The sweet taste of home

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Posted at 12:15PM, 26 June 2009 by Emily Boyce - Acting sub-editor, bbcgoodfood.com

It's strange the things you crave when you're abroad. Beyond EastEnders and orderly queues, of course. I spent a year in Turin, northern Italy, in 2005, and though I loved doing the Italian thing of going to markets and cooking beautiful fresh veg, there were times when I longed for the familiar tastes of home - or for something a bit more exotic than pasta. In Italy, it's pretty difficult to track down a decent Indian restaurant, or to find the ingredients for a curry in a supermarket.

I was overjoyed once to come across baked beans in a little shop near the main market. I don't normally even like baked beans, but they were somehow reassuring and I cleared them out of their supply. A friend who lived in Spain had a similar experience with Branston pickle - she needed to keep a jar on hand in the kitchen, even if she never used it. Marmite, salt and vinegar crisps and ketchup can also suddenly become essential.

There are so many cows in France, where's the fresh milk going?

Other things I missed were ordinary white bread for toast and sandwiches (ciabatta's all well and good, but it's already hard and dry when you buy it, then by the next day it's inedible) and proper cups of tea made with PG Tips and fresh, cold, non UHT milk. Indeed, a straw poll around the office reveals dairy products are one of the most troublesome areas. As one of the cookery team pondered, there are so many cows in France, where's the fresh milk going? Into all those 246 + varieties of cheese, I suppose. None of which is good old Cheddar. And cookery assistant Jemma regularly gets calls from readers abroad desperately seeking equivalents of double cream.

Then there's cooking equipment. The team report feeling stranded without a good sharp knife, a mini blender, a trusty set of versatile butter knives and an oven that can be relied upon. In Italy, I couldn't believe no one had an electric kettle - no way was I resorting to boiling water in a pan, however charmingly rustic that might be.

Which ingredients, dishes and gadgets do you miss when you're away from home?

Comments

1-20 of 47 comments

kd40

26 June, 3:33PM
kd40

Salad cream - I can never find decent stuff in France

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Suzanne

26 June, 4:58PM
Suzanne

Dairy - absolutely! It's impossible to have a decent cup of tea abroad. And there's never ever a toaster in holiday accommodation. Plenty of bread available - most of which is gorgeous when freshly-bought, but needs a good toasting when it's a day old - but never a toaster! Life is too short to grill and turn bread.

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Alison

26 June, 5:05PM
Alison

Yes it is odd the things you miss isn't it? They never seem to have normal tea bags or tea pots abroad, so the first thing I want when I get home is a proper cup of tea.

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Vic

26 June, 5:05PM
Vic

Pans, knives and oven - if I'm self-catering. Otherwise, access to 126 different flavours of crisps.

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slippymark

26 June, 9:18PM
slippymark

Biscuits, whether they be Rich Tea, Bourbons or Ginger Nuts. The continental ones are never the same. And a nice pint of real ale (but not to dunk in - proper tea for that)

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Cheese Fiend

26 June, 10:11PM
Cheese Fiend

I totally agree with the cup of tea, but as far as food is concerned I always seem to end up craving a curry.

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Marola

28 June, 4:25PM
Marola

We have lived in Central Portugal for the last two years and have craved many delights from good old Blighty. Things like Stilton cheese, rhubarb, herbs and spices. Our greatest cravings by far are for smoked fish. I can not tell you how much kippers are missed or the lovely soft flavours of smoked haddock in a fish pie. Salt cod just doesn't cut it.

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fiona

28 June, 6:34PM
fiona

I'm with the cup of tea folks - plus a roast dinner is always first on the list to cook when back home! Never ever travel without a jar of marmite!!!!!!!!

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manlie

28 June, 7:06PM
manlie

Fish, the first thing I crave for when I come back from a journey is our fish, perfect cooked, not over-cooked, I live in the Basque country in spain and our food is very good and well known worldwide, and of course Spanish potatoe omelette is something we always dream of when we are abroad. IÂ´m taking the chance to say hi to all from San SebastiÃ¡n.

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Nicola

29 June, 8:09AM
Nicola

I do fieldwork in Uganda a few times a year (in a remote rural area)...and I really crave fresh vegetables! The only things they seem to grow are cassava, tomatoes (but never enough) and cabbage. A friend of mine was once going to make me some chips, but he found he had to order potatoes a week in advance so he didn't bother! When I get home I really just want lots of fresh veg - either raw, or cooked lightly, not to within an inch of their lives!

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Elaine

29 June, 11:53AM
Elaine

Currently sunning myself in southern Spain. Agree about the tea. Difficult to find fresh milk, but the real problem is the water. My solution? Stick to coffee. Also hard to find a properly sharp knife in a rental property. Big bonus here is really cheap juicy oranges. Our house even has a fab juicer, so it's juice and coffee for the rest of the stay. Hasta la vista!

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drusilla

29 June, 12:22PM
drusilla

went to America a few years ago, including a visit to Hershey (home of American chocolate!) So what did I miss? Would you believe... Cadbury's??!!

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Leamac83

29 June, 12:52PM
Leamac83

I live in Holland and i miss Salt and Vinegar crisps, i have no idea why they dont do them here?? And cheddar Cheese, back bacon, lorne sasuage, warbutons toastie bread and ofcourse Cadburys!!

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Jane

29 June, 1:25PM
Jane

Tea, tea, tea - the kettle's always on before the luggage is unloaded from the car when we get home from holiday. Also if we've been staying in a hotel, veg and salads - apart from scarily tepid salad bars they juust never seem to serve enough.

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Caity

29 June, 4:37PM
Caity

Cheese straws and marmite. Not together though!!

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sioden

29 June, 6:47PM
sioden

I've just moved to America to live for a year, and so far the milk is the only things that's bothering me - it's not quite the same, not sure why or how, but it just isn't. I'm pretty sure I'll miss other stuff as well, but for now it's the weird milk! Oh, and I can't find creme fraiche, hmmm!

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Jas

29 June, 7:50PM
Jas

I miss curry - it's so hard to find here in Germany! And breakfast of kellogs cornflakes with yorkshire tea and proper milk. Apart from that british cakes! like victoria sponge, scones, carrot cake... mmm..

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Alison's R

30 June, 1:58AM
Alison's R

I'm currently living in Canada and I'm craving loads of junk food! Proper crisps, real cadbury's chocolate, mcvities digestives, even super noodles! Hardly foodie fare, but those are the things I miss. Also good tea, a sliced pan which isn't horribly sweet, and good cheddars. My family have to bring me supplies in their suitcases when they visit!

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goodgrub

30 June, 7:33AM
goodgrub

I have lived in Bulgaria for 4 years and the food is great but HP sauce, Tetley T bags, corned beef and strong cheddar cheese would improve things greatly!!!

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fiona

30 June, 9:00AM
fiona

caity - why not marmite and cheese straws together? Our local bakery does marmite cheese straws and they are delicious!!!! Marmite inside a just warm cheese scone is heaven - sorry gone off topic onto MARMITE (as you've probably guessed i'm in the LOVE camp)

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