We're always for bringing cooking souvenirs back from exotic (and not so exotic) trips. But what to bring? Bon Appétit editors compiled their 6 favorite items — keep an eye out for these on your next trip!
1. France: Copper Bowls- Chefs love the unique qualities copper adds to whipping egg whites, and we've even got the scoop on the best place to buy them.
2. France: Canele Molds- It's pretty hard to make candles, the classic French pastry, without the molds to create their distinctive shape - search for silicone molds which make clean up easier than traditional copper molds.
3. Colombia: Clay Soup Pot- Leave some extra room in your luggage for this one and relish the benefits of a handmade clay pot in your kitchen for years to come.
4. Japan: Ginger Grater- It's no secret that cultures that use an ingredient frequently, like Japan and ginger, will have the best tool for processing it.
5. France: Black Steel Pans- Lightweight (well, for a pan), but sturdy, these pans are comparable to cast iron.
6. Italy: Parmesan Knife- As we mentioned above, you'd no less expect Italians to have the best knife for getting bite-sized hunks of Parmesan with minimal effort.
What is your favorite cooking souvenir?
Read more: 6 International Cooking Souvenirs Worth Smuggling at Bon Appétit
Related: Tasty Travels: What Was Your Best Edible Souvenir?
(Images: Dana Velden; Kitchen Universe)
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I brought a little traditional clay pot home from Korea. I love it!
a comal from Puebla in Mexico! It's a flat disk with a handle that you place directly over the stove to roast vegetables for cooking and it was all of $3-4 US dollars from a local market (I also had the best torta of my life at the same market!)
We just returned from a trip and aside from all the actual food we brought, we returned with a rolling pin, individual butter holders, and ring molds from Paris (as well as canele molds for a friend with a cafe) and the most ridiculously perfect wedge-shaped Parmigiano Reggiano custom tupperware container from Parma (filled with cheese, of course) from our Parma ham and cheese tour in Italy.
A mortar and pestle from Bali to quickly grind spices.
I'm going to Italy, Greece, and Turkey this summer, and would love recommendations for what to pick while I'm there.
Don't forget an "osthyvel" (a cheese planer) when you're in Sweden! Check out the Skansen Museum Gift Shop in Stockholm for handmade kitchen tools and supplies, as a start.
Cheap spices from India, a cook book and great memories from a cooking class!
We just got back from a trip across the English Channel with our car... Shopping in a French grocery store was such a treat that I didn't even think to bring back cooking equipment-- we just love all the food we could bring into our kitchen!
Here's a peek at what came home with us:
http://and-here-we-are.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/grocery-shopping-in-france.html
Next time, I'll look for some equipment! My favorite enameled ironware egg pans are French...
I lived in Morocco for 6 months and still regret the things that I did not bring home (and trust me, I loaded up on souvenirs). Next time I'm there, I'll buy a tajine (I'm sorry, but the Le Creuset version doesn't count), another tea services and I'll make sure to stock up on spices.
From the last trip to Ireland: Two 5 lb bags of coarsely ground wholemeal flour to make wholemeal soda bread. A TG Green Gripstand mixing bowl (OK--that's English I guess) and a selection of tall-sided cake tins/pans. Oh, and some Orla Keily china mugs
From Ireland: an adorable polka dot teapot found at Dunne's Department Store in Ennis. I thought briefly about having an entire set of dishes in that pattern shipped home.
Silicone canele molds don't give you the exact same product as the metal ones, but they are leaps and bounds and universes beyond cheaper than copper, which are upwards of 25 - 30$ PER PIECE. Buying a set of those is a lifetime investment.
Engineergirl--I brought home dried fruits, turkish delight, and other small edibles from Turkey, but you can also get the pretty little tea glasses (that would cost you an arm and a leg somewhere like anthropologie). From various Italy trips, I've brought home food (parmigiano reggiano, pastas that are more expensive at home, dried beans, tins of small fish, salt-packed olives), and I once bought an Alessi bowl that I hadn't seen elsewhere.
Did indeed bring home canele molds from France,as well as brass spice/peppercorn grinder/mills from Greece (found inexpensively in the Plaka Market area in Athens)... But would LOVE to know what to look for in southern Spain!!
Not exactly cooking accessories, but I like to bring home little bowls to add to my collection of little bowls from unusual places. They add decorative value to my glass-front cabinets and of course I use them all the time.