Gifts to France

[picaman]

If you are American, a gift the French usually crave is Vermont maple syrup. These can be gotten is a glass maple-leaf shaped vessel (Or other attractive packaging). The French love sweet things, and maple syrup is certainly a unique sweet taste and unavailable in Europe.

I took this exact present as a gift for the much-beloved woman who owns the hotel where we stay each time we visit Paris. It was a big hit and she was very appreciative, especially when she learned the unlabeled bottle was "sirop d'erable" and not perfume

Thanks for the tip.

Jamie

[VivreManger]

I propose to turn our other thread on its head and ask what you like to bring from the States for French friends that can't be easily gotten, even in Paris.

One French friend who spends a fair time in the States developed - - why, God only knows - - a craving for Tex-Mex food. I used to make her quite happy with Bearito corn tortilla chips and Enrico's salsa. After my last tortilla run I wandered down Rue Rambuteau where she lives only to discover the very same chips in the local biologique store. The salsa had not made it yet, however.

Another time I was visiting from England and I imported some Neil's Yard finest. She loved the cheddar and stilton. Some artisanal American cheeses have become respectable enough to bring to France, cheddars in particular. Since I have not shopped in Paris for a few years, I am curious to learn from others if any other unusual and interesting American products are rarely if ever seen in French markets.

Of course the ex-pat demand is a different story. Some friends from the States now in London, are always eager for graham crackers without which they can't make key lime pie, but that is a different market from the one I am describing.

[John Talbott]

I propose to turn our other thread on its head and ask what you like to bring from the States for French friends that can't be easily gotten, even in Paris. 

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There was a thread on this a bit back; I cannot find it but I do recall Maple syrup and guacamole & chip dishes, one of which I actually then gave as a wedding present that was much appreciated.

[BeefCheeks]

Velveeta? (Just kidding.) Bringing cheese to France is a bit like bringing coals to Newcastle, but perhaps something like Humboldt Fog if you can get it to survive the trip. Roasted tomatillo salsa? Bagels from H&H? A jar of Bubbie's Dill pickles? Dried chipotles/habaneros/anchos from Dean & Deluca? Creole seasoning?

[Kate Hill]

I have a French friend who developed a taste for cranberry juice (now available albeit limitedly at the 'grandes surfaces') but anything cranberry still pleases- tea, candies, liquor.

Another suitcase filler is hot sauces, of any kind and the hotter and stranger the better. Who says the French don't like it hot? Think West African and Caribbean cuisines!

[VivreManger]

Bringing cheese to France is a bit like bringing coals to Newcastle, but perhaps something like Humboldt Fog if you can get it to survive the trip.

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Actually fine cheddar used to be - - and may still be - - not widely available in France. It travels pretty well.

[mzimbeck]

Here's what comes to mind for me:

Wine

American wine is a little difficult to find here. Or, for obvious reasons, people don't go out of their way to track it down. The french people I know prefer their own varietals to the bolder California flavors, but still enjoy tasting, comparing, debating (and dismissing) as part of a fun evening.

Beer

I'm not sure about this one... but I wonder if one of those sampler packs of micro-brewery beer might be a good gift for a french friend (who likes beer). While we're not that far from Belgium or Germany, the beer offerings in France are pretty limited in terms of quality and variety. And there are some great microbrews in the States.

Mexican/Tex-Mex products

Salsa is sold everywhere but is generally pretty bad. I think a good bottled salsa, which isn't that expensive in the States, would be appreciated. Maybe one that's on the mild side. Tortilla chips, while not as good as their US counterparts, are easy enough to find here. The following ingredients are a challenge to find here, but I suspect that some french cooks wouldn't have a taste for them or wouldn't know quite how to use them:

- Corn tortillas (flour ones are easily found)

- Dried chiles

- Canned chipotles in adobo or just adobo sauce, which is bottled and sold in some U.S. shops as a condiment

Caveat - I can only answer regarding what's been difficult for me to find in Paris. I'll leave it to the french readers to correct me or to say whether or not they'd actually want any of these products from the other side of the ocean.

[Culinista]

American wine is a great idea, as are maple syrup and salsas. However, try to go for the more restrained wines, not the huge oaky Cabs or the fat Chardonnays.

French people also seem to love smoked salmon. A side of primo Alaskan wild salmon or lax would be a hit with my friends.

[Lori in PA]

When visiting European friends in general, the most happily received food gifts have been maple syrup and American bacon. I think it would be great to smuggle in a dozen ears of just-picked sweet corn.

[cigalechanta]

I had amazing bad luck with maple syrup. My friends know me enough to tell me they thought it too sweet, They were in Provence, Normandy and near Poitier.

But they did like the log cabin Vermont tins they came in

[Felice]

When I was home last I went to the Reading Terminal Market, an amazing food market in Philadelphia, and saw so many things to bring back. I think the wine idea is a good one (maybe a red Zinfindel since you can't easily get that here) or it might be interesting to bring an American artisanal cheese. The American products that you get here are pretty terrible, so it's a nice way to show people that we have more to offer than oreos and fluff.

[bleudauvergne]

Thanks to Menton1 for pointing us to the old thread which we have merged with the new one!

[menton1]

French people also seem to love smoked salmon. A side of primo Alaskan wild salmon or lax would be a hit with my friends.

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On my last visit to a Carrefour, there seemed to be quite a large selection of Cold-smoked salmon from Scotland, Norway and Sweden. Unless you mean hot-smoked, which is a whole different animal. Are there any restrictions to bringing this type of food into France?

[LindaK]

Two things to remember are : although you have been taught to put your hands in your lap at the table, the French keep their hands on top of the table (watch and follow), and although you have been taught to put your bread on the edge of your plate or on a seperate plate, the French put their bread on the table. 

So true! The second you figure out pretty quickly,and no big deal if you get it wrong but the first...it took a quiet, kind aside from the mother of a friend I was visiting to clue me into this one. I was embarrassed but appreciative.

As for the original question, I've been casting around for gift ideas for an upcoming trip and thought my maple syrup idea was original. My French friends lived in the States long ago, and I know they love the stuff.

On the topic of wine, I think the idea of bringing a local wine is a good one. Once I brought a couple of bottles of wines from Missouri (where I was living at the time) to a woman who owned a vinyard in Provence. She was delighted to try something so completely unknown, and while not California cabs, they were a big hit. I think the gesture of having brought something from so far meant the most.

[bleudauvergne]

For the maple syrup, it's the dark and flavorful 'grade B' that I have found is truly a great gift.

[John Talbott]

I had mentioned elsewhere that there was a new boutique (Vom Fass) at Galeries Lafayette selling "over 100" sorts of liquids in some 70 types of wonderfully shaped bottles. Actually there are two; one at the Northwest corner of the store where the escalator goes up to the food hall, the other in the basement of what was Marks & Spenser. They have dozens of "barrels" of liqueurs, bitters, spirits, grappas, brandies, whiskies, cocktails, wines, extra virgin olive oil, vinegars and plant and fruit oils. You choose the bottle, they pour it in AND write the name of the product and a greeting to the person you intend to give it to. For those whose French is a bit rusty, one serveuse is British.

[Behemoth]

I had mentioned elsewhere that there was a new boutique (Vom Fass) at Galeries Lafayette selling "over 100" sorts of liquids in some 70 types of wonderfully shaped bottles. 

How odd, that they use the German term. Are these places not common in France?

[John Talbott]

I had mentioned elsewhere that there was a new boutique (Vom Fass) at Galeries Lafayette selling "over 100" sorts of liquids in some 70 types of wonderfully shaped bottles. 

How odd, that they use the German term. Are these places not common in France?

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Sorry, as usual, my telegraphic writing style got me in trouble.

The boutique is a franchise of a german company called vom fass that has franchises in the UK (Selfridges, Harrods and a dozen other places) and two in France (in GL).

[Dave Hatfield]

Here's the situation. We've been invited to dinner at the home some French friends.

Thanks to this forum we won't relieve ourselves in their driveway, will kiss at least two times on the cheek (real cheek brushes, not air kisses or sloppy busses) leaning the appropriate direction to get started, will either keep smiling & quiet until our host/ hostess speaks then respond to them OR take heart in hand & say "bon appète" and we will not get up from the table no matter how bursting the bladder until at least the cheese course.

So far so good. No faux pas we hope.

Now here is my question. What is an appropriate small gift to bring?

In the Uk or the states a bottle of wine is pretty standard. (even though I always ended up with a large collection of miscellaneous bottles I didn't quite know what to do with)

Flowers are also a safe bet in those countries. ( Once in our early days in France my wife bought a big bunch of chrysanthemums to give to our hostess. Luckily she was English & gently pointed out the error so we we were not too embarrassed.)

Chocolates? In this day & age of weight watching?

What? I'm looking for suggestions that are both polite and not apt to cause embarrassment for either party.

[Forest]

Dave, I got a good little giggle out of the beginning of your post!

On host/hostess presents, I always think you should bring a bottle of wine. If it's a good friend, I'll probably ask before hand if they are serving something in particular and there is a wine or alcohol that they would like me to bring. Most people say no, so i try to bring something they could serve if they wanted to (a bottle of champagne for aperos or after) or something they might like to enjoy themselves later. I believe there are some that say you shouldn't give wine to the host, but I do. (but then again I'm not French & maybe I've been offending Parisians left and right with my wine offerings!)

Then, in addition, I might bring a present. I was at dinner the other night and someone brought the hostess a little potted plant and I thought "that's cute, i wish i had done that." I love getting flowers, but I've read that sometimes it's a pain for hosts/hostesses that are in the middle of meeting, greeting, prepping, etc, to drop everything and find a vase. The little potted plant solves the vase problem. Oh...and now that I think about it, i was just having lunch at a friends and her French mother in law came over and brought a little potted plant as a hostess present (she did not bring wine, though).

So...if either of these (plants or wine) are apt to cause embarrassment or problems, I hope some other EGers out there will stop me before I single-handedly destroy Franco-American relations!

[Felice]

Here's the situation. We've been invited to dinner at the home some French friends.

Now here is my question. What is an appropriate small gift to bring?

In the Uk or the states a bottle of wine is pretty standard. (even though I always ended up with a large collection of miscellaneous bottles  I didn't quite know what to do with)

Flowers are also a safe bet in those countries. ( Once in our early days in France my wife bought a big bunch of chrysanthemums to give to our hostess. Luckily she was English & gently pointed out the error so we we were not too embarrassed.)

Chocolates? In this day & age of weight watching?

What? I'm looking for suggestions that are both polite and not apt to cause embarrassment for either party.

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Dave, I will be happy to see these responses as well as it is always difficult to know what to bring. Hopefully some of our French members will chime in.

I normally bring a small box of chocolates or flowers since I have been told that wine is not always very appropriate since your hosts will feel obliged to serve it and have probably already decided what to serve.

[Forest]

Felice: I agree with the idea of not obliging the hosts to open the wine. I always make a point of saying something like "this is for you to serve if you want or enjoy it on your own later" or something like that so they know I don't expect them to open it. Because I'd hate for them to mess up the wines they planned because they thought I wanted it opened - but I also like to make my own little contribution to their efforts (even if it's a contribution to be enjoyed later.)

[winemike]

I would not be aware of something special the French would expect...

A bottle of wine is perfectly appropriate and the tradition (as I know it) is that the host keeps it to drink at another occasion with the guest who brought the wine. Indeed for the reason that the host is supposed to have chosen the wine to go with his food.

Alternatively, as mentioned, a bottle of Champagne for the aperitif is a good idea.

Chocolates are welcome, as are flowers (and...ermm.. yes, no chrysanthemums)...

These would be the presents that I'd take to someone I do not know in France.

Now, if I know them well, I try to take something they'd like. Usually food items, such as a truffle, premium olive oil, cured ham, cheese... chocolate of course... you name it.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

I was at dinner the other night and someone brought the hostess a little potted plant and I thought "that's cute, i wish i had done that."  I love getting flowers, but I've read that sometimes it's a pain for hosts/hostesses that are in the middle of meeting, greeting, prepping, etc, to drop everything and find a vase.  The little potted plant solves the vase problem.  Oh...and now that I think about it, i was just having lunch at a friends and her French mother in law came over and brought a little potted plant as a hostess present (she did not bring wine, though).

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We visit a home in a village in the Gard every year, and our hostess always arranges a small champagne gathering for us. I have noticed that on each occasion guests arrive with an interesting small potted plant. Remembering this, when we were invited by another hostess for drinks, I took her a pot of cyclamen, and she reponded with both appreciation and approval. FWIW.

[CarolineLD]

I've sometimes taken a box of good English biscuits: it's a nice change from chocolates, and of course something they can't get in the local supermarche. Obviously this rather depends on having brought some over from Britain! Hosts have seemed pleased with them (or are very polite, which is also possible...)

Caroline

(edited for grammar)

Edited January 30, 2007 by CarolineLD (log)