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If you've seen our article on photographer Gregg Segal's series Daily Bread: What Kids Eat Around the World, you know that our menu can vary a lot depending on the place we live in. Who knows, maybe you've even been on a culinary holiday. Point is, our tastebuds can get pretty intrigued about trying out different stuff. But sometimes, satisfying their cravings is pretty difficult. So when you get the opportunity, you have to use it.

Earlier this month, Reddit user u/pogmoshron made a post on r/Cooking, saying: "What are some kitchen 'must haves' that I can pick up when I'm in the States that can't be purchased in Europe?" Immediately, cooks began making suggestions, and the comment section ultimately became a pretty vivid illustration of American eating habits. Continue scrolling to check out their replies.

#1

30 "American" Kitchen Essentials People Wish They Could Find Overseas When I lived in the US, I would bring back Lipton's Onion Soup Mix and make onion dip. My Indian friends loved it so much, they would fight over who got to lick the bowl.

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#2

30 "American" Kitchen Essentials People Wish They Could Find Overseas Old Bay Seasoning. I haven't been able to find it in Europe. I'm from Maryland, and I miss it so much that I make my own from a copycat recipe and always have it on hand in my kitchen.

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Jo Choto
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I lived in Maryland for a long time. Only Marylanders actually like Old Bay seasoning. Everyone else rightly realizes it's a mistake.

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#3

30 "American" Kitchen Essentials People Wish They Could Find Overseas All peanut butter products. I'm an American living in Scotland, and good peanut butter exists here but only in tiny expensive jars. I miss things like peanut butter cookies, Reese's Puffs, and peanut-butter-filled pretzels.

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RoseTheMad
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm in the UK.. you can get Peanut Butter cookies, fudge, puffs (though they're animport) cups, pretzels, etc etc...

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#4

30 "American" Kitchen Essentials People Wish They Could Find Overseas My friend just moved to Dublin from the states. They brought a ridiculous amount of ranch dressing and ranch dressing powder. When we go to visit them we are instructed to bring more. I guess Europe does not have a ranch market.

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Guy MacGregor
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No. And the first time I heard about it was here on Bored Panda. It was out of context and I did not understand why OP was speaking about "farmer clothing" (ranch... dressing...).

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#5

30 "American" Kitchen Essentials People Wish They Could Find Overseas Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning. Salty, but so very good in all kinds of foods.

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Michael Sanders
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Staple. They have all kinds of other products too. Mixes, Bloody Mary mix, etc. Living in NOLA I make most of their mixes from scratch, but in a pinch their gumbo and jambalaya mixes are quite good. Zing Zang is much better bloody mix though.

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#6

30 "American" Kitchen Essentials People Wish They Could Find Overseas There's a brand of Cajun seasoning called 'Slap ya Mama'. I've never actually tried it myself, but as a brit living in the UK, I have seen it as an ingredient in SO MANY recipes that I can only assume it's popular.

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Michael Sanders
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I put on nearly everything I want spice. That and Tony Chachere which is listed in….

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#7

30 "American" Kitchen Essentials People Wish They Could Find Overseas Celery Seed

Personally I haven't been able to find it here in Finland and I don't know how common it is in other countries. Celery seed really gives coleslaw and a few other dishes that true American flavor.

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#8

30 "American" Kitchen Essentials People Wish They Could Find Overseas Cottage cheese. In Japan, it's virtually impossible to find, and really I miss cottage cheese!

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Mad Dragon
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Cottage cheese is easy to make yourself from whole milk, salt, and some sort of acid (I use vinegar or lemon juice). Heat the milk slowly, add the acid, stir gently and let rest for a few minutes, strain through cheesecloth, add salt. I add a bit of cream to make it smoother, but that is optional.

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#9

30 "American" Kitchen Essentials People Wish They Could Find Overseas Maple syrup is so hard to find outside of North America! I'm in Brazil right now and I've been here several times before and I remember once a few years back when a couple friends had to tell me that there was roughly zero chance I was going to find maple syrup here (I was planning a Super American Breakfast For Dinner kind of fun meal).

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RoseTheMad
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2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I literally just bought maple syrup the other day. From Sainsbury's. xP It's available in Europe, but Brazil isn't Europe. (this article needs a new title jfc)

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#10

30 "American" Kitchen Essentials People Wish They Could Find Overseas Canned chipotle Chiles in adobo sauce!!

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#11

30 "American" Kitchen Essentials People Wish They Could Find Overseas My [expat] sister always says how hard it is to find canned pumpkin overseas so i always bring some when I visit. I'd load up there!

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#12

30 "American" Kitchen Essentials People Wish They Could Find Overseas Corn bread. It’s rare to find in the UK. The only place I’ve seen it was at Whole Foods, and even there it was cold, subpar, and not as comforting as the US version.

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#13

30 "American" Kitchen Essentials People Wish They Could Find Overseas American measuring cups. Makes making recipes online much easier as you don’t have to try and convert anything.

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The Scout
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Of course you could circumvent this problem by switching to metric like the rest of the world, instead of having to carry a measuring cup if you go abroad...

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#14

30 "American" Kitchen Essentials People Wish They Could Find Overseas When I was in the USA I bought a cast iron pan for 20-30 dollars I think. It’s at least 3 times cheaper than the same kind of pan where I live.

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#15

30 "American" Kitchen Essentials People Wish They Could Find Overseas Stone-ground corn grits. At least in England, they're nearly impossible to find. You can get your hands on Quaker Oats corn grits, but that's about it.

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#16

30 "American" Kitchen Essentials People Wish They Could Find Overseas Chipotle powder. I get it at a Mexican market. Chipotles are smoked jalapeños. I use it as a rub on chicken or pork before grilling.

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#17

30 "American" Kitchen Essentials People Wish They Could Find Overseas Franks red is key. I used to bring back Buffalo sauce when I would go to the States, but then I realized how easy and tasty it is to make from scratch, so now I just bring back some Franks

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#18

30 "American" Kitchen Essentials People Wish They Could Find Overseas I'm an American expat living in Germany, and when I make trips back to the US I return with:

BTB

TJs EBTB seasoning

Annie's Mac and Cheese (I make m&c from scratch, but my kids love the s**t in the blue box)

Rainbow sprinkles

Frontera Mexican sauce packets

Pink Starbursts

Reese's Pieces

Bourbon

Cream of Tartar

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Omi bub
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I find it funny how many of these posts are just synthetic flavours or ultra-processed stuff

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#19

30 "American" Kitchen Essentials People Wish They Could Find Overseas Bourbon! Whenever I go to the US, I bring home as much bourbon as I'm allowed. Abroad, there are very few types of Bourbon sold, and they are incredibly expensive.

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Marcellus II
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Meh. Why drink Bourbon if there's something better locally available? Say, whisky.

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#20

30 "American" Kitchen Essentials People Wish They Could Find Overseas Internet teached me what pop tarts are. Never seen them in Europe. Also we don't have good brown sugar. Maybe that's a continental thing.

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Rick
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wonder where the person is in Europe that they’ve never seen a Pop Tart before? I’m in the UK and used to eat these as a child.

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#21

30 "American" Kitchen Essentials People Wish They Could Find Overseas Anything Mexican related and some less common hot sauces.

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#22

30 "American" Kitchen Essentials People Wish They Could Find Overseas If you have the space in your luggage, kosher salt is a lot cheaper in the US than the European equivalents

If you like Mexican food, it’s worth stocking up on dried chilis in the US since they’re again way more abundant and much cheaper

I personally prefer the sponges you get in the US, so I always bring back some of the yellow and green Scotch Brite kind.

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Debbie
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I can buy iodine free salt in Europe when/if I want. But why would I.

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#23

30 "American" Kitchen Essentials People Wish They Could Find Overseas Dr. Pepper. Whenever we travel abroad, my husband almost loses his mind going a week or two without it.

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voice of reason
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Perhaps tastes differently in other countries. Find that true in Mexico, GB and Germany ( with Coke)

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May
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Some stores here in Denmark have a shelf of "American food" - that's the only place I've seen Dr Pepper - and only the full fat one. I keep seeing American content praising the Diet Dr Pepper, so that's the one I'd like to try.

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CLG
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think diet DP is frequently praised because it tastes so similar to the original version, which can't always be said of other calorie-free sodas (looking at you, diet Coke). But the original is still the classic and tastes great!

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Robert T
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Knock yourself out: https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/search?query=dr%20pepper&N=4294963453

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Rick
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Is this a special flavour or something (I’ve never seen a bottle look like that) because Dr. Pepper isn’t exactly unknown, I’ve never NOT seen it as an option in a drinks vending machine

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CatWoman312
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not sure what country you’re from, but I’ve been to Canada, France, and Morocco and I didn’t see Dr Pepper offered in either country. I’m sure they have it if you look hard enough, but it’s not that common.

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Dre Mosley
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This American never understood the appeal of it. I had a roommate in college who was such a Dr. Pepper addict that he’d drink them at room temp. He’d stash cases in our room and not even refrigerate them.

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Michael Sanders
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It’s a shame that Dublin Dr Pepper was hit with a lawsuit and ultimately stopped production. Dublin Dr Pepper was made in Dublin, TX and distributed very locally. They were one of the few that kept cane sugar in their recipe when most turned to HFCS. They ultimately got shut down by Dr Pepper Snapple co from copyright infringement. Godddamn shame. But if you can get cane sugar Dr P do so. A lot of companies started making “Original…” with cane sugar. Dublin never changes. Also get Mexican Coke when you can. Also made with cane sugar.

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CLG
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Looks like the type of vintage-style bottle you'd find at a Cracker Barrel.

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Tonya Wallace
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It is! The numbers tell what time you should drink it. I think it was originally marketed as a health drink.

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CatWoman312
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I introduced my husband and in-laws to Dr Pepper. They’re from Morocco. They loved it.

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Nightshade1972
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I live in the UK, and it's not that hard to find. What I *do* miss, however, is ordinary cherry Coke. I can find canned/bottled cherry Coke Zero all over the place, but I prefer the taste of regular cherry Coke, and it's much harder to find.

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Pamela Blue
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Now that's sad. It's called addiction, and what on earth do they put in the bottle to cause that kind of a reaction when without?

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MJLstrd
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Who found the 10 — 2 — 4 bottles? Haven't seen that in years & years!

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Eduard Jovanovic
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Never seen one in Serbia, Spain or Greece, but a friend brought some from Hungary

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thEBOrdeSTpaNDA
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You can get it really easy in the UK, or at least where I am in the UK

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Kensi
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not really uncommon in Czech Republic, but really expensive

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Kelly Darby
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I guess that in England, a "pepper" was a prostitute. So the theme song "I'm a pepper, you're a pepper..." Didn't go over well. That's the explanation I heard for why they didn't carry it in England.

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Sanchez Vasile
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Very accessible anywhere, but you might miss the chemicals and corn syrup they put over there. Try chewing prescription medicine instead.

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Monica Banks
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He would mst definitely lose his mind if he tastes Cheerwine!

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Nadine Debard
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm not used to drink Dr Pepper but the closest thing is cola with almond syrup (called orgeat in France). You can try if you find the syrup, I think you can buy it also in Italy and Spain.

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Tim Marotto
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The Dr Pepper here in the UK is full of sweeteners. In the US it's sugar and much better. (And unhealthier, which is generally the trade-off).

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Carrie Laughs
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The UK one is sugar and sweeteners. I could be wrong but the US version has sugar and sweeteners as well. You can get Dr Pepper zero which is sugar free.

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#24

30 "American" Kitchen Essentials People Wish They Could Find Overseas Hidden Valley fiesta ranch mix is god tier. Mix with sour cream and its perfect with all flavors of potato chips

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#25

30 "American" Kitchen Essentials People Wish They Could Find Overseas Tajin seasoning. It elevates just about every kind of fruit, and it's so hard to find outside of the States.

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#26

30 "American" Kitchen Essentials People Wish They Could Find Overseas Trader Joes spices - Everything but the Bagel is phenomenal

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#27

30 "American" Kitchen Essentials People Wish They Could Find Overseas Peanut butter, graham crackers & marshmallows keep well and I know a lot of countries don't have them.

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#28

30 "American" Kitchen Essentials People Wish They Could Find Overseas Dried chiles. If you like cooking Mexican food, it's worth stocking up on them in the US. You can find them abroad, but they're way more expensive and less common.

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ZAPanda
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

wow this is such a laugh, we have these things growing in our garden. weirdos.

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#29

30 "American" Kitchen Essentials People Wish They Could Find Overseas Canned diced green chilis. Decent salsa (but sure if it might break), Goya beans and salsas, boxed Mac n cheese. My German friend from college demands that last one in all her care packages lol.

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#30

30 "American" Kitchen Essentials People Wish They Could Find Overseas The umami seasoning is phenomenal. I use it in almost everything to add depth of flavor.

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