Irn-Bru is a good one, but I think somebody said it was banned for import into the US (???). Cadbury’s Dairy Milk is also another good one - I understand that Cadbury’s chocolate is available in the US, but is made to a different recipe and not as good.
Yes, here Cadbury’s is distributed by Hershey. It’s actually better than their regular chocolate, but not as good as it should be.
That rates high, though I generally buy Quintessential.
Import your Cadbury’s chocolate from Ireland, it’s nicer tasting to my tastebuds.
It is available here in the US
I buy Bisto beef gravy granules for Doper Kitchen Wench, who can’t get it in the Midwest where she lives. She and her husband seem to love it.
I also get Ribena black current drink for my girlfriend, who adores it. HP Sauce is pretty good, too. I was at an English-style pub that had it on the table, so I dipped my batter-fried fish and chips in it. Was that a condiment faux pas?
Oh of course not, but HP really comes into its own on a bacon butty. The best thing to go with fish and chips is the East of Scotland brown sauce. It’s about 50/50 generic brown sauce and vinegar. Have it with a couple of pickled onions, a pickled egg, and a single smoked sausage and, well, then you’ve got yourself an authentic Scottish post-pub feast. Or you could have a kebab I suppose.
Your post and Dominic Mulligan’s disturb me.
My premise: Cadbury’s in Britain is utter crap.
DM’s: Cadbury’s in the US isn’t as good as Cadbury’s in Britain.
Yours: Hershey’s own kind aren’t as good as their Cadbury’s.
Conclusion: Hershey’s is, what, the devil’s sputum? :eek: And I’ve actually heard many good things about it, I want to try it.
Can you get Galaxy chocolate over there? - it’s worth trying - a lot smoother and creamier than Cadbury’s and many people think it’s the nicest of the mainstream chocolate bars.
Green & Black’s chocolate (http://www.greenandblacks.com/uk/index.php) is really nice too.
Other unique British products… Nobody has suggested Marmite yet.
When I was living in the US, it was plain digestive biscuits that I missed the most - the nearest local equivalents were always too sweet.
And on my younger brother’s last trip back home to Blighty it was a Scotch egg that he most craved.
You may also want to try http://ukgoods.com/
As a displaced Brit living in California just recently moved from Wyoming they got me through some decnet chocolate cravings etc
And the service is excellent!
I second the Colman’s, my gods that stuff is fantastic. I had a heart attack looking at the sugar content in bottled dressings so I make my own for lunch-1/4 teaspoon to help bind the balsamic to the oil. You can actually get it over here (I found it in a Ralph’s, which I believe is owned by Kroger) but it isn’t going to be as hot. I hear by the time it gets out to the colonies the taste gets a bit deadened and the really fresh stuff is right out of Europe (New York Times dining had an article on this recently). So yeah. The Colman’s. Highly recommended.
What don’t you like about the Cadbury’s in Britain? Is it just crap all through, or is it a bit too much something or a bit too little something? Hershey’s has a weird smell, to me, which translates into taste. I don’t like plain Hershey bars and their dark chocolate is pretty bad. I thought I hated dark chocolate because all I’d had was Hershey dark chocolate. Not so–other kinds are fine. Hershey is now making these sort of fancy high-percentage cacao chocolate bars which might be better but I haven’t tried them yet.
You might like Hershey’s just fine. I like their things like Reese’s peanut butter cups, where it’s not just the chocolate, and Hershey’s kisses taste better than the chocolate bars. But I can’t get over the smell.
I like the sound of those McVities chocolate caramel digestives. I’m a caramel fanatic.
Doesn’t Cadbury Schweppes own Green & Blacks now?
Piss off the Ribena, and get thee to some Vimto.
Hubby taught me about Vimto. It’s lovely, blackcurrently like Ribena, but there’s other spicy flavours to it and it’s sublime.
Also, seconding cowgirl’s shout-out to Chocolate-Caramel McVities. How beautiful they are with a nicehotcupoftea…
Oh, I love Vimto, although I only ever find it at the rare Middle Eastern market or restaurant. I tried to get the black currant-loving girlfriend to try it, but she wouldn’t drink anything that is an anagram for vomit.
Hmm… had me a Bombardier last weekend, and Hobgoblin’s relatively easy to find around here.
I seem to remember Bishop’s Finger being pretty decent, and I can’t remember having had Broadside.
I also recall Ruddles County Ale being pretty good stuff when I was over there, although I’m not sure if they export it or not.
Vimto is hands down the best soft drink I’ve ever had. The local produce market used to stock it and I’d started inventing an excellent mixed drink with a bit of dark rum and pomegranite liquor using it which I’ll maybe never perfect now. They stopped carrying it and I won’t order it online, so I just have to keep my eyes peeled for the next shop that sells it.
Aww, pity for her. It’s awesome, as you’d probably know then.
I’m crying now, however. Shipping from britshop over to here would cost me 29.95 pounds for anything under 2kg - that’s nearly $70 after the exchange rate. And I so sorely wanted to get my hubby some of the Lloyd Grossman balti sauce he’s been pining after ever since he left the fjord… er UK.
[ETA]: N/m - found some info I needed.
I’m not keen on it, either - I find it a bit greasy.