I found this list in my phone last week. Who makes lists like this? A blogger. Or a total weirdo. Either way.
Four foods I think we’d make a fortune on if we imported them to Ireland:
pretzels – Every time I see a recipe for chocolate dipped pretzel rods, I scowl. I miss pretzel rods. And those little waffle pretzels.
crackers – Saltines, Cheez-its, Wheat Thins, Triscuits. Can’t get any of them here!
peppermint patties and candy corn – I’ve made peppermint patties, but they just aren’t the same. And candy corn – not going to try DIYing those!
spaghetti squash – If there’s somewhere you can buy it in Ireland, I haven’t found it. It’s my number one request when I go back to Maine, oddly enough!
And since we’re being honest, the only thing on this list I’ve actually brought back is candy corn. But I can tell you I’m saving room for the rest on my next trip!
Now, three treats I would miss if I moved back to America tomorrow:
chocolate, generally – Cadbury’s isn’t my thing, but pretty much any other chocolate is just way yummier.
all dairy – butter, cheese, butter, milk and butter. I don’t know if the cows are happier or what, but Ireland wins in the dairy category.
the wine selection – maybe Maine isn’t the best place to buy wine, but I think because we’re closer to countries like Spain and France we get a better selection – even in the grocery stores. But you know those two litre bottles you can buy in America? You absolutely can’t get them here and my Irish friends think they’re hilarious!
Alright, your turn. What treats would you pine for if you moved away? Or what would you beg your parents to bring in their suitcases?
image from here
15 Comments
Timely! I’m packing my bags here in California for the return trip to Ireland, which are stuffed to the brim with Costco sized bags of chocolate chips (I’ve never found nice ones in Dublin – is it just me?), graham crackers, saltines, Ritz crackers, and sweetened coconut 🙂 I totally agree about Irish dairy, though – we *must* have happier cows!
And btw, congrats on the new tour in Dublin! We’re stopping in Boston on the way home and are excited to check out the Vayable tours in the area….
Torry – have a safe trip back with all those treats! I agree – chocolate chips are impossible to replicate! And sweetened coconut – forgot I even missed that! Definitely check out Vayable in Boston – they have such fun options!
I will definitely miss the bread some day when I’m back in America. Nothing even compares to the bread here. What do I miss from America? Milk Duds, almost all cereal, Reddi Whip, peanut butter Nips, soy milk (not soya milk), a gazillion options for everything at the grocery store, ranch dressing, American cottage cheese…. I’ll just leave it at that! : )
Kristin – I have another friend who says the same thing about the bread. I would never have thought of that. Maybe I need to try better bread! What would you recommend?? Oh man, don’t even get me started on all the options at the grocery stores in America. I actually find the options paralyzing now – how can you possibly decide?! Then I just want to bring one of everything back 😉
I just moved to Ireland and I filled my suitcase with salsa verde – it’s a must have in our house.
Welcome to Ireland, Kerri! 🙂
Welcome to Ireland, Kerri! Mexican food like America is hard to get in this country, for sure!
I went to Ireland this past spring and got lots of candy at the euro store that I can’t get in the USA. Kinder Eggs….ever….they won’t sell them here anymore. Terry’s chocolate orange slices….they only sell these in orange form during Christmas here. I also found these things called ‘strawberry cables’ that I love. And those cute little candy hippos! Oh man, but mostly I just miss all the candy at the euro store! And the Guinness. Lots of Guinness…yes, we can get it here but it’s not the same! (Or maybe that’s in my imagination that it just tastes better there…or maybe not). And basically all the food. Every place we went to eat was amazing! I miss everyone saying ‘cheers’ to me all the time. Okay, so maybe I just miss IRELAND! 🙂
Haha – loved your comment, Jenni! Sounds like you’re due a visit back! You’re right – my husband says Guinness just tastes different and better here. There’s a new candy store on Dame Street that looks amazing – I’ll have to check it out and look for the strawberry cables and candy hippos!
i never liked butter before last winter, living in cork county… the spectacular ocean views from the pastures must have something to do with the quality of the milk! i wouldn’t mind coming back as an irish dairy cow in the next life.
i miss soda bread and cadbury’s turkish delight chocolate. and the blackberries in january…
Irish dairy products are readily available in the U.S.A. My local supermarket in California sells Kerrygold butter and about four different types of Irish cheese. After my first visit to Ireland in 1998 where I fell in love with Dubliner cheese I found the local Trader Joe’s in California sold it as well as Blarney cheese. I lived in Ireland for five years and made up for the lack of chocolate chips for cookies by buying a good bar of chocolate and breaking it up in to small pieces. The lack of Mexican food ingredients was also a challenge. I got used to eating the “Old El Paso” brand of Mexicanish foodstuffs and regulary eating in Taco Taco in the Epicurean Food Hall in Dublin (I believe there are more Mexican dining options now). I also learned to make tortillas from scratch and all kinds of salsas with sad looking tomatoes. I missed sourdough bread, but I believe it is available in Ireland now.
Now that I live back in California with my Irish husband, we miss the Irish baked goods: brown soda bread, plain scones, Halloween barmbrack, baps, soda farls, batch loaf, etc. We also miss having access to 20 different kinds of fresh potatoes all year long.
🙂
You are so right about the different varieties of potatoes! So many – and I never know which should be used for what! They now sell more Mexican food in the grocery store – the Old El Paso has an “extra mild” version that you would never see in America!
re: spaghetti squash
try The Happy Pear in Greystones (give you a good excuse to ride the dart down here, it’s lovely) – but ring them first to make sure they have it…he says they have it when in season (which he had them last week? i didn’t buy one and i hope he truly meant it was a spaghetti squash, but worth a phone call) if you haven’t been there, come for lunch – vegetarian and always delicious
Nancy, what a great suggestion! I hate to admit I’ve never even been to Greystones! What a wonderful excuse and I will definitely call first. Wonderful tip, thank you!
[…] lamented the lack of cracker options here in Dublin before, but I had never tried to make my own until this weekend. Four ingredients […]