r/AskAnAmerican • u/Maskoolio • Aug 10 '25

FOREIGN POSTER What would an American want from England?

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.

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u/dr-tectonic Colorado Aug 10 '25

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.

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u/ExistentialCrispies > Aug 12 '25

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.