Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Corner View: Typical German Souvenir

This week's Corner View theme was 'a typical souvenir from your town'. I live in a German university town that doesn't have a typical 'thing'. When I visit friends in the States (or they visit us), we usually hit up the local grocery store for the best treats to take back. We find it's the cheapest, tastiest, and usually most unique and practical place to go. Everybody likes chocolates, so we can start with the chocolate aisle. Lots of Lindt:


Lots of Milka:


Really, lots of it (it's not even the Christmas chocolates!):


There's always the group of women who love pretty paper napkins, so there's something for them:


For those who bake, there's all sort of stuff that's standard here, but sometimes hard to find in the US:


I didn't include pictures of the beer and wine section, or the mustard section, but they're great, too. When my dad was in Germany hosting some Spaniards here for a business trip they were asking for a certain German mustard that was semi-sweet and impossible to find in Spain. I took them to a German grocery store and they all went home happy with armfuls of Händlmaier's (typical sweet Bavarian mustard). So the grocery store really is the spot to go. There's something for everybody!

For more souvenirs, head over to Spain Daily.

19 comments :

Karoliina said...

You just had to do this to me, didn't you? Kai has a rash and I think it might be from chocolate. Perfect timing with the pictures. It's raining and I'm feeling rather sarcastic.

Juliette said...

maybe it's from the milk in the chocolate?? I think he just wants the real deal and not the Finnish stuff - or have you been eating licorice too? =)

Frau Haselmayer said...

Hehe, I always bring chocolates and baking stuff from the US when I'm on vacation there because I prefer them over German stuff. But I guess it's always about the things you can not have ;-)

cliff1976 said...

a certain German mustard that was semi-sweet and impossible to find in Spain. I took them to a German grocery store and they all went home happy with armfuls of Händlmaier's

Händlmaier makes a fantastic mustard called "Der Pikante Süße" which is somewhat hard to find. If you like trying different mustards, this one is worth the effort (in my humble opinion). It must be incredibly popular or something, because even the Händlmaier's store here in Regensburg is seemingly always out of stock on Der Pikante Süße.

Unknown said...

Yes - I would come home with lots of chocolate in my bag - and mustard too!

(my CV is HERE)

The Antiques Diva™ said...

You've honed in on my 2nd favorite place to souvenir shop in any country - the grocery store (1st choice goes to the flea market). I can't visit a new country, (or repeat visit for that matter) without prowling the grocery aisles for weird, interesting or simply local treats!!!
The chocolate aisle always catches my attention - and I give it 2 or 3 strolls to make sure I don't miss out!
Toma

Lisa notes... said...

Chocolate sounds great to me. When my friends visit Germany, that is usually what they bring back to the States.

Cate said...

milka! mm. i lived in hamburg for a fall/winter (1999-2000) and hit the time when there was the lindt christmas chocolate. favorite chocolate EVER! if i had had another suitcase, i think that i would have filled it to the brim with just that. so good.

love your view!

p.s. we lived in the east ville at the same time. i was on ave. C btwn. 8th and 9th sts. where were you?

vaselka at 3 am. neighborhood perk for sure!

Juliette said...

We were on the second floor of #9 St. Mark's Place, above the then-called shops of In The Woods and Religious Sex - lively neighborhood, but surprising amount of regular shopkeepers and residents. I was there in the first half of 2000. Maybe we crossed paths! =)

lucylaine said...

an appetizing souvenir!!

la ninja said...

ha ha ha, how practical.
hit the supermarket and hey presto, souvenirs for everyone! :)

;) said...

I particularly ike the "souvenirs" for gourmand !!!! Good idea ! Have a nice week !

Kari said...

I love Milka!! Yummy yummy in my tummy!!

Traveling Mama said...

Oh my! Now you have gone and made me SOOO hungry! I NEED chocolate NOW! LOL! I will have to remember that about the mustard! My daughter's best friend who is half German heard my husband mention that he loves raspberries so they gave him a jar of German raspberry jam for his birthday. (A very generous gift considering the distance it was brought!) It was so good that we made toast, biscuits, and then more toast just so we could have an excuse to eat it!

Jeannette said...

I´m just like the Antiques Diva. Fleamarkets come first but right after that are supermarkets as a favorite place to go in a foreign country. It´s always so nice to have something to eat weeks later that reminds you of your holiday.
Have a great weekend!

jane said...

thank you! i always hit a grocery store when i´m visiting other countries. i love to see what other cultures are into. besos!

Anonymous said...

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Anonymous said...

Hello. And Bye.

KelleyAnnie @ Over the Threshold said...

How about the ginormous ketchup section in the Tegut? And I think Ritter Sports are special :-)

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