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June 14, 2012 10:53 AM

What would teachers in Poland like from North America?

My mom works in Poland in the summer. She works with group of native Pole teachers and likes to bring them treats that are difficult to find in smaller towns over there. We were thinking regional barbeque sauce (a friend of hers laments the weak bbq over there). Any other ideas?

Also, anything small (and cheap) for the students? There will be about 150 high schoolers. She lives near the US/Canadian border, so Canadian things are definitely welcome.

posted by troika to shopping (6 answers total)

I think candy is a good bet. When I've done a cross border or overseas exchange, candy has been good because it travels well, is packaged neatly, and can be very different. I sent dulce de leche M & Ms over seas when they were trying them out in the US, along with standard and "old timey" US sweets. I got back a bunch of Scandinavian sweets, some that looked as if they were powdered with sugar (was salt but yum!). That might cover the students.
posted by tilde at 10:58 AM on June 14, 2012

From my Polish experience: pancake mix and/or maple syrup. Candies are a good bet for students. I was trying to think of something non-food, but I'm coming up empty. Polish teenagers can be as crabby as American/Canadian ones and food is a neutral pleaser.
posted by Katine at 11:09 AM on June 14, 2012

Salsa and corn chips!

Funny story - my coworker here in MN made some homemade salsa and shipped it to Poland to our coworker there when he had knee surgery. Apparently, the Polish postal service thought it was some kind of dirty bomb and the poor guy had to go to the embassy (or some other official office) to claim it. So, maybe work with the local post office so you don't send big glass jars of stuff over seas.

He really loved the salsa, though. Mexican-type food is rare over there.
posted by jillithd at 11:16 AM on June 14, 2012

Candies with peanut or peanut butter might be good. Most nutty chocolates there have hazelnut, so peanuts are a nice difference.

My Polish brothers-in-law are big fans of US beef jerky. Also socks, for some reason, but that's maybe not what you had in mind.
posted by echo target at 1:15 PM on June 14, 2012

I brought friends of mine in Poland a collection of different flavors of Orbit gum. Most chewing gum in Poland is mint-flavored, so these were an interesting change. Cheap, small, colorful, comes in a million flavors, loved by teenagers everywhere.
posted by Ender's Friend at 7:59 PM on June 14, 2012

How about maple syrup for the teachers, plus some maple candies for the kids?
posted by susanvance at 8:21 AM on June 15, 2012