Food to bring back from London

[antmanb]

I've never been to England but it all sounds delicious. Now I want chocolates and scones and clotted cream etc. BTW I always thought that crumpets aren't eaten by themselves, that you put jam or something on them. People in books are always eating jam & crumpets so maybe they're not supposed to be good without a topping. I don't really know what a crumpet is.

Here are lots of pictures of crumpets. They're rubbery things until toasted. I like them really well toasted almost burnt with loads of butter and more or less any topping. I don't think they're anything like english muffins though - they're much more like bread, crumpets are not like bread at all.

[milanessa]

Here are lots of pictures of crumpets. They're rubbery things until toasted. I like them really well toasted almost burnt with loads of butter and more or less any topping. I don't think they're anything like english muffins though - they're much more like bread, crumpets are not like bread at all.

Maybe, but I've had both and they're much the same to me. I guess I'm not much of a gourmand.

[Reuven]

We have Twinnings here too but I've only managed to find the English Afternoon Tea, so far, in Bermuda and the UK pavilion in Epcot.

Even the British import store here doesn't have the English Afternoon one.

I'll keep Connecticut in mind...if I'm ever there. I'll be in Boston in July, will have a look there too for sure.

It's one of my favorite teas.

Odd thing is, Mrs. Reuven drinks decaffeinated tea. Do you think we could find any in London? Non. So the next time we went, we brought our own. "Coals to Newcastle"

[allezfred]

Odd thing is, Mrs. Reuven drinks decaffeinated tea. Do you think we could find any in London? Non. So the next time we went, we brought our own. "Coals to Newcastle"

Really? I drink decaffeinated tea and have no trouble finding it here so I can't imagine it being any more difficult in the UK.

[*Jen*]

Really? I drink decaffeinated tea and have no trouble finding it here so I can't imagine it being any more difficult in the UK.

I don't know if you can get it in Starbucks, for example, but there's definitely no problem getting it from any supermarket. Maybe they don't really serve it in cafes? I'm not sure.

[Reuven]

Hm. We looked around in small local markets but couldn't find any. Of course, this was over 12 years ago, now.

[allezfred]

I don't know if you can get it in Starbucks, for example, but there's definitely no problem getting it from any supermarket. Maybe they don't really serve it in cafes? I'm not sure.

Most cafes recently seem to have it, although the odd place won't.

Hm. We looked around in small local markets but couldn't find any. Of course, this was over 12 years ago, now.

Maybe that's it. Because I've only been drinking decaf since 2009.

[Oreo]

I'd also add a nod to Hotel Chocolat which are hands down my favourite chocolates and it seems they're a British company despite the French sounding name. I cannot sing the priases of this chocolate enough!

You're absolutely right! I forgot about that place! It's fabulous.

[snowbird]

Roast badger sounds tasty.

http://www.foodsofengland.co.uk/index.htm

[reckless]

I'd also add a nod to Hotel Chocolat which are hands down my favourite chocolates and it seems they're a British company despite the French sounding name. I cannot sing the priases of this chocolate enough!

ITA. Hotel Chocolat is amazing. When my UK friends come to visit, they *must* load up their bags with goodies from Hotel Chocolat. It is possible to get their chocolates in the US, but the shipping is prohibitive and the selection is very limited. Also, at some of the stores, they will have specials where you can get nice discounts on their small items. The small items, which are about 3 or 4 GBP each, make great little gifts for friends and family.

[IceAlisa]

Here are lots of pictures of crumpets. They're rubbery things until toasted. I like them really well toasted almost burnt with loads of butter and more or less any topping. I don't think they're anything like english muffins though - they're much more like bread, crumpets are not like bread at all.

They look divine.

[Norlite]

I'm a little confused.

Can't you buy crumpets in any supermarket in the US? We can here in Canada.

[aftershocks]

Here are lots of pictures of crumpets. They're rubbery things until toasted. I like them really well toasted almost burnt with loads of butter and more or less any topping. I don't think they're anything like english muffins though - they're much more like bread, crumpets are not like bread at all.

That's interesting about crumpets. Thanks for sharing. It made me want to find out more about the differences.

http://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-d...rumpets-113577

[KHenry14]

One Cadbury product we discovered in London was Flake candy bars: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flake_(chocolate_bar) They are terrific candy. We are fortunate that there is a British Store in LA that we can get them at.

[michiruwater]

Crumpets are absolutely amazing I like English muffins as well, but crumpets are really just the most divine things ever. Amazing.

[Marge_Simpson]

I first encountered a spotted dick in a grocery store in London; I cracked up laughing right there in the aisle. People ate something that sounded like the name of a venereal disease?
It was microwaveable, so I bought a whole pile of them as gag gifts. It actually tastes pretty good.
My neighborhood is mainly Irish, so I can get Curly Wurly bars and Jaffa cakes and so on right in the local supermarket. But no spotted dick!
The last time I was in London, I discovered flapjacks. I thought I was buying the equivalent of a granola bar. Mais non! It was soft and chewy and extremely delicious. If you see some, give it a try,
My supermarket doesn't sell these either, but no matter, as they sell golden syrup, so I can make my own. If you can't buy golden syrup where you are, that's something to bring back. It's kind of similar to molasses and usually used in baked goods. But I discovered it's great on waffles, or as an ice cream topping.

[allezfred]

Irish people don't eat spotted dick. We're fussy like that.

[Artemis@BC]

One Cadbury product we discovered in London was Flake candy bars: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flake_(chocolate_bar) They are terrific candy. We are fortunate that there is a British Store in LA that we can get them at.

And if you're out and about and encounter an ice cream van, you can get yourself a "99," which is a soft-serve ice cream cone with a Flake stuck into it. Soft serve isn't my favourite and I'm not sure the Flake benefits from being in the ice cream ... but I try to have at least one 99 whenever I make a trip to the UK. (Probably because I was never allowed one when I lived there as a child. Cheapskate parents!)

Spotted dick isn't my favourite either (though I do agree it's a great novelty item!), but I do order sticky toffee pudding whenever I see it on the menu. It's heavenly. They make some store-bought ones that aren't half bad, and of course you can make it from scratch ... but it's still best in a restaurant imo.

[JasperBoy]

Not food to bring back, but I have found that London has a great many excellent family-run Italian restaurants. You know, the kind with the owner's little kids on the premises.

[TheGirlCanSkate]

Crumpets are at Trader Joe's if you have one, and some stores used to carry them but they were called Australian Toaster Biscuits by Orowheat.