I’d like to stick some candy or something in the stockings of two guests that will be here for Christmas. Young lady who is 18 -Germnay and man who is 26- UK. I’m thinking of something that would immediately make them think of home…
Cadbury chocolate and Ritter Sport chocolate bars of some flavor. Both are fairly easy to find.
Maybe pair with one of your own regional specialties for a nice touch.
Aldi has tons of German chocolates and cookies.
Christmas in Germany means marzipan to me.
@OHMomof2 - Of course! I forgot about Aldi’s! Great suggestion!
Trader Joe’s sells small loaves of stollen filled with marzipan. They’re SO good and perfect for a stocking. About 3" long.
I asked my friend who went to Germany on a Fulbright and is fluent. She suggests Clementines (the fruit) and walnuts in their shells. Also, World Market carries Ritter Sport chocolates, she says.
And Lebkuchen and marzipan loaves, both of which can be found at World Market.
Oh, and she is a marzipan snob and says niederegger is the way to go.
City or State Magnets will add a nice touch.
I still have a Boston Magnet on my fridge that my host family gave me ; an exchange student in 1990. It still brings me joy every single day !
World Market also has a German food section.
For Ritter Sport, also check your local grocery chain. The ones in my area carry it.
Milka is another German candy bar brand.
Walkers shortbread is delicious and made in UK. We love it! Not sure if that’s what Brits would think of.
My thought is not to remind them of home but to immerse them in the culture here: Candy canes, something local made where you are - Virginia peanuts, Ghirardelli chocolates, White house ornament, local sport team socks.
^^^ I think both.
They sell christmas tree shaped Walker’s shortbread, for the holiday theme.
Cadbury chocolates on this side of the Atlantic aren’t the same recipe as in the UK, and I think the taste is considerably worse in the US. Also don’t confuse the various Mars chocolates which have different names in the UK (a Mars bar here is a Milky Way there).
I’d pick either Jaffa cakes or Hobnobs to remind Brits of home (though most Americans have never heard of either, so you’d probably need to go to a British store or order online).
I’ve seen Hobnobs in the International section of a couple of grocery stores here along with a lot of other British stuff.
My English relatives love the Terry’s chocolate oranges. Some of them also like the Quality Street chocolates. Hobnobs are great, but so are the McVitie’s Digestives (dark chocolate coated are yummy.)
I would just get some nice whatever you like candy. UK chocolate (branded, like cadbury) isn’t special. Our grocery has stuff like this (hobnobs, jaffa cakes, wine gums etc), but I could go down the road to a gourmet handmade chocolate shop, or even trader joe’s, and get better. The only reason to get it is for irony maybe LOL? Walker’s boxed shortbread is shocking. ANYONE can bake better with a decent recipe. Same with candy, fudge, toffee, etc.
Nostalgia maybe? The OP certainly isn’t shooting for irony. I think it’s a nice gesture to insert one type of sweet that is from one’s home country among other items in a stocking.
A lot of American made sweets are crap but people eat it anyway and have nostalgic reminders from their childhood.