some herbs for making gyros, Greek potatoes and Greek meatballs, some jars of kumquats and a dozen vacuum packs of lovely kalamata black olives. Does anyone else bring foodie things back home with them, and if so, what?
Lots of things - Peri peri sauce from South Africa, curry spice mixes from the Far East (having a fish one tonight from HK) Most of them are coconut based. My favourite salad dressing is Paul Newman parmesan and roasted garlic from the US. I love going around foreign supermarkets.
I would love to bring back food from Zakynthos, but it is not allowed. I don't normally bring back many souvenirs for others, but when I do it's wine, spirits, lighters etc.
Tea and soda bread from Ireland, Lynda.....whenever MrG and I went to Portugal it was olives and sardine pate.......
I've yet to find olives as good here...x
To add I did think there were issues with bringing food in sometimes If you watch the TV series on customs in Australia (and NZ) they don't allow passengers in with anything organic,not just meat but fruit, spices, all sorts of stuff.
/Does anyone else bring foodie things back home with them, and if so, what?/
No I bring gifts back for my friends and not myself tho if you are bringing them for your friends then they'd be a nice prezzie if they're budding foodies and you show them the recipes to make authentic meals.
I've never seen corfu olives on sale at home, they are usually Spanish or just labelled 'Greek'. And it's meat products that you aren't supposed to bring back. As Greece is part of the EU (for now) you can bring most things back (except living plants I think). I hardly every buy olives at home because they are not a patch on the ones I buy (vaccuum packed) in Corfu. And the herbs I brought are special local mixes of herbs so would probably not be readily available at home.