Good old US Snacks!
August 16, 2010 2:03 AM Subscribe
What are good things to include in a care package from the US to Korea?
I have some friends who are teaching English outside Busan, South Korea. They are a newlywed couple. And I had the notion of sending them some fun American treats. I’m looking to include snacks or other easily shippable things. I'm not really thinking of homesick cures like home baked cookies or signed cards from grandma or anything like that. Just some products that are a given stateside, but would be an unexpected surprise in Korea. There must be people here who taught English in Asia and had some huge and unexpected cravings for American packaged goods. And not just for food, but just about anything really.
Some ideas I had so far….Red Vines, Girl Scout Cookies and those magic easer things (some googleing gave me that idea) Any other Ideas?
I have some friends who are teaching English outside Busan, South Korea. They are a newlywed couple. And I had the notion of sending them some fun American treats. I’m looking to include snacks or other easily shippable things. I'm not really thinking of homesick cures like home baked cookies or signed cards from grandma or anything like that. Just some products that are a given stateside, but would be an unexpected surprise in Korea. There must be people here who taught English in Asia and had some huge and unexpected cravings for American packaged goods. And not just for food, but just about anything really.
Some ideas I had so far….Red Vines, Girl Scout Cookies and those magic easer things (some googleing gave me that idea) Any other Ideas?
If they're in Busan they should have access to a lot of things, but some things they may want are deodorant, good cheese, Reeses, dill pickles, good quality clothes in their sizes (especially underwear), Tide pens, oatmeal, cake and brownie mixes (if they have an oven), refried beans, various spice mixes, DVDs, any kind of specialty coffee they like -- these are all things I have a craving for every now and then.
I'm super serious about the deodorant. You don't want to know how hard it is to find here.
posted by canadia at 5:12 AM on August 16, 2010
I'm super serious about the deodorant. You don't want to know how hard it is to find here.
posted by canadia at 5:12 AM on August 16, 2010
Old-fashioned oats (not instant oatmeal), packaged soft cookies (although my friend says she can find one brand now, at least in the Seoul area). As other people mentioned, spices, if they cooki at home at all. Think something versatile, like Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute or herbes de provence or pumpkin pie spice or chipotle powder, if they cook at home at all ...
The only problem with sending cheese is that most cheeses you can mail are processed cheeses, and I understand you can buy those anyway.
posted by wintersweet at 1:40 PM on August 16, 2010
The only problem with sending cheese is that most cheeses you can mail are processed cheeses, and I understand you can buy those anyway.
posted by wintersweet at 1:40 PM on August 16, 2010
Sorry for the typos and repetition--maintenance rang my doorbell in the middle and I didn't reread before I posted! Anyway, I was going to add that my friend also appreciated a pad of hundreds of Halloween-related stickers that I got at JoAnn's for just a couple of dollars. It might already be available this time of year at JoAnn's or a similar store. Sometimes they're sold near the cash register, otherwise in the kids'/educational section rather than with the fancy stickers. Korea, like Japan and Taiwan, has lots of great stickers, but not so many Halloween ones. It was great for her students.
posted by wintersweet at 1:46 PM on August 16, 2010
posted by wintersweet at 1:46 PM on August 16, 2010
Cheese. Deodorant.
Deodorant is available everywhere now: Emart, HomePlus, etc.
Cheese is illegal to ship.
So I'd say not these.
posted by Joseph Gurl at 11:46 PM on August 16, 2010
Deodorant is available everywhere now: Emart, HomePlus, etc.
Cheese is illegal to ship.
So I'd say not these.
posted by Joseph Gurl at 11:46 PM on August 16, 2010
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I always bring good sausage (chorizo, salamis), but I'm probably not supposed to.
Oatmeal is hard to get here and expensive. I get a shipment of Irish Oats every few months from back home.
posted by Joseph Gurl at 3:14 AM on August 16, 2010