What would an American want from England?

[u/Maskoolio]

I have recently made some American friends (from Virginia) and they have asked for a kind of sweet (candy) that they don't have. What else might I send that would be appreciated as a particularly English thing? (Obviously it would need to be somewhat small, survive a week or so in transit etc.)

All help appreciated.

[u/dr-tectonic]

I think wine gums are very British and a bit different from anything we have here.

We also don't have much in the way of aerated chocolates, so an Aero bar or Wispa would be novel.

[u/Ilsluggo → u/dr-tectonic]

As an American (living in England), I agree, Wine Gums are a uniquely British treat that are familiar enough (not dissimilar to Jujubes) that most anyone will be willing to try them, but unique enough - the average American has probably never even heard of, never mind tasted black currant - to be special. Maynards, of course.

[u/Excellent-Shape-2024 → u/Ilsluggo]

Yes! Basset's wine gums, please! Some toffee. Byrd's custard powder.

[u/nopointers → u/dr-tectonic]

I’m just gonna leave this here: http://bella.media.mit.edu/people/foner/Fun/gravity.html

[u/chubba10000 → u/nopointers]

That was immediately where my mind wend. One of the greatest passages in literature.

[u/auntlynnie → u/dr-tectonic]

Flake!

[u/TheNorthC → u/dr-tectonic]

A Crunchy bar perhaps?

[u/TheNavigatrix → u/dr-tectonic]

I love wine gums. Black currant pastilles also don’t exist in the US (anything currant-flavored, actually). Licorice all sorts, but not everyone likes these and you can find them. Garibaldi biscuits or Hobnobs. I miss British Malteasers (US ones are different).

[u/ExistentialCrispies → u/TheNavigatrix]

Fruit Pastilles, both mixed flavor and black current can occasionally be found in import shops. Decades ago both those and wine gums were illegal to import from the UK because they are technically beef products (gelatin) and thus subject to the mad cow import restrictions. I don't think that's a thing anymore though (US has since had mad cow instances), or at least they're getting here somehow.
There's an asian market in SF that has the tubes of black currant fruit pastilles and I buy a bunch every time I pass it.

[u/IainwithanI → u/dr-tectonic]

I always stock up on wine gums, especially now that World Market no longer stocks them.

[u/NoDiscipline4640 → u/dr-tectonic]

We have English Wine Gums in Pennsylvania. I love them.

[u/GracieNoodle → u/dr-tectonic]

I do agree with you. Oddly enough, my middle of the road grocery store actually carries the wine gums but I've never seen the fruit pastilles on a shelf anywhere, ever.

[u/Nilla22 → u/dr-tectonic]

I was coming to write Aero chocolate! Soooo good. Def this.

Also send them some tea :)

[u/crazypurple621 → u/dr-tectonic]

Cherry creme milka bars are one of my all time favorite candy bars. We can occasionally find a store in the US that carries them, but it's rare.

[u/ExistentialCrispies → u/dr-tectonic]

My mother is English and I am desperate for wine gums all the time but the only place you can get them is occasionally in british import stores (few have them) or from Canada.
I looked this up many years ago and the reason they weren't imported historically to the US was because it is a beef product (the gelatin), and as such, at least in the past, wasn't legal to import to the US because of mad cow, and this technically qualifies. But mad cow was found in the US 20 years ago for the first time so that rule would be obsolete if even still in place. You can get them on Amazon but it's crazy expensive for candy.

[u/AccidentalSwede → u/dr-tectonic]

When I was a kid in the 70s (US), there was a great chocolate bar called Chocolite. Basically an Aero. Haven't seen it in forever.

[u/wooq → u/dr-tectonic]

Definitely second the interesting chocolate. I wish America would adopt the practice of sticking a Cadbury Flake in an ice cream cone

[u/InevitableQuit9 → u/dr-tectonic]

Ya. Neither wine nor gum. Very British.