I go to Tokyo annually for work and always appreciate how hospitable my Japanese colleagues are. I typically like to bring ghirardelli chocolate over but I’m never quite sure if they actually like it.
For folks who are much more familiar with both regions, what from the US (I’m based in San Francisco) are Japanese folks usually itching for?
4 comments
I’m from Cali too and See’s Candies is well received here.
I always bring back Reese’s Take 5’s. An uncommon combination of flavors and textures. Very well received!
Not kit-kats.
I always wonder if my Japanese colleagues like candy that I bring back from the USA, so I keep an eye on what gets eaten first vs what doesn’t get eaten.
Many of the candies available in the USA are available worldwide, so it’s a challenge to find uniquely American. Japan is so much better about having unique and interesting regional treats.
With Halloween coming up, I’ve found a lot of success with a big assortment of halloween themed candy. Unique candies tend to go first because people want to try, followed by the normal things like M&M, Reeses, snickers, gummy bears, crackle, etc. The sour patch kids tend to be left over.
American style cookies are super popular in my office. Chocolate chip (hard and soft) and sugar cookies go fast with pumpkin getting mixed results. Also themed cookies with cream cheese frosting such as Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas cookies get the best engagement and feedback 🙂
Maple syrup flavored stuff is popular too. I’m from California as well, so I feel like I’m cheating a little bit with maple flavored treats, but luckily none of my coworkers have called me out yet for California being far from the Northeast.
Anything Hawaiian. Trust me. If you can get your hand on Honolulu cookies or Mauna Loa, great. But Hawaiian macadamia chocolates are sold pretty much everywhere, at least here in SoCal