Friday, November 14, 2008

Shopping Abroad

One of the main things we do when traveling to any other country is spend a lot of time in a grocery store, finding local specialties and things we can't buy in Hungary.
In Slovakia, we always spend a long time in Tesco loading up on:
  • certain nuts (I know, it sounds nuts...)
  • Rajo brand yogurt
  • Knedli (steamed bread)
  • Ewe cheese
  • Kofola (Czech and Slovak national soda - made from some coffee byproducts - its an acquired taste!)
  • Slovakia brand chips (ironically made in Czech Rep.).
By this point, we know what things we can buy in certain countries, which we can't get elsewhere - sometimes American products and sometimes specific national products:
  • Slovakia = Dr. Pepper
  • Bulgaria = Doritos chips (they have different flavors than in the States) and Digestive cookies (Rosemary's favorite)
  • Romania = Skittles (I went to the border once when I lived in Debrecen just to buy some)
  • Croatia = Oreos
  • Former Yugoslavia = Cockta
I'm sure there are many more than these.
What about you? Are there any products you make sure to buy when you visit certain places?

12 comments:

  1. Definitely miss the Dr. Pepper. When you going again? :D

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  2. Hopefully soon! I'll let you know.
    Bummer about it is that they don't always have it in stock, but I'll keep an eye out for it :)

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  3. Anonymous6:37 PM

    root beer in the states

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  4. Oh my gosh, don't even remind me!

    I have heard before that they sell root beer in Austria. Does anyone know that if that is true?

    I found Ginger Beer (Jamaican) in Budapest at an import shop. That's good stuff, but I would still love some root beer!

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  5. I'd like to have one Dr. Pepper, plesase.
    Digestive cookies, Remoulade sauce, Dried onion, Dansk schwarzbrot (Danish brown bread, very heavy!)and you can find Oreo, here. I miss Túró Rudi. You cannot find it here. but you find other things.

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  6. Shall I bring Digestive for Rosemary?

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  7. Judit - Yes, please bring digestives for Rosemary! She will be so happy.

    Do they sell Root Beer in DK? Just curious.

    And yea, I think there would be lots of food from Hungary I would miss, especially pöttyös túró rúdi - az igazi!
    They actually sell Túró Rudi in SK too, but there they are called "Dots".

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  8. In Romania they are called Dots, too. :) I feel like I know a lot about Romania. :)
    I dont think they sell Root Beer here. I dont know what that is.
    To tell the truth I became "addicted" to Digestive cookies. I`m afraid. They`re soo good.

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  9. Omygosh, Arpi and I do the SAME THING whenever we travel!

    Here's our list (not complete, by any means):

    Croatia: Cedevita, Spekulaas biscuits, Domacica cookies, Fig jam (the BEST EVER) - made in Dalmatia, Lemon Curd...and much more

    Bosnia: Seasonings, Chocolate-covered almonds (there's a place in Sarajevo that has the best ones I ever tasted), Digestives, etc

    Serbia: it would be too long to elaborate, haha

    By the way, a store called "Culinaris" in Budapest has Root Beer. (www.culinaris.hu)

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  10. That's awesome. Thanks so much for the info on the root beer!
    That's good stuff to know about what to buy in Croatia and Bosnia. I will make a list and check it twice next time we head down that way!

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  11. the list must go on: digestives, vodavoda and turkish sun-dried tomatoes from serbia, ziplocs and oreos from germany, stroopwafels from the netherlands ...

    were you guys able to find corn syrup anywhere around here?

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  12. Good call on the stroopwafels! They are amazing. There is a Dutch guy in our church and he sometimes brings them back for us when he travels to NL. They make my teeth hurt, but they're oh, so good with coffee...

    Unfortunately its a no on the corn syrup :(

    We'd like to go to Serbia sometime; we're just waiting for an opportunity to go.

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