<p>My daughter is going to Germany this summer and I’m wondering if she should bring gifts for host family. Is there anything that we shouldn’t get? Need some ideas of what to buy! </p>
<p>Yes, you should bring a gift to the host family. Something from your local area, candy, a book about your town, or something personal from your daughter. We hosted a high school exchange student from Germany last semester and she brought candy, books, and tea for our family. She also gave my D a German Cup Cake cookbook. I can’t tell you how much fun those girls had translating the recipes and shopping for the ingredients! </p>
<p>We also got a regional cookbook from an exchange student. Easy to transport and a nice gift that will last forever. </p>
<p>The trouble with cookbooks - is that Germans use the metric system and many ingredients like vanilla in a bottle don’t exist. (They use vanilla sugar.) I’ve brought maple syrup or maple sugar candy. Tea towels are a possibility. Something with pecans (which aren’t grown in Germany can be nice.) As an aside I never worried or knew anyone with a nut allergy when I was there, but now it seems like half the people I know can’t eat nuts. Many Germans can’t deal with hot food, so I wouldn’t bring jars of salsa. </p>
<p>When our exchange student returned home she brought back Tex-Mex and BBQ cookbooks as gifts <em>and</em> inexpensive measuring cups and teaspoon measures. She liked visiting HEB (local large grocery) and tasting all the sample foods. The girls also had fun figuring out ingredient substitutions for things that were available here locally - fresh currants are hard to find in here even at Whole Foods and Central Market! By the way, she was surprised that they bagged the groceries for you and offered to help you take out to the car. In Germany you are expected to bag your own groceries. </p>
<p>I also know our exchange student will always remember the difference between flour and flower! ;-)</p>
<p>Do you have contact with your host family? Maybe you can ask about allergies? </p>
<p>
That is a great idea! I agree with the other suggestions, something that is representtive of your area. </p>
<p>I think a good idea, also, for host families, is to make sure your D knows how to prepare at least one, semi-American dish with ingredients that are easy to get in Germany, and have her actually prepare dinner one night for the host family. </p>
<p>Thanks for the ideas! Since we’re from Texas, I’m thinking she should take something from our state. Our neighbor mentioned taking some pecan pralines. I’m assuming that the measuring cups would have to have metric measurements? </p>
<p>No, it’s just that if you bring an American cookbook, you’ll need to bring some American measuring cups and spoons. Europeans measure things like flour by weight (though I used to have a measuring cup that showed the different weights of common ingredients so you didn’t have to use a scale.) I learned to guess on spoon amounts and oven temperatures are pretty easy because they happend to come out at about x2 for normal cooking temps. (i.e. 350F is 177C, 400F is 200C). Pecan pralines would be a great idea in my opinion. Different and yummy. I also think the idea of your daughter being able to cook a meal or at least a dessert is a nice one. An American apple pie for example would be easy to learn to do. Brownies would be good too, though you might want to brink the unsweetened chocolate if that’s the recipe you use.</p>
<p>Hmmm…why not bring some ingredients to make a Texas meal…check to see what your daughter might need. I think the praline idea is a great one. </p>
<p>My daughter took her host parents in Spain some maple butter, a photo of our house in the snow, and a couple of other items with a moose or bear or something. The maple butter was a big hit. My husband is going over in a couple of weeks to pick up D (they will travel from Cadiz to Barcelona by car, then fly home), and we’re trying to think of a few more things he can take. Their apartment is very small, so they don’t need more “stuff.”</p>
<p>I like the idea of a Texas meal. One of my friends, originally from Vermont, lives in Singapore now. She recently taught a class on cooking Mexican food. I told her I wasn’t sure what I thought about a Yankee teaching Asians how to cook Tex-Mex! Kind of scary.</p>
<p>Peanut butter isn’t as widely available in Europe as it is here. My cousin astounded her host family by making peanut butter cookies–they loved them! Popcorn is uncommon, too, I think, and rather impressive to pop on the stove. I don’t know, but maybe microwave popcorn would be interesting, too. I remember a visitor from England really liked apple butter and coffee with “pumpkin pie” flavoring in it.</p>
<p>From Texas, how about a good chili spice mix/kit? It would travel well, also. I know there are varying types out there. People seem to think highly of Tuldy’s. (I’ve never had it. I make my own.)</p>
<p>Yes, tex mex spices or bbq spices or sauce from Texas would be great. When we were in Germany in the early 80’s Germans didn’t really eat pork ribs. We could buy them really cheap from the butcher (it’s probably very different now) but the Germans loved coming to the american festival and eating bbq ribs and American Ice Cream. Candy would also be great–the pecan pralines and such. </p>
<p>“Peanut butter isn’t as widely available in Europe as it is here”</p>
<p>I have yet to meet a European who liked the taste of peanut butter or peanut butter cookies. Most say thanks but refuse to get a second taste. :)</p>
<p>Pralines sound like a good gift. </p>
<p>I can’t remember if I ever tried serving anyone peanut butter goodies.</p>
<p>I do remember that we were always expected to bring in a sweet to celebrate our own birthdays. One year I brought in pecan pie. Everyone dutifully ate it, but they thought it was too sweet. (They liked apple pie much better!)</p>
<p>To tell you the truth, I think pralines are way too sweet. (I think the same of pecan pie.) I’d bring pecans in some other form. Or plain pecans and a great cookie recipe that uses them, such as Maida Heatter’s Plantation Pecan cookies. It is truly delicious, not too sweet, and each one is topped by a half pecan.</p>
<p>MaineLonghorn – According to my D (just back from a semester in France), Levi’s are high fashion and very expensive in Europe. If your D can guess at sizes (or ask), your husband might be able to bring some gift jeans over in his suitcase.</p>
<p>^^^ Our visitors from France, Germany and Sweden were buying Levi’s here and commenting how inexpensive they were here. It might be tough to guess the size though. Another visitor was determined to get a set of bandanas and a cowboy hat. :)</p>
<p>I have not ordered anything from here, so cannot vouch for their quality and/or service, but it looks like these guys have some cool stuff: <a href=“http://www.texastreats.com/”>http://www.texastreats.com/</a></p>
<p>One thing I would NOT bring to Europe is typical American chocolate(s).</p>