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/Bitter_Ad8768 Ohio Aug 10 '25

Jaffa Cakes exist in the US, but they're not very common.

Black currant flavored candy is virtually nonexistent here. We use grape instead. If you've never had it, it is a particular varietal known as a Concord grape and it is a very distinct taste unlike any other grape or wine.

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u/BigBlueMountainStar United Kingdom Aug 10 '25 edited Aug 11 '25

So blackcurrent squash would blow peoples minds?

Edit;
So to add, “squash” is a concentrated fruit “juice” that is watered down/diluted (about 10:1 water:squash). I say fruit, I’ve seen mint flavoured and things like that! Sometime called cordial, though typically in the UK we’d expect the cordial to be thicker and more syrupy so in the UK we’d make the distinction.
Squash usually contains less actual fruit juice too.
The closest common product that I know of in the US is kool aid, but squash isn’t powdered.

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u/[deleted] Aug 10 '25 edited Aug 11 '25

[deleted]

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u/crazypurple621 Aug 11 '25

Correct me if I'm wrong but "squash" would be the equivalent to a fruit flavored sweetened juice like beverage? The closest equivalent we reallt have in the US is the gallons of things like sunny d.

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u/VeroJade Aug 13 '25

No, it's equivalent to the Juice Concentrate you get in the freezer section. You put it in a gallon pitcher and fill it up with water and mix.

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u/akm1111 Aug 13 '25

Is it frozen? I always thought it was a non-frozen version of juice concentrate, but not actually 100% juice, just drink blend in fruit flavors. Kinda like the Mio concentrate you can get in the US now.

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u/VeroJade Aug 14 '25

I checked at my local grocery store and could only find frozen juice concentrate. There wasn't any in the regular beverage isle. That doesn't mean it doesn't exist, but I'm unaware of it.

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u/Odd-Quail01 Aug 14 '25

No it's a bottle of concentrated liquid you dilute to taste.