Photo: Muhammad Qadri Anwar (Shutterstock)
You probably remember the tastiest snack you’ve ever had, whether you bought it at a regular American gas station or a friend’s mom served it when you were a teenager. Most of the time, you can just go out and buy your favorite snack whenever you want. But what if you can’t because it’s not widely used in the US? If you’re new to the states and are missing a treat from home or tried something tasty for the first time while traveling abroad, it can be harder to track down.
Here are some ways to find your elusive favorite in the wild – or try something new.
Search for specialty stores or snack shops
It may seem obvious that you should look for stores that sell non-American snacks, but unless you know these stores are there, it’s not that obvious, is it? So, yes, these stores are there – and maybe there is one near you. Search Google for local grocery stores or snack shops. Rafael Lullanda owns such a company called NycExoticsnax with six locations in the northeast and one additional location in Los Angeles.
“My first store was on a very small back street, so it was easy to miss it and I had to change that,” says Lullanda. “I started bringing various flavored ginger ales from Connecticut to NYC and then looked for other items that weren’t available in New York.”
Now he orders foreign drinks and snacks in containers and sells them individually and as a wholesaler. If you’re not in greater New York or Los Angeles, this is it sends his goods to his– and encourages snack seekers to contact him with special requests. If it’s available, he imports it here.
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Do you need a recommendation? Lullanda recommends Doritos with taco flavor from Japan, Dove chocolate with passion fruit from China and Fanta Dragonata from Bulgaria.
Try other shipping options
There are also subscription boxes for foreign snacks. No, you cannot guarantee that you will get your favorite with it. these, but you can explore some new options this way. Try a like Snack box, Worldwide delicacies, or Universal yums. There are also websites that offer direct sales, such as Exotic boulevard.which gives you free shipping on domestic orders over $ 35. Try eBay too – there are sellers there who specialize in exotic snacks.
You can also try looking for snack boxes on Amazon. The site has assortment boxes of Japan, Australia, Turkey, and more.
Find someone who can get it for you
If you are really desperate for that particular tidbit that you can’t stop looking for, you can try visiting a travel forum and finding an American headed to the country where your beloved snack came from. Ask them directly if they would like to pick it up for you. It might seem a little forward-looking, but you can make up for any perceived rudeness by offering them a healthy finder fee.
While on Reddit or your favorite website, try to connect with someone who lives in this country and see if they are ready to send you your treat. Don’t feel weird about it; If you live there, you probably know how delicious the product is. They are likely to regret your lack of access to it – and will be happy to take your money back. Check what it costs to ship something from this country to your address in America, check any regulations or laws, then make an offer.
Or finally, if you really love these nibbles, we’ll give you permission to get them. Okay, you don’t have to plan an entire trip abroad to grab yourself a snack, but do incorporate your hunger pangs into your next vacation plan.
