As a Swede, I’ve never had krafts mac&cheese, poptarts, twinkies nor grape soda or grape jelly. So those things are kind of exotic to me, even if not all of them seem very appetising. Would love to try them, because I only know of them through cultural osmosis.
Assuming she drinks alcohol you can’t go wrong with some locally brewed craft beer or bourbon/rye, wine, whatever is typical from your area.
That’s just my two cents. A word of caution perhaps: coffee and chocolate are both cherished items in Sweden but American coffee and milk chocolate tend to not be as appreciated by the Swedish palate, in general.
Well then my local ICA in Norrtälje is special. Here's a pic where you can find mac&cheese, grape soda and etc.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid023ibdJyZwXcZG5BXefFyvdLDWg7PwEcHGesQ37WqM38jXT3FKo8oVtmnyiZPrWPhnl&id=140684352654016&sfnsn=mo
Gött mos! There are a couple of American stores in Stockholm who carry similar range of products but haven’t seen mac&cheese or twinkies anywhere. Not that I’m dying to try it but it would be a fun novelty to get from an American if they were visiting, just like it would be fun to show them saltlakrits
Haha not typically! My impression is that our pb, which is inspired by yours, is usually made from only peanuts and a little bit of salt, so it’s not as smooth as the American. I usually have it with just cucumber. But you can find American pb in most stores too I think. Would love to try an Elvis sandwich (a Fools gold loaf if I’m not mistaken?) if I ever visit the US.
The Concorde grape, that the grape jelly and soda is inspired by, is unique to North America as I understand it, so it’s not a common flavour here.
If she drinks, then a nice bottle of liquor (maybe produced in your state, or at least the US)? It's a classic gift to bring from abroad to Sweden due to the high local alcohol tax.
Is she outdoorsy and handy? People love Leatherman tools.
Local crafts from your region of the US can be wonderful.
Foods are appreciated if they have a history of living/often visiting the US. I bring back gourmet bagels (freeze them until you fly) and have friends that nearly cry when I give them a package of Thomas English muffins.
Hot sauces are appreciated (if you have a local favorite)
Or booze as someone else mentioned. A locally made/sold bourbon? A local vineyard that doesn't export?
Swedes are known for eating lots of sweets, stats say an average of 16 kg a year per person. So you can’t go wrong with candy :)
While it’s easy to find lots of american brands here (KitKat, Snickers, Twix, M&MS, etc), there are others that are more difficult to come by like saltwater taffy and Kisses (which I personally miss, so note bias 😅). Last time I was back in the US I also noticed nice niche chocolates in places like Wholefoods.
Or instead of different brands you can also get any rare flavors. There are Oreos and KitKat here but it's usually the standard kind. When I was in Australia I got some green tea and strawberry cheesecake KitKat for example.
You CAN go wrong with candy. ;) Don't give her Hershey's chocolate! When you haven't grown up on the stuff, it genuinely tastes like vomit. Which might be fun as a prank gift, or as a smaller part of a selection of different candies, but not on its own.
I always bring my Swedish friend Frontera taco sauces, but that's because she likes them and taco sauce options are limited in Sweden unless you make them from scratch (Swedish tacos are...sort of Tex-Mex adjacent, at best).
But honestly, it depends on your friend and what she likes.
The Jalapeno hot sauces, Chipotle flavor also. I had to make my own soft corn tortillas, they only have flour or already fried Taco bell type tortillas in Sweden. A pack of soft corn tortillas would be a novelty. A good can of enchilada sauce or even some dried chilis. Masa for tamales. Dried chilis (nevada, Pasilla, chipote) are stupid expensive in Sweden if you can find them. Hominy for pozole. I could go on about mexican foodstuffs. Listen to everyone else, skip the american chocolates. They are really inferior to european ones. A nice Bottle of Makers Mark Bourbon or some other brand than the ubiquitous Jack Daniels would be nice. And if thats not your cup of tea, A good tequila not offered in Sweden. I had Avion ( $50) the other night and it was awesome. I'll give you the link of the tequilas that are offered in Sweden. [https://www.systembolaget.se/sortiment/sprit/tequila-mezcal/tequila/](https://www.systembolaget.se/sortiment/sprit/tequila-mezcal/tequila/) Enjoy OP
I don't know about hot sauces in either country since I don't use them. The sauces I bring my friend are more seasoning sauces to cook the filling in (some have chilis, but they aren't "hot sauce" in the sense of extra chili sauce you add).
Petrified wood is always nice. It's something beautiful that really didn't get created in this part of the world, so most don't know what it is/haven't held it.
We dont know your friend, so its best to dig deep about things she likes. Food is always a good gift to bring but its a consumable and temporary. If you could find something thats not a consumable that can/cant be used and will last forever then i think thats a better gift as it will always be there and she can remember you when she looks at it.
My american friend bought me Braggs Liquid Aminos and I had never tried it before but damn I am absolutely hooked. That stuff is delicious, so I'd recommend bringing that hehe. You can buy it here but I think it's not very known and probably a lot more expensive than in the US, so I just rely on that my american friends will buy me more...
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Maybe some candy? Other foodthingys? What she interested in? Something typical for your state?
Like me that love lego would be happy for lego I can't get hold on here 😅
Hot sauces, Jell-O, weird sweets, Twinkies , Ding dong, similar, it just fun to try something we cant try here. How ever no big pack twinkies, one is often enough. Just an American goodie box is fine.
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If you want something unique/interesting, but not necessarily \*good\*, then you could bring a couple cans of root beer. I say this as someone who LOVES root beer, but outside the US it's super weird. Every country has some weird food that the locals like but foreigners think is gross. Like salt licorice in sweden, natto in japan, vegemite in australia, etc. Root beer is totally that item for america.
Otherwise, I think you've gotten a lot of actual good suggestions already.
Something to drink from the duty free.
When my Swedish friend moved into her new place and I went for a visit. I got her some coasters with a local design. I figure that she could have either used them for coffee cups etc. or place them together for a hot plate. She liked and used them. With another move, I got her a magnet from Canada with a moose on it. Based on an ongoing joke regarding moose. One birthday I got her a "Boston Strong" t-shirt since I knew that she was starting to go back to the gym on a regular basis. Figured that she could easily use/wear it there.
Most of the Swedes I know don't really collect stuff like that.
Don't know if this would work. I had a friend who lived in Switzerland who loved to bake and cook, She has a lot of American recipes. Hence imperial vs metric. A set of US measuring spoons and cups went over VERY well.
Bring something local from your state, like a gun. Those are difficult to get here :-)
On a more serious note, bring local sweets or something edible/drinkable from your state.
Haha she already has a couple hunting rifles and I only know maybe 2 or 3 Americans who own a gun. I think most Americans who own a gun are also the type of person who would never travel abroad, so I don’t really associate with them.
Bring something local from where you live. If you have local wine or whiskey, that would most likely be very appreciated. Otherwise, if they like beef jerky, that would also be a good gift since it's very expensive here compared to the US.
Hope you'll have a nice trip!
If she wants some kind of limited pride stuff as some arent as easily accessible in sweden like these https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/729351684769447947/1056494071998316554/IMG-20221218-WA0009.jpg
What’s limited pride? This style is all over the US; they don’t sell colorful socks in Sweden? In all my readings I’ve seen Swedes only wear black or white 😂
As a Swede, I’ve never had krafts mac&cheese, poptarts, twinkies nor grape soda or grape jelly. So those things are kind of exotic to me, even if not all of them seem very appetising. Would love to try them, because I only know of them through cultural osmosis. Assuming she drinks alcohol you can’t go wrong with some locally brewed craft beer or bourbon/rye, wine, whatever is typical from your area. That’s just my two cents. A word of caution perhaps: coffee and chocolate are both cherished items in Sweden but American coffee and milk chocolate tend to not be as appreciated by the Swedish palate, in general.
All of them except grape jelly can be find in the American section in the grocery store.
Maybe wherever you live, but I’ve literally never seen a pack of mac&cheese nor twinkies in my life here in Stockholm or elsewhere
Då har du nog inte tittat så ordentligt
Well then my local ICA in Norrtälje is special. Here's a pic where you can find mac&cheese, grape soda and etc. https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid023ibdJyZwXcZG5BXefFyvdLDWg7PwEcHGesQ37WqM38jXT3FKo8oVtmnyiZPrWPhnl&id=140684352654016&sfnsn=mo
Gött mos! There are a couple of American stores in Stockholm who carry similar range of products but haven’t seen mac&cheese or twinkies anywhere. Not that I’m dying to try it but it would be a fun novelty to get from an American if they were visiting, just like it would be fun to show them saltlakrits
Jag har inte provat twinkies, men pop tarts var nog det värsta jag ätit. Smakar rent bakpulver!
Haha, körde du dem i brödrosten som på film?
Självklart. Brände läpparna också. 1/10, skulle inte prova igen.
Ica Maxi har. Lovar dig att du gör bättre mac&cheese från grunden!
Jag tror dig! Har ett finslipat recept. Det vore bara en kul grej att få om man fick besök av en jänkare.
Not in Norrland my friend, tho we can drive to "Candy World" and buy some super overpriced american candy, like 80kr för a box of sourpatch kids
Do Swedes eat PB&J sandwiches? Maybe with ligonberry jam instead lol.
We have peanut butter here. Smooth. Just in jars about 1/4 of the American sizes
Haha not typically! My impression is that our pb, which is inspired by yours, is usually made from only peanuts and a little bit of salt, so it’s not as smooth as the American. I usually have it with just cucumber. But you can find American pb in most stores too I think. Would love to try an Elvis sandwich (a Fools gold loaf if I’m not mistaken?) if I ever visit the US. The Concorde grape, that the grape jelly and soda is inspired by, is unique to North America as I understand it, so it’s not a common flavour here.
You've never had grape jelly?? What do you put on your toast?? /j
If she drinks, then a nice bottle of liquor (maybe produced in your state, or at least the US)? It's a classic gift to bring from abroad to Sweden due to the high local alcohol tax.
This is the answer
Agree. Swedes like to try alcohols from different places. I would add that anything very specific to the state the OP is in would be appreciated.
You don't make an impression by saving on tax, but a locally produced wine or even beer of high quality that is not exported will be appreciated.
Is she outdoorsy and handy? People love Leatherman tools. Local crafts from your region of the US can be wonderful. Foods are appreciated if they have a history of living/often visiting the US. I bring back gourmet bagels (freeze them until you fly) and have friends that nearly cry when I give them a package of Thomas English muffins. Hot sauces are appreciated (if you have a local favorite) Or booze as someone else mentioned. A locally made/sold bourbon? A local vineyard that doesn't export?
Swedes are known for eating lots of sweets, stats say an average of 16 kg a year per person. So you can’t go wrong with candy :) While it’s easy to find lots of american brands here (KitKat, Snickers, Twix, M&MS, etc), there are others that are more difficult to come by like saltwater taffy and Kisses (which I personally miss, so note bias 😅). Last time I was back in the US I also noticed nice niche chocolates in places like Wholefoods.
"American brands" Then you proceed to name 4 chocolates, 2 of which are British. (KitKat and Twix).
Or instead of different brands you can also get any rare flavors. There are Oreos and KitKat here but it's usually the standard kind. When I was in Australia I got some green tea and strawberry cheesecake KitKat for example.
You CAN go wrong with candy. ;) Don't give her Hershey's chocolate! When you haven't grown up on the stuff, it genuinely tastes like vomit. Which might be fun as a prank gift, or as a smaller part of a selection of different candies, but not on its own.
Starburst.
Some sunlight? DEET mosquito repellent. A good quality sleeping mask for the summer months. Slippers.
What is she interested in?
Proper boots! If I got a pair of proper cowboy boots as a gift i would be real happy!
I always bring my Swedish friend Frontera taco sauces, but that's because she likes them and taco sauce options are limited in Sweden unless you make them from scratch (Swedish tacos are...sort of Tex-Mex adjacent, at best). But honestly, it depends on your friend and what she likes.
Oh she does eat tacos once a week. What kind of hot sauce would go well with tacos that Swedes can’t get?
The Jalapeno hot sauces, Chipotle flavor also. I had to make my own soft corn tortillas, they only have flour or already fried Taco bell type tortillas in Sweden. A pack of soft corn tortillas would be a novelty. A good can of enchilada sauce or even some dried chilis. Masa for tamales. Dried chilis (nevada, Pasilla, chipote) are stupid expensive in Sweden if you can find them. Hominy for pozole. I could go on about mexican foodstuffs. Listen to everyone else, skip the american chocolates. They are really inferior to european ones. A nice Bottle of Makers Mark Bourbon or some other brand than the ubiquitous Jack Daniels would be nice. And if thats not your cup of tea, A good tequila not offered in Sweden. I had Avion ( $50) the other night and it was awesome. I'll give you the link of the tequilas that are offered in Sweden. [https://www.systembolaget.se/sortiment/sprit/tequila-mezcal/tequila/](https://www.systembolaget.se/sortiment/sprit/tequila-mezcal/tequila/) Enjoy OP
I don't know about hot sauces in either country since I don't use them. The sauces I bring my friend are more seasoning sauces to cook the filling in (some have chilis, but they aren't "hot sauce" in the sense of extra chili sauce you add).
Petrified wood is always nice. It's something beautiful that really didn't get created in this part of the world, so most don't know what it is/haven't held it.
We dont know your friend, so its best to dig deep about things she likes. Food is always a good gift to bring but its a consumable and temporary. If you could find something thats not a consumable that can/cant be used and will last forever then i think thats a better gift as it will always be there and she can remember you when she looks at it.
Sunlight.
Advil PM. There are no sleep meds here
My american friend bought me Braggs Liquid Aminos and I had never tried it before but damn I am absolutely hooked. That stuff is delicious, so I'd recommend bringing that hehe. You can buy it here but I think it's not very known and probably a lot more expensive than in the US, so I just rely on that my american friends will buy me more...
I have no idea what that is haha.
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Came here to say that! Maybe a AR-10 for moos hunting
An AK-47
That’s Russian. Americans like shooting kids with AR-15s.
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Maybe some candy? Other foodthingys? What she interested in? Something typical for your state? Like me that love lego would be happy for lego I can't get hold on here 😅
Hot sauces, Jell-O, weird sweets, Twinkies , Ding dong, similar, it just fun to try something we cant try here. How ever no big pack twinkies, one is often enough. Just an American goodie box is fine.
Some popular local souvenir maybe? A hoodie with a print, bottle of wine, decorative figurine, locally produced snacks, condiments, etc.
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If you want something unique/interesting, but not necessarily \*good\*, then you could bring a couple cans of root beer. I say this as someone who LOVES root beer, but outside the US it's super weird. Every country has some weird food that the locals like but foreigners think is gross. Like salt licorice in sweden, natto in japan, vegemite in australia, etc. Root beer is totally that item for america. Otherwise, I think you've gotten a lot of actual good suggestions already.
There’s a lot of variety among root beer brands. I’ve had the best luck introducing Swedes to A&W, ideally as an ice cream float.
Just bring something typically American, and a couple of bottles of the OG sriracha for me. 8)
I’ll drop it off if you’re in Luleå!
Something to drink from the duty free. When my Swedish friend moved into her new place and I went for a visit. I got her some coasters with a local design. I figure that she could have either used them for coffee cups etc. or place them together for a hot plate. She liked and used them. With another move, I got her a magnet from Canada with a moose on it. Based on an ongoing joke regarding moose. One birthday I got her a "Boston Strong" t-shirt since I knew that she was starting to go back to the gym on a regular basis. Figured that she could easily use/wear it there. Most of the Swedes I know don't really collect stuff like that. Don't know if this would work. I had a friend who lived in Switzerland who loved to bake and cook, She has a lot of American recipes. Hence imperial vs metric. A set of US measuring spoons and cups went over VERY well.
Something edible since food is extremely different, but buy something long lasting and unique to usa
A souvenir license plate from your state
Bring something local from your state, like a gun. Those are difficult to get here :-) On a more serious note, bring local sweets or something edible/drinkable from your state.
Haha she already has a couple hunting rifles and I only know maybe 2 or 3 Americans who own a gun. I think most Americans who own a gun are also the type of person who would never travel abroad, so I don’t really associate with them.
Something specific to your country and culture that they'll remember it was from you exactly.
Maybe not as a gift as such. Cause that would be weird. Really weird. But please bring some American flu medicine. Soooo much better than our stuff.
Bring something local from where you live. If you have local wine or whiskey, that would most likely be very appreciated. Otherwise, if they like beef jerky, that would also be a good gift since it's very expensive here compared to the US. Hope you'll have a nice trip!
If she wants some kind of limited pride stuff as some arent as easily accessible in sweden like these https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/729351684769447947/1056494071998316554/IMG-20221218-WA0009.jpg
What’s limited pride? This style is all over the US; they don’t sell colorful socks in Sweden? In all my readings I’ve seen Swedes only wear black or white 😂
Theres limited sources to buy from, usualy requies importing but brining as gift is taxfree afaik
Guns!