What American snacks might Australians want?
December 4, 2010 3:19 PM Subscribe
I'm having Tim Tams shipped from Australia in exchange for some American snack foods. What are some domestic snacks that might be hard to get down under? Expats, what junk foods do you miss most?
I can't speak as to what Americans are missing in Australia, but I've recently found Tim Tams in the US - at Target and at a Stop and Shop (or maybe Foodmart). Pepperidge Farm is making them.
posted by sciencegeek at 3:32 PM on December 4, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by sciencegeek at 3:32 PM on December 4, 2010 [3 favorites]
Ah, they've even got a Facebook page with a coupon on it.
posted by sciencegeek at 3:33 PM on December 4, 2010
posted by sciencegeek at 3:33 PM on December 4, 2010
I'm not entirely sure about Australia, but one of the things I tend to bring back is Hidden Valley Ranch dip mix packets (just add sour cream, or drained yogurt).
Other than that, Fritos, especially chili and cheese flavor (the kind that, with an unexpected burp two days later, you can still kind of taste), Reese's (which were recently given to me by Deathalicious on his visit to Tokyo), and maybe 3 Musketeer's minis. Chex Mix is also a winner.
posted by Ghidorah at 3:37 PM on December 4, 2010 [2 favorites]
Other than that, Fritos, especially chili and cheese flavor (the kind that, with an unexpected burp two days later, you can still kind of taste), Reese's (which were recently given to me by Deathalicious on his visit to Tokyo), and maybe 3 Musketeer's minis. Chex Mix is also a winner.
posted by Ghidorah at 3:37 PM on December 4, 2010 [2 favorites]
I don't know if it's exactly the same, but Pepperidge Farm has a version of Tim Tams now in U.S. grocery stores.
posted by Wordwoman at 3:38 PM on December 4, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by Wordwoman at 3:38 PM on December 4, 2010 [3 favorites]
Tastykakes.
posted by fairytale of los angeles at 3:54 PM on December 4, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by fairytale of los angeles at 3:54 PM on December 4, 2010 [1 favorite]
They are the same. I've had them in Australia, and I just bought a couple of packages here. However, there are a lot more varieties in Australia - so ask for the espresso, hazelnut,double chocolate, whichever you prefer. My Aussie cousin loves Reeses (and the Reeses peanut-butter sundae topping), York Peppermint Patties, dill pickle flavored potato chips, if you can find them, and French's mustard. She also likes our pickles, since they use beets on sandwiches instead of pickles (but they're hard to ship).
posted by clarkstonian at 4:02 PM on December 4, 2010
posted by clarkstonian at 4:02 PM on December 4, 2010
Yeah, the US-domestic tim-tams are only chocolate and caramel. I will note, however, that my sweetie and I did a blind taste test of imported vs domestic tim-tams and were unable to tell the difference.
They stopped being available for a while this summer, at least in Boston, but reappeared, leading us to wonder if there was some kind of climate-related restriction -- eg the timtams are too likely to melt in regular trucks in the summer so they just stopped shipping them.
posted by rmd1023 at 4:12 PM on December 4, 2010
They stopped being available for a while this summer, at least in Boston, but reappeared, leading us to wonder if there was some kind of climate-related restriction -- eg the timtams are too likely to melt in regular trucks in the summer so they just stopped shipping them.
posted by rmd1023 at 4:12 PM on December 4, 2010
I have unfortunately not enjoyed any of the American snack foods that various American acquaintances have been kind enough to share with me (Reeses Pieces made my mouth hurt) so I shouldn't really be here; but since you're having Tim Tams shipped to you I thought it would be wrong of me not to make sure you know how to do the Tim Tam Slam.
Eating Tim Tams through which Irish coffee has just been slammed = the poor man's tiramisu.
posted by flabdablet at 4:21 PM on December 4, 2010
Eating Tim Tams through which Irish coffee has just been slammed = the poor man's tiramisu.
posted by flabdablet at 4:21 PM on December 4, 2010
We had an Australian intern who thought peanut butter m&ms (not peanut, peanut butter!) were a complete and total revelation. Not available in the US (as of a couple of years ago) so we had send him home with a case.
posted by somanyamys at 4:29 PM on December 4, 2010
posted by somanyamys at 4:29 PM on December 4, 2010
When my in-laws lived in Australia, they asked us to send chocolate chips, marshmallows, and cinnamon. Apparently the cinnamon and marshmallows they found in Australia were different enough to warrant the shipping. IIRC the chips weren't available at all, but this was in Sydney so I'm probably remembering wrong.
posted by circular at 4:34 PM on December 4, 2010
posted by circular at 4:34 PM on December 4, 2010
nthing anything mixing chocolate and peanut butter.
I'm an American in Melbourne, and I had my parents bring me some Oreos (and expensive bourbon). As soon as this happened, my housemates pointed out that Oreos exist over here, so I bought some and did a taste-test between the two versions. Housemates agreed at the American ones tasted a bit better... YMMV.
Perhaps classic Hostess cupcakes and things of that nature too?
posted by adamk at 5:17 PM on December 4, 2010
I'm an American in Melbourne, and I had my parents bring me some Oreos (and expensive bourbon). As soon as this happened, my housemates pointed out that Oreos exist over here, so I bought some and did a taste-test between the two versions. Housemates agreed at the American ones tasted a bit better... YMMV.
Perhaps classic Hostess cupcakes and things of that nature too?
posted by adamk at 5:17 PM on December 4, 2010
Not sure if they're available everywhere, but Pretzel M&Ms are new and very good.
posted by rhizome at 5:22 PM on December 4, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by rhizome at 5:22 PM on December 4, 2010 [1 favorite]
My favourite American treat is See's Candy truffles. I've been told they're a granny brand but they're so delicious to me, especially the dark chocolate/raspberry ones. I could eat an entire box of those by themselves. Yum!
Biscuits in Australia tend to be crisp, not chewy, so any of those Pepperidge Farms choc chunk + whatever cookies would probably go down well. Or maybe Milanos? It's been years, but I remember liking them.
posted by Georgina at 5:37 PM on December 4, 2010
Biscuits in Australia tend to be crisp, not chewy, so any of those Pepperidge Farms choc chunk + whatever cookies would probably go down well. Or maybe Milanos? It's been years, but I remember liking them.
posted by Georgina at 5:37 PM on December 4, 2010
I (an Aussie) always wanted to try Little Debbies and Twinkies. Stuff that was always mentioned in books and on tv, and soundly terribly exotic and nothing like what we had here.
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups were a disappointment for me. I thought I'd love them. They're one step removed from awful, IMO.
Genuine S'mores are high on my one-day-I'll-buy-the-proper-ingredients-from-a-US-stockist-and-make-them list too.
posted by malibustacey9999 at 6:22 PM on December 4, 2010 [1 favorite]
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups were a disappointment for me. I thought I'd love them. They're one step removed from awful, IMO.
Genuine S'mores are high on my one-day-I'll-buy-the-proper-ingredients-from-a-US-stockist-and-make-them list too.
posted by malibustacey9999 at 6:22 PM on December 4, 2010 [1 favorite]
I've missed Little Debbie Nutty Bars, Lemon Dares, Girl Scout cookies and Junior Mints.
posted by Elli at 7:30 PM on December 4, 2010
posted by Elli at 7:30 PM on December 4, 2010
I miss marshmellows, Oh Henry bars (Canada only?), Reese's peanut butter cups, Peanut Butter M&Ms and Cinnamon Toast Crunch. They have marshmellows here, but with added flavours, (yuck!)
We found TimTams in Canada last visit, they tasted very similar (by memory, so they could be identical) as rmd1023 said.
posted by defcom1 at 7:44 PM on December 4, 2010
We found TimTams in Canada last visit, they tasted very similar (by memory, so they could be identical) as rmd1023 said.
posted by defcom1 at 7:44 PM on December 4, 2010
I've never seen Twinkies or Ho Hos for sale in Western Australia.
posted by uncanny hengeman at 8:04 PM on December 4, 2010
posted by uncanny hengeman at 8:04 PM on December 4, 2010
I've heard that Australians go crazy for Oreos.
posted by ThaBombShelterSmith at 8:55 PM on December 4, 2010
posted by ThaBombShelterSmith at 8:55 PM on December 4, 2010
For Americans in Melbourne, Misty's Diner in Prahran imports a wide selection of American foodstuffs, especially of the junkfood variety, but I think you can also get the good stuff for real Mexican food (although there are other possibly better places in Melbourne that import Mexican foodstuffs).
posted by fido~depravo at 9:31 PM on December 4, 2010
posted by fido~depravo at 9:31 PM on December 4, 2010
They stopped being available for a while this summer, at least in Boston, but reappeared, leading us to wonder if there was some kind of climate-related restriction -- eg the timtams are too likely to melt in regular trucks in the summer so they just stopped shipping them.
I suspect that they're marketed as a seasonal cookie. Also, TimTams used to be imported by Cost Plus World Market, but they pulled out of my area several years ago, and I can no longer verify this.
posted by ZeusHumms at 9:49 PM on December 4, 2010
I suspect that they're marketed as a seasonal cookie. Also, TimTams used to be imported by Cost Plus World Market, but they pulled out of my area several years ago, and I can no longer verify this.
posted by ZeusHumms at 9:49 PM on December 4, 2010
They're at Cost Plus World Market, under the name "Arnott's", for some reason. (Arnott's is a Campbell subsidiary, like Pepperidge Farm.)
Peanut butter is the standard "American" chocolate combo; the weirder variants of standards (Skittles, M&Ms, etc.) might also work. You can also do the head-mess of the Mars/Milky Way/Three Musketeers trifecta, since the Aussies follow the British naming scheme. In the non-chocolate domain, then Jelly Bellys and Jolly Ranchers work pretty well.
posted by holgate at 10:56 PM on December 4, 2010
Peanut butter is the standard "American" chocolate combo; the weirder variants of standards (Skittles, M&Ms, etc.) might also work. You can also do the head-mess of the Mars/Milky Way/Three Musketeers trifecta, since the Aussies follow the British naming scheme. In the non-chocolate domain, then Jelly Bellys and Jolly Ranchers work pretty well.
posted by holgate at 10:56 PM on December 4, 2010
My lovely (American) husband says our marshmallows are nothing like American marshmallows (which would totally explain our 'smores disaster).
Also, Crackerjacks!
posted by the.carol.baxter.experience at 11:08 PM on December 4, 2010
Also, Crackerjacks!
posted by the.carol.baxter.experience at 11:08 PM on December 4, 2010
When I went to Florida in 1998 I got some salt water taffy and it was amazing. I loved it so much I got my American friend to send me a box a few months later because I couldn't find it anywhere at home. I haven't had any since then and I still look for it.
posted by h00py at 12:01 AM on December 5, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by h00py at 12:01 AM on December 5, 2010 [1 favorite]
TimTams at World Market are called Arnott's because that's the (Australian) company that makes them--if I recall correctly, WM's TimTams are imported; the ones in the supermarkets are made by Pepperidge Farm.
My best friend's an Aussie, and I send her the following on a regular basis: pretzel M&Ms, peanut butter M&Ms, Reese's products of assorted varieties, the Toffee & Almond Symphony bars, and Jelly Bellies, which are apparently unheard of in Australia.
posted by MeghanC at 1:49 AM on December 5, 2010
My best friend's an Aussie, and I send her the following on a regular basis: pretzel M&Ms, peanut butter M&Ms, Reese's products of assorted varieties, the Toffee & Almond Symphony bars, and Jelly Bellies, which are apparently unheard of in Australia.
posted by MeghanC at 1:49 AM on December 5, 2010
Peanut-butter and chocolate snacks are getting increasingly common here. I can find Reese's Cups and Pieces in the newsagent near my office in Sydney. So I don't really crave those much anymore.
Little Debbie is a great suggestion; they just don't exist here. Also - CINNAMON type candies. Like Red Hots or those cinnamon gummy bears. Just about the only cinnamon candy they've got here is Big Red, and even that's pretty new.
Twinkies and Ho-Hos would be fun. The big American food importer here is usafoods.com.au, which actually mentions in its FAQ that they don't import them because they have such a "short shelf life." Huh. And I thought Twinkies lasted forever!
You know what else I miss? Golden Grahams. That's cinnamon again...
OH! And graham crackers. You can't make S'mores here because they don't exist. Nilla Wafers would be fun too, along with the recipe for Banana Pudding.
posted by web-goddess at 2:51 AM on December 5, 2010
Little Debbie is a great suggestion; they just don't exist here. Also - CINNAMON type candies. Like Red Hots or those cinnamon gummy bears. Just about the only cinnamon candy they've got here is Big Red, and even that's pretty new.
Twinkies and Ho-Hos would be fun. The big American food importer here is usafoods.com.au, which actually mentions in its FAQ that they don't import them because they have such a "short shelf life." Huh. And I thought Twinkies lasted forever!
You know what else I miss? Golden Grahams. That's cinnamon again...
OH! And graham crackers. You can't make S'mores here because they don't exist. Nilla Wafers would be fun too, along with the recipe for Banana Pudding.
posted by web-goddess at 2:51 AM on December 5, 2010
I loved these cookies when I was in America, and I'd love to be sent some in New Zealand.
posted by schmichael at 3:34 AM on December 5, 2010
posted by schmichael at 3:34 AM on December 5, 2010
You can buy Jelly Belly and Oreos in my local (suburban Melbourne) supermarket; Jelly Belly is pretty ubiquitous in sweet shops just about every capital city.
One of the most unusual things I've tried from the US was girl scout cookies - Thin Mints, I think they were called. Om nom nom. American peanut butter is different too and I know people who bring it back when they travel.
posted by andraste at 3:58 AM on December 5, 2010 [1 favorite]
One of the most unusual things I've tried from the US was girl scout cookies - Thin Mints, I think they were called. Om nom nom. American peanut butter is different too and I know people who bring it back when they travel.
posted by andraste at 3:58 AM on December 5, 2010 [1 favorite]
Not exactly a snack food, but they don't have buffalo sauce in Australia and I sorely miss it.
posted by emd3737 at 5:11 AM on December 5, 2010
posted by emd3737 at 5:11 AM on December 5, 2010
Back in the 1990's, they didn't have Twizzlers. TWIZZLERS!!!
posted by Sprout the Vulgarian at 5:18 AM on December 5, 2010
posted by Sprout the Vulgarian at 5:18 AM on December 5, 2010
WM's TimTams are imported; the ones in the supermarkets are made by Pepperidge Farm.
The PF ones are actually made in Australia, presumably on the same production line: it's just a really weird divvying up of brand identity. (Perhaps one retail deal with World Market and another with Target?)
posted by holgate at 8:35 AM on December 5, 2010
The PF ones are actually made in Australia, presumably on the same production line: it's just a really weird divvying up of brand identity. (Perhaps one retail deal with World Market and another with Target?)
posted by holgate at 8:35 AM on December 5, 2010
My Australian in laws always request Reeses and cool ranch Doritos, which leads to some embarrassing trips through quarantine (one time, they didn't believe that my suitcase was really 1/2 filled with chocolate bars, so I got hauled out of line).
posted by girl scientist at 11:16 AM on December 5, 2010
posted by girl scientist at 11:16 AM on December 5, 2010
Nthing the fact that Reese's and Oreos are readily available (in Sydney). Cinnamon stuff would be nice, and yes, I've never seen Jolly Ranchers! I'm Canadian and I really miss Hawkins' Cheezies, but I don't think you have those in America.
posted by equivocator at 5:39 PM on December 5, 2010
posted by equivocator at 5:39 PM on December 5, 2010
Just mailed off a 15 lb. box of Pepperidge Farms cookies, Red Vines, and marshmallows to my sister in Sydney. She'll also enjoy that 2 lb. box of See's candies. She reciprocates by sending QV skincare products. We absolutely love the lotions!
posted by loquat at 6:26 PM on December 5, 2010
posted by loquat at 6:26 PM on December 5, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by smoke at 3:21 PM on December 4, 2010