Unique Canadian gifts for Americans

May 2, 2008 2:43 PM

HEY AMERICANS! What would be a good gift from a Canadian?

I'm on a road trip down to the states for the next 3 weeks. Are there things I got you don't got? I'm going to bring down some boxes of Smarties.

Can you think of anything else that might make a unique gift?

posted by joelf to society & culture (63 comments total)

back bacon? maple syrup? cigarettes?
posted by gnutron at 2:48 PM on May 2, 2008

real beer?
posted by saukrates at 2:49 PM on May 2, 2008

I'm liking the beer suggestion, I'm already on that one.
posted by joelf at 2:50 PM on May 2, 2008

Ketchup chips.
posted by The World Famous at 2:50 PM on May 2, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

you don't have Ketchup chips? seriously?
posted by joelf at 2:52 PM on May 2, 2008

milk in a bag
posted by sanka at 2:53 PM on May 2, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

maple cookies!
posted by trillian at 2:54 PM on May 2, 2008

Where are you coming from? If it's somewhere that has salmon candy (aka Indian candy) and the potential recipients like salmon, bring them some. I always eat a lot and bring some home when I go to Vancouver. If the recipients live in California, they will especially love you, because our salmon season has been closed, and we will not have any local salmon this year.

*cries*
posted by rtha at 2:55 PM on May 2, 2008

Ketchup chips are gross.

Maple SUGAR.
posted by By The Grace of God at 2:55 PM on May 2, 2008

These are fantastic suggestions. Keep them coming!
posted by joelf at 2:56 PM on May 2, 2008

I like my coffee... CRISP.

Or something generic, like a pile of $10 Toronto t-shirts from Yonge St. Or something similar.
posted by GuyZero at 2:58 PM on May 2, 2008

My husband is Canadian. This is what he totes back and hoards - none of it is available here:

Dare cookies (both chocolate and maple)
Sucre la creme
Beer (usually La Maudite - the label features Satan in a flying canoe)
Whippets (the raspberry Christmas ones are worth double points)
Aero, Crunchie and Coffee Crisp bars


And no, we don't have ketchup chips.
posted by workerant at 2:59 PM on May 2, 2008

visa sponsorship?
posted by tachikaze at 2:59 PM on May 2, 2008 [7 favorites has favorites]

Money with hockey players on it. Maple candy - or heck, anything maple related. I wish I'd gotten some maple syrup when I was in Canada. Just plain old chocolate - the regular chocolate I got in canada was much better than the regular stuff here. Bonus if it has a funny name.

Maple leaf or Canadian flag pins for americans who may be travelling overseas. Yeah, I know the Europeans are onto that, but it can't hurt try.
posted by smartyboots at 2:59 PM on May 2, 2008

Cheap prescription meds?

There's plenty of good beer made in the U.S., and many Canadian beers are on U.S. shelves.

How about ketchup chips? We've got dozens of chip flavors here but I've never seen ketchup chips, & I'm not too far from the border. Also HP sauce? Gravy & curds for your fries? (ick)
posted by headnsouth at 3:00 PM on May 2, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

Are ketchup chips like bbq chips? Chips with ketchup flavored dust?
posted by the christopher hundreds at 3:00 PM on May 2, 2008

An assortment of junk food would be great, such as the ketchup chips people have mentioned. Aero bars, coffee crisp, smarties, etc. would be awesome, as well! I miss Jos. Louis and Kinder Eggs.
posted by blithely at 3:03 PM on May 2, 2008

I gave many of my relative bottles of President's Choice maple syrup from Superstore last Xmas. It looks fancy to an unknowing American, but it's really only about $10 for a goodly sized bottle.
posted by Nelsormensch at 3:03 PM on May 2, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

Not ketchup flavor, ALL DRESSED flavor. Is that even how it's written? Just for those who don't know, it's all the flavors alltogether. BBQ, sour cream and chive, cheese and whatever, ketchup, salsa, Jesus, all mxed up together. THAT'S what you got to get.

/Please ignore me, I was born in Tennessee, raised in Kentucky, and then I was nearly frozen to death in Sault Ste. Marie. Now I live in the North of England, for some reason.
posted by cilantro at 3:04 PM on May 2, 2008

i was just alerted to this thread here from the kind people at meta chat. Theres a whole bunch of stuff on there too
posted by joelf at 3:07 PM on May 2, 2008

christopher: yes. They're good tho (I like bbq tho, fwiw). Great, now I'm craving them.

oohh - on preview: you guys don't have 'all dressed' either? You're missing out!
posted by cgg at 3:09 PM on May 2, 2008

My husband is Canadian. This is what he totes back and hoards - none of it is available here:
Beer (usually La Maudite - the label features Satan in a flying canoe)

I don't find Maudite (or the other beers from Unibroue; La Fin Du Monde is a favorite of mine) excessively hard to find in the US. Not every liquor store will have them, mind you, but I know several stores in my area (Indianapolis) which have above-average beer selections which carry these.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 3:15 PM on May 2, 2008

Thanks everyone!
posted by joelf at 3:21 PM on May 2, 2008

I'm a Canadian living in California and when I come back I tend to bring: all-dressed chips (I can't believe a country living the nirvana crap food as America hasn't discovered these yet), Hickory Sticks or Ringolos, Smarties and/or green Aero bars, maple candy and Diner Kraft Dinner (yes, it does taste better). Most popular with my friends though are my grandmother's homemade pierogies and the local Thunder Bay delicacy known as The Persian. Yum.

I've also had nice reactions to the hilarity of the "Smoking Will Kill You" cigarette labels.
posted by marylynn at 3:23 PM on May 2, 2008

Boreal rousse?
posted by Geckwoistmeinauto at 3:24 PM on May 2, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

Do you have dill pickle flavored chips?
posted by joelf at 3:30 PM on May 2, 2008

A functioning democracy?

Barring that, I vote for maple syrup and Crunchie bars. Mmmmmmmmmm, Crunchies!
posted by scody at 3:31 PM on May 2, 2008

King peppermints. Any chocolate bars.

Although being in California in the land of pathetic doughnuts, I'd kill for a box of Timbits. But they likely won't last long enough.
posted by Gucky at 3:34 PM on May 2, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

DevilsAdvocate: I don't find Maudite (or the other beers from Unibroue; La Fin Du Monde is a favorite of mine) excessively hard to find in the US.

Well, we're in the bible belt (East TN), so finding strong beer can be a challenge. Sorry to have spoken so authoritatively; I should have said that I can't find La Maudite in the US.
posted by workerant at 3:34 PM on May 2, 2008

Bottles of Tylenol with codeine, aka 222s, and Robaxin. Lots of bottles.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 3:35 PM on May 2, 2008 [2 favorites has favorites]

My list:

English chocolates, or Canadian-made versions thereof (Dairy Milk, Aero, Crunchie etc)
Smarties (and maybe Rockets, which are called Smarties in tLotFatHotB)
Tim Horton's coffee -- maybe those coffeepack/mug combos they gots if you're feeling spendy
Ketchup chips, all-dressed chips, other odd flavored chips
Diana barbecue sauce (not particularly Canadian, just real fuckin' good)

Note: the northeast and great lakes area may have Timmy's locally.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 3:36 PM on May 2, 2008

Do Canadians have Smarties, or is that Britain? If I were the American in question, I'd want smarties, or something made of real maple.
posted by blackunicorn at 3:37 PM on May 2, 2008

Pickle-flavor chips.
posted by lemuria at 3:37 PM on May 2, 2008

A universal health care system for everyone,

and Shania Twain for me.
posted by crazylegs at 3:37 PM on May 2, 2008

Do you have dill pickle flavored chips?

Yes (Minnesota).
posted by Utilitaritron at 3:40 PM on May 2, 2008

We do have ketchup chips in the US! They're just rare!
posted by Airhen at 3:44 PM on May 2, 2008

good raw milk cheese, from quebec. Good apple-cider (of the dessert wine sort), also from quebec.


A good bottle of niagra ice wine?
posted by cmyr at 3:50 PM on May 2, 2008

oh god. You said you do have Smarties in your question. I'm an idiot.

to be useful, We do have dill pickle chips, but we only got them recently.
posted by blackunicorn at 3:50 PM on May 2, 2008

I vote for candy bars. People always laugh at the "wacky" candy that they sell in Canada. Turkish Delight, Eat More, and Twingo come to mind.
posted by monkeystronghold at 4:01 PM on May 2, 2008

for gross-out humour, Thrills Gum. Man, that stuff's nasty, yet it's still (inexplicably) on sale.
posted by scruss at 4:08 PM on May 2, 2008

Get me a Corner Gas work shirt, like the one Brent wears! And some beaver pelts.
posted by wrnealis at 4:08 PM on May 2, 2008

My Canadian roommates in San Diego always bring back dill pickle dip (not chips) in bulk. And when I say bulk, I am talking about someone who regularly shops at costco and considers their quantities normal.

I would also add a barrel of Grade-A Canadian Maple Syrup and an unlimited supply of poutine to your list.
posted by billtron at 4:19 PM on May 2, 2008

White Vinegar for your french fries!
posted by metalfilter at 4:19 PM on May 2, 2008

Definitely Aero bars!!! If only you could ship poutine!!
posted by jasper411 at 4:20 PM on May 2, 2008

2nd Crunchiebars and beer (esp. Moose Light, can't get it here).

adding Wunderbars and Coke (made with real sugar!).
posted by spinturtle at 4:25 PM on May 2, 2008

Seconding Kinder Eggs. You can't get them in the States and they are expensive/hard to ship (you have to buy a whole case of them and pay like $20 shipping).
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 4:37 PM on May 2, 2008

I must be the only person who loves Maynard's Wine Gums. They are always stale by the time they make it here.

yes to Coffee Crisp and Crunchies, also Wunderbars! how about DVDs of Canadian shows you can't get here? Corner Gas, Trailer Park Boys, Twitch City, anything with Paul Gross...
posted by dropkick queen at 5:12 PM on May 2, 2008

Flake Bars (Cadbury)
If there is a lady involved, and she wears makeup, some Caryl Baker cosmetics (lip gloss or a neutral lipstick).
CURRY potato chips. Oh. My. God.
Any smokers? I rarely partake now, but I love me some Player's Navy Cut when I do.
posted by oflinkey at 5:28 PM on May 2, 2008

I live back and forth between Canada and the States (and have my whole life). Finally a question that I am an expert on! I've been conducting unofficial cross-border gifting for my entire life.

Here's what I've brought from Canada (both requested and just fun things I've done):

- Kinder Eggs (you *can* get them in the States in import shops for an outrageous price, but they are banned by the FDA because they have non-food plastic toys inside. I brought a bunch to the NYC meetup at the end of March, it was fun. Try not to get the "branded" boxes which have brand character figures inside only, like the Shrek sets. Those are lame. You need to be putting little decals on a plane or something.

- ANY kind of Canadian candy they don't have in the US (or are more "British" types of candy) - Aero bars, Coffee Crips, Crispy Crunch, Glosette, Mr. Big, Cherry Blossoms (the kind in the little box), Swedish Berries, Caramilk, Bounty bars (the dark chocolate ones specifically are often raved about). Most kinds of Cadbury chocolates are harder to find in the US. There are also certain types of Candy which sell special editions that aren't available in the States...for example hazelnut Reece peanut butter cups, pink grapefruit Mentos. Bring back some Butterfinger Crisps, 100 Grand, 5th Avenue or Paydays for your friends.

- Canadian cigarettes - Players, DuMaurier, Belmonts. The warning label is half the joy of it to people in the States (kind of goes against the point of having a big nasty lung on the packet, but hey - novelty is novelty!), the other half being the way they taste (US cigarettes are quite different). Cuban cigars if you're feeling lucky, but I wouldn't go too far with that if I were you...of course you may not even feel comfortable giving people tobacco. If you are ok with it, when you come home, bring back some Marlboros, Camels, etc for any of your smoker friends here. They will be excited.

- Mini bottles/flask sized bottles of Canadian booze. Crown Royal, any kind of Rye Whiskey (teach them about rye and gingers and they will be your friend forever), Iceberg vodka, that weird Dr. Magillicuddy's schapps stuff, Alberta Premium. Ice Wine is a perennial favorite, although pricey. Skip beer as it's too heavy and not a good use of your booze allocation (be sure to check with customs BEFORE you get to the airport...or else they be stealing you precious boozes. Bring back whatever booze you can, it's going to be cheaper. Hold out for the good stuff though since you can't bring that much back through.

- Yes, chips. Ketchup, Gravy, Roast Chicken, Curry, Dill, All Dressed, these are all flavors that seem to be mostly unique to Canada (some regional exceptions). I do not know of a good way to transport chips without risking popping the bag. Trust me, you do not want your clothes to end up smelling like dill pickle chips for the duration of your trip. Bring your friends here back some of the weird doritos they have in the US that they don't have here. I end up bringing a few bags back on request nearly every time I go.

- What Cool Papa Bell said about 222's and Robax, if you know anyone who might need them, and, if you know anyone with allergies bring them some Reactine (which is prescription only in the States as Zyrtec). And on your way home, be sure to buy lots of Aleve, which is available here only by prescription.

- People really can't get enough of things in French - even something as simple as a translated chip package will interest some people. Also, Canadian magazines like McLeans as I know a lot of people who feel like news from sources external to the US are interesting in how different the perspectives are.

- Remember that people also really dig little things - Molson/Labatt branded stuff (lighters, especially), hockey team pucks or window decals, canadian cigarette branded matches, maple leaf patches or stickers if you're going to encounter any children. Any thing with a mountie or a beaver on it. And even just loonies and toonies, or Canadian stamps. Same thing goes for souvenirs back to your friends. To quote Pulp Fiction, it's the little differences.
posted by SassHat at 5:30 PM on May 2, 2008 [6 favorites has favorites]

Sleemans Lager and some good, old cheddar cheese.
posted by asuprenant at 5:43 PM on May 2, 2008

Can I nth chocolate? The chocolate there is so much better than the chocolate here. Also all dressed chips and ketchup chips. And coffee crisp. Mmm, this is like my shopping list for when I visit in October.
posted by mewithoutyou at 5:44 PM on May 2, 2008

Hawkins Cheezies.
posted by Deep Dish at 6:26 PM on May 2, 2008

If they're a hockey fan, bring a nice clean five dollar bill. They have hockey players on them!
posted by sleslie at 7:19 PM on May 2, 2008

Oh god do I love Hawkins Cheezies. It's like you took a regular cheezie and sun-dried it, then soaked it in cheeze powder again. The first ingredient is corn - the second hydrogenated vegetable oil - the third cheeze. Hot damn.
posted by anthill at 8:16 PM on May 2, 2008

Mmmm.... Cheezies...
posted by anthill at 8:18 PM on May 2, 2008

When I visit my parents up in Canada (I'm American) and I need gifts to bring back to friends I get these little (2-3in diameter) maple sugar leaves (maple sugar candy in the shape of a maple leaf).

Also as cheesy as it sounds, those little mini-flags are always a big hit.
posted by silkygreenbelly at 9:30 PM on May 2, 2008

Canadian wines from the Niagara (Ontario) or Okanagan (B.C.) regions.
Ice wines if you're into liquors.
St-Hubert poutine sauce in a can.
Habitant soup. (pea soup).
Hockey jersey style sweaters.
posted by furtive at 9:54 PM on May 2, 2008

Saskatoon berry jam!
posted by Joleta at 10:00 PM on May 2, 2008

A decent healthcare system.
posted by micklaw at 4:29 AM on May 3, 2008

Best of Stompin' Tom.
posted by josher71 at 7:10 AM on May 3, 2008

It really depends on the American you're bringing it back for. Me, I'd be rather nonplussed if someone brought me potato chips, cheap coffee, or a tee shirt (though of course I'd smile and thank them). I understand that these are quintessentially Canadian, but unless the party you're giving it to has sampled them before and might be nostalgic for them, I'd say they're not the best gifts. (Americans, would you love it if you were abroad and someone brought you some McDonald's coffee or a bag of Ruffles?)

Maple syrup and other maple products, on the other hand, are so *ridiculously* expensive here (compare: 1 gallon for $65 US vs. $18 Canadian) that any of those would read as a tasteful, generous gift.
posted by GardenGal at 8:03 AM on May 3, 2008

Argh, we already have Smarties ans they look like this. So don't bring Rockets either. If I want a Canadian Smartie, I'll eat an M&M. Bring maple syrup and salmon.
posted by Area Control at 8:49 AM on May 3, 2008

KinderEggs! Seriously.

Smarties are a good bet because they'll keep well, but USians may feel like they are inferior M&Ms. (just as Canadians feel the opposite)
other Can-con candy: CoffeeCrisp, Eat More bars, most Cadbury chocolate bars like Flake etc, Caramilk, Aero, Mr. Big, The Big Turk...

other things that have been mentioned:
ketchup chips, dill pickle chips, all-dressed chips
Blanche de Chamblis; St Ambroise beers (siiigh) (Unibraue are easier to find here)
nanaimo bars
maple syrup (though if you're going to northeast US it won't be so exciting); those maple-flavored sandwich (Oreo-like) cookies
spare loonies or toonies for their novelty (definitely bring Can money, it's very novel to most people who don't live along the border -- and when you are in the US, don't get thrown by all our money being the same color. Train yourself to look for the denomination markers at the corners.)
posted by LobsterMitten at 11:13 AM on May 3, 2008