# Things you can only find OUTSIDE the U.S. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 23, 2002, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-can-only-find-outside-the-u-s/120337 "2002-07-23T05:12:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-can-only-find-outside-the-u-s/120337/21 "2002-07-23T23:04:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kilt-wearin’ man \* > \*\* > > You mean like the Fanta soda that’s available in supermarkets all across the South? \*\* The ones with the _excruciatingly_ annoying commercials?! NO, I DON’T WANTA FANTA!! ---
**Author:** ![MisterThyristor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecccb3/32.png) [@MisterThyristor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MisterThyristor)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-can-only-find-outside-the-u-s/120337/22 "2002-07-24T03:04:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RickQ \* > \*\*Thorntons toffee. > > The people at Brynda’s work love it. Everytime we go back to England, or anyone comes over here, we make sure they bring several bags. Brynda took some into work yesterday after we got back from our honeymoon and she said it was all gone by lunchtime (admitedly there are a lot of people who work there). > > \*\* Thorntons toffee is available direct from their [website.](http://www.thorntons.co.uk/) The shipping brings up the cost a bit, but you may be able to save by buying in quantity – shipping costs are £14 for .5 kilo and £24 for 5 kilos, or ten times as much for less than twice the price. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-can-only-find-outside-the-u-s/120337/23 "2002-07-24T03:19:40Z")
New French cars. We stopped importing/assembling Alliances, Encores, Medallions, etc when Chrysler bought AMC from Renalt. Puegeot took a hike around the same time. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-can-only-find-outside-the-u-s/120337/24 "2002-07-24T04:03:42Z")
Balfours meat pies. VB! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-can-only-find-outside-the-u-s/120337/25 "2002-07-24T04:23:44Z")
Why can’t America seem to produce a lemon soda that actually tastes like lemons? I drank piles of the stuff (Schweppes and/or Fanta) in Spain, was very happy to see it in England this spring, but all the stuff made in the U.S. tastes fake as hell. I was elated to discover that the wacky Middle Eastern bakery/grocery near my place sells some Turkish domestic brand of it, which actually has lemon juice in it. Not all Americans want their beverages to taste like they’ve been produced in a lab! ---
**Author:** ![Treviathan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/838e76/32.png) [@Treviathan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treviathan)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-can-only-find-outside-the-u-s/120337/26 "2002-07-24T05:46:52Z")
Regarding the Fanta issue, the orange Fanta I had all over Europe was a lighter orange colour than the stuff I had in the Minneapolis airport (on my way home to Canada, btw) and was called “mandarin orange” as opposed to regular, run-of-the-mill orange soda. And it was damn pleasing to the tastebuds, much moreso than what passes for orange pop in North America. As for the OP, well, you really have to leave North America before you can truly appreciate the complete, undistilled essence of mullet. ---
**Author:** ![Anahita](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9a28c/32.png) [@Anahita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anahita)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-can-only-find-outside-the-u-s/120337/27 "2002-07-24T06:20:36Z")
A good pint of Guinness. I’m not an expert, but hub tried dozens of places in the States for a good pint and was disappointed each time. ---
**Author:** ![Avoid\_Freud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5fc32e/32.png) [@Avoid\_Freud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avoid_Freud)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-can-only-find-outside-the-u-s/120337/28 "2002-07-24T06:30:25Z")
Thrills gum, perhaps? Comes in a delightful shade of purple and tastes like soap. ---
**Author:** ![VDarlin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e56c9b/32.png) [@VDarlin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VDarlin)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-can-only-find-outside-the-u-s/120337/29 "2002-07-24T07:21:18Z")
As for Fanta, we have it on the west coast, too. It used to be a lot more prevalent, than it is now, and came in a lot more flavor varieties. I am pretty sure that I’ve seen the mandarin orange before. In the last year or so, my local 7-11 has started carrying slurpees in Fanta flavors. They have a different one every month, or so. Right now it’s Pina Colada flavored. As for Guinness, my brother says that the closer you get to Dublin, the better the Guinness tastes. I’ve never been to Ireland, so I cannot verify this. Now, the thing that I would like to be able to get in the US, is, Coca-cola that is made with sugar, rather than corn syrup. I prefer Coke over Pepsi, because Pepsi is too sweet, so it would seem as though I wouldn’t like it to be made with real sugar, but damn is it delicious. Fortunately, I live close to the Mexico border, and usually end up taking visiting friends/family down there, on their request, so I always make sure to drink lots of Coke while I’m there. It wouldn’t be feesible to go down there every week to stock up. Ah well. It’s not impossible, but it is hard to find clotted cream in the US. I found a place that special orders it, but I haven’t tried it, yet, so I don’t know if it’s truly comparable. ~V ---
**Author:** ![TitoBenito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2acd7d/32.png) [@TitoBenito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TitoBenito)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-can-only-find-outside-the-u-s/120337/30 "2002-07-24T07:52:37Z")
Shen Mue 2 ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-can-only-find-outside-the-u-s/120337/31 "2002-07-24T08:14:42Z")
Proper chocolate. Hershey’s tastes like it’s been left in the sun too long; M&Ms taste of balloon rubber; Snickers smell of sick. ---
**Author:** ![MattK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@MattK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MattK)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-can-only-find-outside-the-u-s/120337/32 "2002-07-24T09:17:33Z")
I had some good chocolate in the US before, but it was hard to find: Hershey’s Symphony and Girardelli chocolate in San Francisco. ---
**Author:** ![bender](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9bd4f/32.png) [@bender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bender)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-can-only-find-outside-the-u-s/120337/33 "2002-07-24T10:06:31Z")
Take a slice of thick bread, spread some (lots) of butter on one side, lay some thick slices of cheese, and roll. Stake and grill. Dial local ambulance service Consume Advise ambo crew to prepare for CPR… Deep in the south of the South Island, NZ - nowhere does them bigger or better ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-can-only-find-outside-the-u-s/120337/34 "2002-07-24T10:12:50Z")
Pickled onion flavour Monster Munch. Scampi fries. ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-can-only-find-outside-the-u-s/120337/35 "2002-07-24T10:29:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cher3 \* > \*\* > > You know, from the number of times I’ve seen this, you’d think that every English person kept a packet of loose leaf Darjeeling and Grandma’s Wedgewood tea service in their desk drawer. > > I haven’t spent a lot of time in the UK, but when I was there I recall being offered 1) the same old pot of hot water and a tea bag I’d get in most US restaurants or 2) a mug and directions to a large urn full of viscous brown stuff that had been brooding on its wrongs since early that morning. \*\* Actually the problem is the milk. Most American milk is UHT/sterilised and it simply doesn’t work in tea. I do have some Assam in my desk drawer (but it is in bags, which is cheating a bit) Also: Salad Cream! (and from my experience) Dress Sense. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-can-only-find-outside-the-u-s/120337/36 "2002-07-24T10:32:08Z")
Most tea that I’ve had in the US is Lipton’s, which is not tasty, and is weak as piss. However, since it’s a UK export, I think we only have ourselves to blame. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-can-only-find-outside-the-u-s/120337/37 "2002-07-24T11:04:22Z")
Natto. Soybeans that have been fermented just enough to smell awful, but not enough to make your breath flammable. Wonderful stuff. Instant Cup-o-Curry Noodles. Drink vending machines reliable enough that you have no qualms about putting a $10 bill in them. ---
**Author:** ![Aro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b3f665/32.png) [@Aro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aro)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-can-only-find-outside-the-u-s/120337/38 "2002-07-24T11:30:50Z")
The crisps of champions - [Tayto](http://www.tayto.com/) cheese & Onion flavour. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-can-only-find-outside-the-u-s/120337/39 "2002-07-24T11:54:59Z")
Tayto - pah! I don’t know why Irish people bang on about those packets of broken, disgusting pieces of grease they called Tayto. So the company invented Cheese & Onion? Big swing of the micky (though I will concede the Tayto from NI are nicer than those made in the Republic). Back to the OP - you can’t get crisps in the US. You can get nice ‘potato chips’, but they don’t have the flavourings everyone wants. If you want proper crisps, you want [Walkers](http://walkers.corpex.com/cr15p5/products.asp?snacktypeid=26). That’s what you want, coz I said so. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-can-only-find-outside-the-u-s/120337/40 "2002-07-24T12:06:51Z")
Socialized healthcare. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-can-only-find-outside-the-u-s/120337.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-can-only-find-outside-the-u-s/120337.md?page=3)