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It’s possible that yesterday was the biggest day of my life. Why you ask? Because I received a package of Oreo O’s in the mail. I have a friend(*) in Singapore whose cousin was going to South Korea (the only place on earth where Oreo O’s are sold) and she said she’d have him grab me a box. And then I promptly forgot about it. Until yesterday. I pulled in the driveway after picking L up from school to see a orange “we missed you” note on my door. And the mailman just down the street. I glanced at the card, realized who it was from and what was in it and RAN down the street to catch the mailman to get my package. I am pretty sure that the Comcast guy who was watching all this go down got a good laugh ;).
But looking at the Oreo O’s got me thinking about other amazing things that aren’t available in the U.S. including:
~Crispy m&m’s: It appears you can order these from some German shop on Amazon . You’ll pay, but these suckers are delicious.
~Smarties: Okay, I have a friend in the U.K. who included Smarties in a package she sent me around the holidays. She was like I don’t think you have them over there? I was all huh? Yes, we do?? Umm, no we don’t. These are chocolate candies and are super yummy! And clearly not allowed to be sold here because we already have smarties.
~Ketchup Chips: You *might* be able to buy these in the U.S., but I don’t know where. I probably wouldn’t call them amazing, but the fact I can’t get them easily makes me want them.
~McDonald’s Pizza McPuff: For whatever reason, the menu’s of McDonald’s in foreign countries is so much better. Umm, a McPuff? Yes please! You’ll have to go far to get one though because they are only available in India.
~Oreo O’s: I don’t think I need to tell you about the deliciousness that are Oreo O’s. OMG. I love them. I am rationing the box I have and also hiding it from my boys.
~Kinder Surprise Eggs: I mentioned these a few weeks ago and a lot of people seemed shocked they aren’t sold in the U.S. Again, that’s because it appears that us Americans are too dumb to realize we aren’t suppose to eat the toys inside. Duh.
Next time I go to Canada (**), I am going to go to WalMart and check out all the things they have that we don’t. I’ll report back. I only included food in this post, but I might do a cosmetics one as well. In the meantime, tell me what your favorite foreign treats are. What do you love or want to try that you can’t get here?
I want crispy M&Ms now. those were my favorite.
and soem Oreo O’s.
sigh…
My sister and I were in Ireland with my family and we had a lot of change – we decided to buy all different kinds of candy from the vending machine in our hotel that we’ve never had before. It was SO much fun. Our favorite was the Crunchie… honeycomb toffee sugar center that starts off airy but then melts into this goo that sticks to your teeth. It’s great! I know they sell them in the international isle at Wegman’s in NY.
All that just sounds AMAZING!!!
You can find smarties in a lot of speciality shops in the states just fyi-especially large independent candy stores.
1. I lived in Canada for 11 years (from the age of 7-18, so prime candy eating age.) Canadian Smarties are a disgusting replica of M&Ms. Kinder Eggs are amazing and wonderful and have the best surprises. However, it seems to be the top priority of the US Border agents to make sure they don’t get through to the US. (I think it would be easier to get drugs through.)
2. Ketchup chips are divine, but only if you eat them once every two or three years.
3. McDonald’s in Canada used to have amazing pizza, but I don’t think they have it anymore. And I probably ate it 20 years ago, so my taste-bud memory may be somewhat nostalgic.
@Jennifer Cochran: I totally remember that pizza! It was so good!
While I was in Italy I fell in love with Paprika Pringles!! I can not find them here!! I have been looking for eight years! Also they had a banana candy that I liked and I don’t even like banana’s!
You guys don’t have smarties??? My friend is always making smartie cookies, they are sooo good!
xoxo
Stacey
How are the crispy M&M’s different from pretzel M&M’s (also sold in a blue bag)? You can get ketchup chips in Canada — I used to love those (and dill pickle chips!) when I went to sleepaway camp outside Toronto as a kid! There is also a great store called The London Candy Company here in Manhattan (they have a Web site) that carries all kinds of British candy including Smarties!
I dont know about the whole “not being sold in the US” thing or not … but one of the best things, in my opinion, about shopping at the grocery store on a military base is the selection of foreign treats. Kinder bars and Happy Hippos and all kinds of Japanese treats, too. And at Christmas time they have a TON of awesome foreign stuff — legit [GOOD] panetone. German Chocolates filled with liquor. Cookies and all kinds of yummies! Its my favorite!
I miss crispy M&M’s. They were amazing!
You need to go to World Market and buy some Happy Hippos. They are to die for, especially if you like Nutella. We lived in Germany for 8+ years and they were my all time favorite. I agree it’s stupid that they can no longer sell Kinder Eggs in the states becuase they have a toy inside “food.” Around Easter time, they sell HUGE Kinder Eggs.
I used to love Oreo O’s. I was sad when they were discontinued. I have to say, Kinder Eggs are amazing. My aunt sends them to me from Canada. I am 29 years old and I still like the surprises. My 5 yo gets to keep them though. 🙂 I can usually find Ketchup Lays from time to time. Herr’s has Ketchup chips too if you like them, look for the Herr’s brand. Have you tried the pretzel M&Ms? Those are good too! I live in a small town in SC and I moved here from California. There are so many things that I miss from over there. Truly, absence makes the heart grow fonder. Lol. When I find the things I love, I will totally indulge!
I was never a fan of Crispy M&Ms and was OK with seeing them go. I didn’t know they were still available in other countries.
There is a large ethnic grocery store on the north side of Chicago that sells Kinder Eggs like they have no idea they aren’t legal. They had a HUGE display of them last year. You can find them in a few places around the city. So sneaky.
I buy ketchup chips all the time I love them I believe Herr’s makes them
Wait…Crispy M&Ms and Oreo O’s…..did they stop selling them here? It’s been a while, but I have purchased both in California in the past….
My kids love kinder chocolates. They are around but hard to come by. Cost Plus sells them (is that a nationwide store?). Also, if you have any specialty candy stores, they are worth checking. I’m 99% sure mine have those smarties too!….Don’t get me started on Crispy M&M’s! There is no excuse for that!!!
I LOVE Kinder Surprise Eggs! I bring them back from Ireland when I go for work. We used to have Wonderballs by Nestle.. but I think what you said was true and it was a hazard so we don’t have them anymore 🙁
OMG Jen, Happy Hippos are the best! Love those things!
And I remember finding Bacon Pringles years ago in Tahiti. Best chips ever.
Ever since my first foray years ago into a grocery store in Canada where I found all sorts of amazing goodies I always check out the snack aisles when I’m in a foreign country or heck even when I’m in a different state. I’ve been known to stop at gas stations on road trips just to see what interesting goodies they sell. But then I spent $10 a bag for Gingerbread Oreos on Amazon so I can get carried away when it comes to those kind of things LOL
Don’t forget Coffee Crisps in Canada – yum!!! And, I’ve had some amazing Kinder chocolates in France. In addition to pain au chocolat, Jeff deBruges chocolate, and tons of other goodies that are escaping me right now…
Oh, and this doesn’t pertain to “not sold in the USA”, but Yeungling beer! Not *yet* in Michigan – it needs to be!!!
The chocolate egg things…something similar use to be for sale in the US! I remember when I was little going to the grocery store and getting..I believe it was called a “wonderball”. It was a chocolate shell and it always had a little toy inside…like a little action figure type of thing. Miss those things!
I used to get crispy M&M’s all of the time when I was little! I went to London back in May and visited an M&M World there. That was the only place that I could get them from! Oreo O’s used to be sold in the US when I was younger too. They took away all of the good stuff!
Do you have orange mms or crispy mint mms?
I guess the Crispy M&Ms had a trial run over here because I seriously miss them…like Kit-Kat m&ms! So good…Mcdonalds Pizza Mcpuff?? Ew India can keep those. Why would anyone in India with all that delicious and flavorful cuisine opt for a pizza mcpuff idk.
I go to Germany for College and I just love those Kinder eggs, they tell you that they are only for children but I get them to rewwrd myself from time to time. 🙂
OMG, I grew up in Canada and when I moved to states, I was so bummed that all my favorite junk food items were not here! I love and still love Smarties – sorry they are so much better than M&Ms and when you are 4, the colors are much better too! And Ketchup Chips – hands down, the best chips ever! I get them every time I travel back there but they usually don’t hold up too well. I did find a bag of spicy ketchup chips here in the states and they were almost as good.
In addition to these two, must haves when traveling to Canada are: Coffee Crisps, Aero Bars, Oh Henrys, and Caramilk (yum).
Love this post so much!
Jill
Classy with a Kick
I so love the memory I have of pizza puffs in high School. How cool would it have been to drive through McDonalds and get a Pizza Puff. YUM I am not sure that would be considered good for the way I am eating these days.
I would totally try the Ketchup Chips those would be fun.
~Kim from TeXas Only a few caps for you today. lol 🙂
http://www.2chattycrafters.com
I’m pretty sure I could never move to the States just because I wouldn’t survive without ketchup chips. When I’m PMSing that’s what I head towards. No chocolate for me, it’s all about the ketchup chips!
Loved the crispy M&Ms! Wasn’t too impressed with the ketchup or dill pickle chips, but the bbq chicken potato chips weren’t bad. My all-time favorite candy if Rowntree Fruit Gums. Can’t get enough of those!
We have had Kinder eggs before, From Germany. The kids LOVE them. Even though the surprise inside isn’t always the coolest, It’s cool to eat a chocolate egg and get a toy also!
My grandpa went to Japan a couple years back and he brought Green Tea kit-kats back with him. they were so good but I have never seen them any where in California.
I don’t know. Something about the McDonalds version of a hot pocket doesn’t sound that great. Smarties though, awesome.
Add Crunchie bar to that list. Available in Canada.