Buon Natale

[annetigano]

'Buon Natale a tutti'.
As this seems to be a very quiet time on the Forum I thought there might be many of you, who like me, are disappointed when there are no new posts.
Thought it might be interesting to find out what people find they miss most from either the UK or Italy.
For example, we always take tea bags and instant coffee out to Italy with us and always bring espresso coffee back to the UK (not that you can't get any of it but it is so much cheaper).
Things we take to Italy are weird things like gravy granules and Oxo cubes and strangely enough I actually take pasta from Italy back to the UK (it just seems to taste different from the pasta bought in the UK).
So, if anyone does similar things it would be fun to find out what we can't live without.
Also, what are the best things to give Italians as presents from the UK? Probably those of you that are in Italy permanently would be able to come up with some ideas.
Look forward to your replies.

[Margaret]

We always bring back loads of the petit fours types of little cakes that several bars in Scalea have which are fantastic. They don't keep though so you need to buy on the day you're leaving and give away any you can't eat in a couple of days. Whilst we're on this topic, is there anyone out there that likes the sort of biscuity things that they have at Christmas in Italy. We've just been sent two lots and they're like concrete (which apparently they're supposed to be!). They cost the earth to send and I'm going to be passing them on to Italians here. The mixture seems to be like the small biscuits they have in Germany at Christmas but those are fine (and soft). Maybe they're an acquired taste like Italian chocolate which I think is awful - but that doesn't matter as you can get other sorts. Their biscuits are pretty awful as well so we take biscuits and chocolate out - and teabags of course.
PS Happy Christmas!

[Lynn]

I always bring home to South Africa stock cubes because they are amazing. There are a few varieties but my favourite ones are porcini and delicato. Tubes of salmon paste and boxes of potato spice. Sad, I know!!

Buon natale a tutti.

Lynn

[Di]

We bubbled wrapped some wine to bring home to the States.
I don't really bring anything there in the food department. Mostly things like sunscreen with zinc because I don't know how to get it in Italy yet.

[italianirish]

You will not believe what we bring home from Italy to Ireland. Potatoes. Seriously, I have never tasted anything like the Italian ones. It's the yellow skin ones they sell in the spar.
They are so tasty, eat them mashed or whole. They don't need anything added to them, (butter etc).


Buon Natale e Buon Anno a tutti.

Michael & Elie

[billy]

We usually take home to Scotland a lump of parmigiano, a few bunches of chillies and a litre of olive oil from Villa Brazzano. I'm afraid Ryanair's meagre 15Kg allowance doesn't allow us to take home any of the excellent vino rosso which we enjoy so much in Scalea as in Doug and Di's case. Also, we must try some of these potatoes on our next visit.
Season's greetings,
Billy and Sheila.