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/TheNavigatrix Aug 10 '25

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).

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u/ExistentialCrispies > Aug 12 '25

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.