For any American, pop tarts, Reese’s cups, Jell-O and a range of other snacks bring back
fond memories of childhood. And these are sorely missed by American expats when they
are hard to find on foreign shores. Check out the 10 snacks that you can’t find outside
of America!
Pop Tarts
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and most Americans follow this rule to
a T. After cereals, pop tarts are the most popular packaged breakfast items in the U.S.
Just pop them in the toaster, wait for them to pop back out, and they’re ready to eat!
Delicious, convenient and perfect on the go, pop tarts are hard to resist. Contrary to
popular belief, Kellogg’s was not the first company to invent toaster pastries. Another
manufacturer, Post, came up with the idea in the early 1960s, but Kellogg’s is the
one who invented the branding for America’s favorite toaster pastry - ‘pop tarts’.
Initially released in only four flavors - blueberry, strawberry, apple currant, and brown sugar
cinnamon - pop tarts sold out in just two weeks! While the flavors were awesome, the
first few years of pop tarts did not even have frosting on them, because the makers
were of the opinion that the frosting could not withstand the heat of the toaster. Fast
forward to 2019, there is not just frosting but also a mind-boggling array of pop tart
flavors to choose from – peanut butter, raspberry, s’mores, chocotastic, hot fudge
sundae, and more. But by far, America’s most favored pop tart flavors seem to be ‘Frosted
Strawberry’ and ‘Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon’. Several seasonal and special edition pop tart
flavors are also released each year. While pop tarts are undoubtedly the most convenient
breakfast items, it isn’t the best idea to start your day with 13 grams of sugar,
5 grams of fat and about 200 calories. Surprisingly though, the popularity of pop tarts has never
gone down, with many Americans reportedly eating pop tarts even for lunch, dinner and
every other meal in-between!
Lay’s Southern Biscuits & Gravy
Winner of the ‘Do Us A Flavor’ contest held by Lay’s in 2015, the Lay’s Southern
Biscuits & Gravy flavor has become a super hit flavor with customers across America.
With an unmistakable taste of the traditional Southern classic dish of biscuits and gravy,
this potato chip flavor is now a crowd favorite. Imagine the aroma of freshly baked biscuits
in your grandmother’s kitchen accompanied by the delicately flavored peppery-white gravy
poured on top of the biscuits – that is exactly what Lay’s Southern Biscuits & Gravy
potato chips taste like. Overall, these chips are a good representation of the taste of
Southern cooking and would be a nice introduction to someone who isn't very familiar with the
taste of the South. For any American, biscuits and gravy are familiar food, and something
they might have had many times over in their lifetime, even if they are not actually from
the South. Served at diners across America, this American classic is a savory, creamy
and flaky delight all at once! Combine it with the irresistible appeal of a crunchy
potato chip, and you’ve got a dynamite snack on your hands! That’s what Lay’s succeeded
in doing with the Lay’s Southern Biscuits & Gravy potato chips. And as soon as it hit
the shelves, it became a snack-time hit with customers. Lay’s potato chips are manufactured
and sold across the world, and the company has even exported many of its flavors to other
countries. Sadly though, the Southern Biscuits & Gravy flavor never left American shores,
and you’ll be hard pressed to find it in any other country. The rest of the world is
truly missing out on tasting a true American classic dish, albeit in potato chip form!
Teddy Grahams
Another American childhood favorite snack is Teddy Grahams. These cute bear shaped graham
cracker snacks are a popular lunch bag, breakfast and anytime-snack favorite with children across
America. Most adults have fond memories of Teddy Grahams and the popularity continues
generation after generation. And why not? Teddy Grahams are actually considered a healthy
snack choice by their makers, Nabisco. They are rich in iron and calcium and have zero
trans fats. Also, many flavors of Teddy Grahams, like cinnamon and chocolate, are vegan-friendly
too. The adorable Teddy Grahams were first introduced in the U.S. in 1988, and come in
four flavors - honey, cinnamon, chocolatey chip and chocolate. They are great snacks
for kids who like to play with their food, and the company even has suggestions for delicious
dishes that can be made with Teddy Grahams. But alas, while Teddy Graham’s parent company,
Nabisco’s, other products are easily available in countries throughout the world (Oreo cookies
and Chips Ahoy! for example), Teddy Grahams are limited to American stores. Though more
than $150 million dollars worth of Teddy Grahams are sold each year in the U.S., their makers
choose not to sell them abroad.
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
For the uninitiated and those living under a rock, America’s favorite candy, Reese’s
Peanut Butter Cups, are tasty cups made from velvety chocolate and filled with peanut cream.
These heavenly tasting cups are manufactured by The Hershey Company and are a staple candy
favored by children across America. Whether you hand these out to kids during Halloween,
put them in your kids’ school lunch bags or eat them yourself as a snack in the office,
there is no denying the popularity of Reese’ cups. So popular is this ubiquitously American
candy that its parent company has released a variety of versions over the years, including,
holiday-themed and limited editions of the candy as well as size, filling, and coating
variations too. How about Reese’ Peanut Butter Pumpkins for Halloween, a Reester Bunny
for Easter or Reese's Peanut Butter Hearts for Valentine’s Day? Coating variations
like dark chocolate, white chocolate, etc. are popular too. Their filling variations
are just as interesting, like double crunch, caramel, marshmallow, etc., but some have
been discontinued over the years. Reese’s cups are a homage to America’s obsession
with peanut butter, but sadly the rest of the world hasn’t fallen in love with Reese’s
cups yet. You may spot them at some specialty supermarkets abroad, but by-and-large, they
are difficult to come by in other countries. Reese’s cups variations, especially, are
very hard to find on foreign supermarket shelves.
Hostess CupCakes
Introduced to America in 1919, Hostess CupCakes are now an American institution. Supposed
to be the first commercially produced cupcakes, Hostess CupCakes are a type of snack cake
with a creamy filling and a distinctive design of eight white icing squiggles on top. The
most common types of Hostess CupCakes are the chocolate ones with a vanilla cream filling,
chocolate icing and white squiggles on top. But other flavors such as Orange CupCakes
and Red Velvet CupCakes are widely available too. The brand also sometimes offers seasonal
and ‘limited time only’ flavors. The history of these iconic snack cakes is interesting.
The snack cakes were formerly manufactured and sold by Hostess Brands, but the company
declared bankruptcy in 2012 and was sold to a conglomerate of private equity firms. The
evolution of Hostess CupCakes is also noteworthy. Though first introduced in 1919, the current
form of the snack cakes did not come about until 1950, when the final touch of eight
squiggly lines in white icing was added to the top, to make it stand out from other cupcake
brands. This signature top has now become widely associated with Hostess CupCakes. Another
childhood favorite, Hostess CupCakes unfortunately never made it across American borders. These
processed cupcakes are snack-time staples and sometimes even preferred above freshly
made or homemade cupcakes in America. But the world is yet to fall in love with the
deliciousness of the iconic taste of Hostess CupCakes. So, grab a bunch of these before
you move abroad and savor the taste of home as you lick off the icing on top!
Jell-O
Recognized throughout America as the dessert that jiggles and wobbles on the plate and
in your stomach, Jell-O is another classic American snack. It’s quite hard to believe
that Jell-O is on this list of snacks you can’t find outside America. But that’s
not entirely the case; while it’s true that the brand of Jell-O dessert per se is not
popular outside America, gelatin or ‘jelly desserts’ as they are called in other parts
of the world, are quite easily found all across the globe. But a pack of the familiar Jell-O
brand will be difficult to come across in other countries. In essence, Jell-O is most
simply a gelatin dessert sold in powdered form in various flavors and colors. All you
are required to do is dissolve the flavored powder in hot water, chill it in the fridge
and allow it to set to wobbly consistency in a container or mold of your choice. And
the most fun part of this dessert is its ability to be molded into any shape before it sets.
Its wide variety of flavors like apricot, cherry, grape, lemon, mango, orange, strawberry,
peach, etc. make it appealing to people of all ages. Invented in 1897, Jell-O is a 122-year-old
dessert that gained popularity in the 1930s and 50s. It is now owned by Kraft Foods and
is the signature product of the Jell-O brand that also makes puddings, and other products.
Jell-O is an essential part of Americana!
Peanut Butter M & M’s
Peanut butter is a very popular American snack. Peanut butter and chocolate is an even more
popular snack. But alas, the rest of the world does not seem to think so. Perhaps if they
had tasted Peanut Butter M&M’s, their opinion would surely change. While M&M’s are available
in most countries, Peanut Butter M&M’s have somehow managed to stay only on American soil.
You can easily get your M&M fix abroad, but if you are a fan of Peanut Butter M&M’s,
you might have to look very hard. These colourful button shaped chocolate pieces with an ‘m’
printed on them are easily one of America’s favorite candies. The hard chocolate shell
candy comes in a plethora of colors, sometimes with interesting fillings too. Over the years,
the manufacturer, Mars Incorporated, has experimented with many versions of M&M’s, like holiday-themed
M&M’s, special edition M&M’s, etc. And one such interesting flavor is the Peanut
Butter M&M with peanut butter inside the chocolate center. Since its introduction in 1991, it
has quickly become one of the most popular and widely sold M&M flavors in America. A
'Strawberried Peanut Butter M&M's' version is also available for those with a sense of
adventure!
Candy Corn
A candy so unique to America that it is highly unlikely to be found anywhere else in the
world is Candy Corn. True to its name, it resembles a kernel of corn, only three times
the size of an actual corn kernel. It is a colorful candy consisting of three bright
colors - a bright and broad yellow end, a wide orange middle and a tapering white tip.
First introduced in rural America in the 1880s, it was initially called ‘Chicken Feed’.
Children across America started liking it and soon it became a staple of the fall season.
Its popularity is inextricably linked with Halloween, but there are other variations
of Candy Corn too, like those released around Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, etc. with
a change in the color combination of the candies. Candy Corn is quite delightful to look at.
But its taste has been a question of much debate. Whether you're a fan of its taste
or not, Candy Corn has surely earned a place in the most peculiar American snacks list.
Airheads
Uniquely American, Airheads are a very tangy, chewy and taffy-like candy that come in a
variety of different fruity flavors. Available in over 16 different flavors like strawberry,
green apple, maple, orange, etc., Airheads are a snack that became quite popular in the
90s. But this candy is not easily available outside America. Sold almost exclusively in
the U.S. and Canada, Airheads have a unique flavor and texture combination that will be
quite difficult to replicate in other candies. So, if you are stuck abroad without a pack
of your favorite Airheads, you might just have to wait it out till you are back home
on American soil. Created in 1985, Airheads also have special edition flavors and there
are many other variations of Airheads too, like Airheads Pops, Airheads Gummies, Airheads
Gum, Airheads Bites, Airheads Xtremes, etc. In 2019, a new product called Airheads Paradise
Blends Was rolled out.
Butterfinger
It’s strange that something as simple as a candy consisting of a crispy peanut butter
centre encased in a milk chocolate coating is unavailable in any other country of the
world. Sold almost exclusively in the U.S., Butterfinger is not a new entrant to the American
snack and candy market; it has been around since 1923. One of the reasons attributed
to the success of Butterfinger in America are its marketing strategies that utilize
popular film, television and sports personalities as its spokespersons. Top Cat, Bart Simpson,
and Rob Lowe, have all promoted Butterfinger at some point in time. As is common with candies,
there are multiple variations of Butterfinger too. There are Butterfinger Bites, Snackerz,
Crisp, Cups, and more variations that have been introduced in the past and some continue
to be sold even today. While the rest of the world has not yet known the yummy taste of
this peanut buttery candy, go ahead and pack a few bars of Butterfinger in your bag, and
enjoy a taste of home wherever you are in the world!
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