# Common foods you can't get when travelling **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 21, 2001, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-you-cant-get-when-travelling/77381 "2001-08-21T17:49:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ski\_the\_Soo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Ski\_the\_Soo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ski_the_Soo)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-you-cant-get-when-travelling/77381/1 "2001-08-21T17:49:32Z")
I was on a trip recently to a Caribbean island and mentioned wanting to buy some potato chips or pretzels. I was told by a fellow traveler that they didn’t have pretzels, and that they didn’t have them in a lot of countries. Other people chimed in that simple ham sandwiches were rare in much of Europe, and that hot dogs would often be served as a sausage with a square dinner roll, so that the dog stuck far out on both ends. ---
**Author:** ![Tedster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@Tedster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tedster)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-you-cant-get-when-travelling/77381/2 "2001-08-21T18:35:48Z")
Serious problem finding them in many locations in the U.S. Decent beer in the U.S. at non-exorbitant prices, but that’s not news. Thank you Prohibition, you morons. ---
**Author:** ![Purd\_Werfect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47c2d/32.png) [@Purd\_Werfect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purd_Werfect)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-you-cant-get-when-travelling/77381/3 "2001-08-21T18:42:02Z")
That’s funny. The short time I spent in Europe, the one thing I could be sure of finding if I couldn’t find anything else decipherable was a ham and cheese sandwich. Phonetically -“haam und kaas” or something like that, and soon I would be eating like a king. I was all set to go for the “jambon et fromage”, but I didn’t make it to France. Granted, I was only in a few locations in Europe. If worse came to worse, there always seemed to be a McDonalds around. Fortunately, it never came to that. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-you-cant-get-when-travelling/77381/4 "2001-08-21T19:35:22Z")
Lemonade! Nothing is better after a long hot day of sight seeing than a tart and refreshing glass of lemonade (okay, well maybe lemon gelato- but we have to leave Italy at some point). Those silly Europeans, however, seem to think that “lemonade” means “artificially lemon flavored fizzy water”. Arg! ---
**Author:** ![P\_G\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/71c47a/32.png) [@P\_G\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P_G_B)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2001, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-you-cant-get-when-travelling/77381/5 "2001-08-24T03:32:21Z")
Lots of countries don’t have much tradition for mixed drinks. The closest they come to a cocktail is a shandygaff (beer and lemonade), or perhaps a ginger squared (ginger schnapps and ginger beer). ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2001, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-you-cant-get-when-travelling/77381/6 "2001-08-24T03:51:44Z")
I remember being shocked at the selection of breakfast cereals in either France or London (Forget where we actually went into a grocery store.) They had, I believe, Rice Crispies, Corn Flakes (possibly Frosted Flakes as well), and Raisin Bran. THAT’S IT! And they were on the bottom shelf, like they were riff-raff or something. I felt sad that they’d never known the joy of FrankenBerry. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2001, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-you-cant-get-when-travelling/77381/7 "2001-08-24T04:18:17Z")
In Asia, you can’t find Mexican food worthy of the name. I mean, Taco Bell type basic burrito level of quality. Most places simply don’t ave Mexican food. ---
**Author:** ![Myron\_Van\_Horowitzski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Myron\_Van\_Horowitzski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myron_Van_Horowitzski)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2001, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-you-cant-get-when-travelling/77381/8 "2001-08-24T14:37:52Z")
And of course the farther away you get from Wisconsin, the less cheese can be found in quantity and at a low price. Your Cheesehead-in-a-Jar, Myron ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2001, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-you-cant-get-when-travelling/77381/9 "2001-08-24T14:42:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Myron Van Horowitzski \* > \*\*And of course the farther away you get from Wisconsin, the less cheese can be found in quantity and at a low price. > \*\* Not to mention that it’s impossible to find cheese curds anywhere but the Cheesehead State, and even the ones there vary in quality. The best are the ones you find in a big barrel, unrefrigerated because they were made in the last 12 hours or so. Second best are the packaged ones you find in cheese specialty shops in Wisconsin. A distant third are the curds you find in grocery stores in WI and the UP. I once got in an argument at work because a coworker who grew up here in Colorado insisted to me that the curds sold at the local cheese shop were pretty damn good. Let me tell you, I’ve had those curds, and they’re not even curds. They’re small pieces of cheddar cheese - imagine Cheddar McNuggets or some such thing. Ms. KnowItAll who has never set foot in Wisconsin insisted over and over that they were real curds, just like you get in the Cheesehead State. Bah! ---
**Author:** ![flickerwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/13edae/32.png) [@flickerwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flickerwolf)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2001, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-you-cant-get-when-travelling/77381/10 "2001-08-24T18:11:22Z")
Peanut butter in France. I dunno. I just could NOT find it. My friend who’s been to Austria and Gemany says he noticed this absence there also. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2001, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-you-cant-get-when-travelling/77381/11 "2001-08-24T18:22:55Z")
I can never find vegemite when I travel away from my own kitchen. Summer Sausage is tough to find, too. Any cheddar cheese older than 5 years is difficult to locate. And my Trinity of omelet ingredients; 11 year old cheddar cheese, vegemite and summer sausage are very difficult to assemble away from home. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2001, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-you-cant-get-when-travelling/77381/12 "2001-08-24T19:32:22Z")
> [@](#): > > PGB Sez: > Lots of countries don’t have much tradition for mixed drinks. Someone asking _“Why clam juice?”_ in another thread reminded me how difficult it is for Canadians to get a Caesar in most parts of the States & Europe. (Not the salad, but a cocktail of tomato juice, clam juice, vodka, worcester sauce, & spices that is a standard up here.) ---
**Author:** ![evilhanz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba8739/32.png) [@evilhanz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evilhanz)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2001, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-you-cant-get-when-travelling/77381/13 "2001-08-24T20:20:11Z")
Real maple syrup. Fresh seafood - lobster, salmon, clams, shrimp. Fluffernutter - if you don’t know, don’t ask 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2001, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-you-cant-get-when-travelling/77381/14 "2001-08-24T20:30:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by evilhanz \* > \*\*Fluffernutter - if you don’t know, don’t ask 🙂 \*\* I didn’t know, but had to look it up. Never heard the word before, but when I was in grades 5-7, my dear mum sent me off to school _every freaking day_ with either PB&Marshmallow Fluff or Lemon Cheez sandwiches. If I couldn’t find some fool to trade with, I’d just huck 'em at people. ---
**Author:** ![RickQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@RickQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickQ)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2001, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-you-cant-get-when-travelling/77381/15 "2001-08-24T22:33:05Z")
Extra strong mints. In fact, when I have been in the US I have been unable to find any decent mints that really suited my tastes. I’m gonna have to send for food parcels from home when I move over there. ---
**Author:** ![Katisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bcef8e/32.png) [@Katisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katisha)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2001, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-you-cant-get-when-travelling/77381/16 "2001-08-24T22:34:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by flickerwolf \* > \*\*Peanut butter in France. I dunno. I just could NOT find it. My friend who’s been to Austria and Gemany says he noticed this absence there also. \*\* A friend of mine who spent a year in Finland tells me it’s also impossible to find there as well. However, I did manage to find peanut butter in the Netherlands, although due to my lack of knowledge of Dutch, I ended up buying the kind with cayenne pepper in it. It wasn’t half bad… 😃