Souvenirs Around the World

For many years, I have gotten into the habit of not bringing anything home from different parts of the world. I simply travel too much to buy souvenirs from everywhere; unnecessary items would just accumulate at home.

Then, of course, as the children arrive one by one, this rule has eased in recent years: sometimes it's necessary to enrich the toy car or Lego collection, preferably with some characteristic piece. From Menton, for example, a real beach car, the Citroen Mehari, from London a British flag Mini, from Okinawa a diver Lego...

Well, and then there are the gourmet gifts, which are always an exception! I try to buy these in moderation, only things that are guaranteed to be consumed.

From Japan, a ripe yuzu, a special quality miso paste, spices from the Middle East, tahini, bread from Et Du Pain Et des Idées in Paris, yellow chili paste (ají amarillo) from Peru, sourdough bread from Hedone in London, local cheeses from Italy, hams and sobrasada (Balearic sausage spread) from Spain, baklava and Antep pistachios from Turkey, rye bread from Copenhagen, and the list goes on endlessly. One thing is certain, everything will be consumed and integrated within 1-2 days.

Painful losses

Except for those that fall victim to some overzealous measure… I managed to bring wagyu slices from Tokyo or organic tahini from Izmir, but at the airport in Bologna, the security check spotted my cheese collection. No matter how much I explained that it came from the best artisan sheep cheese maker in Tuscany, and it's not even a liquid, and just smell it, and surely their heart isn't made of stone, an Italian cannot be an enemy of their own formaggio: they confiscated the creamy cheeses.

I even considered devouring it all right there, but that would have been undignified, so I just asked them not to throw it away, but to eat it at the end of their shift… What ultimately happened to it, I don't know, but I'm very glad that it's increasingly safe to get the world's gastronomic souvenirs at home.

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