What do you wish you had brought with you from the U.S. that you can't find in Budapest?

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Elizabeth Floch

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Mar 8, 2016, 2:43:19 PM3/8/16
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Hello mamas!  My husband and I, plus our 6 y/o twins will be moving to Budapest for nine months soon... and I'd love to get some feedback on what you are itching to have there that you can't find?  What do you wish you'd brought with you?

(Thinking of random things like batteries, or Lara Bars -- kids love 'em, or super absorbent night diapers -- one still needs them, or books written in English, or non-chemical sunscreen.... I don't know, anything).

We will attempt to travel very light, and hopefully not have any big needs while there... but thought asking might be fun.  (Hubby missed Bisquick in the 1980's while living in Germany... but I know these days things are much easier to find, and I personally love discovering new favorites abroad.  Plus, we can get Amazon in Germany to ship to Budapest I imagine, if there were a great need.  I just can't think of what we wouldn't be able to find.

Thanks for any tips!

Libby

Tahira Jafary

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Mar 9, 2016, 5:38:41 AM3/9/16
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Few things I haven't found here:
Pop tarts if your kids like them. Nothing similar here.
Hersheys or nestle toll house chocolate chips (if you do a lot of baking)
Mr Clean magic eraser 
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Marley Hood

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Mar 9, 2016, 8:03:13 AM3/9/16
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Hi, most North American products are available here now. I've seen Pop Tarts, Hershey's chocolate bars and Nestle chocolate chips at Culinarus and The British Pantry. Hungary and the EU has much stricter laws on food than the US, so you'll find better quality here, if that is of importance.

Bio products are also very popular here, with a store on just about every corner. I just bought some hemp and chia seeds yesterday. I don't remember seeing Lara bars, but I have never been looking for them so that may be why. But lots of variety of power bars, etc.

Best,
Marley

Kristin Makszin

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Mar 9, 2016, 7:20:45 PM3/9/16
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It seems that each year the list of things that we miss from the USA get shorter. Now the only thing that we bring is Cheerios, as you can only get honey nut cheerios here, and Splenda, as that is GMO and banned in Hungary. 

I even stopped bringing chocolate chips, as I just cut up baking chocolate bars, which are available here. 

High absorbent diapers are available. DM (a drug store) has very good ones in a big size. 

Erzsebet Ragyina

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Mar 9, 2016, 8:29:43 PM3/9/16
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The things I always bring are:
Zip-lock bags
Really good maple syrup (you can get it at Culinaris but not great)
Pancake mix (as we have a favorite)
US measurement cups and tsp, tbsp etc...


Good luck!
Erzsebet

Marley Hood

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Mar 10, 2016, 2:21:05 AM3/10/16
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Hi, if you mean pure maple syrup, DM has it as well as the bio stores.

Best,
Marley



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Sanja Kovandzic

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Mar 10, 2016, 2:44:07 AM3/10/16
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And zip lock bags are av in Ikea
Kr

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Louise Kapor

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Mar 10, 2016, 2:44:52 AM3/10/16
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Hi,
Zip lock bags can be found in Tesco, Mueller, DM.
I would say it's the ready prepared/convenience foods that we don't have here in Hungary that you should bring if you have particular favourites.
Best,
Louise.

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On 10 Mar 2016, at 08:21, 'Marley Hood' via Budapest Moms <budape...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

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Kara Irwin

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Mar 11, 2016, 8:08:56 AM3/11/16
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Hi Libby,

We definitely get our Cheerios in the US! Still can't figure out why they only stock honey nut cheerios abroad... We also bring fig newtons, something I never ate that much of in the US, but once I left and couldn't find them abroad, I suddenly started having cravings :-). Almost everything else we can get here (or find something similar).  Kids' clothes are cheaper in the US, so we often order to the US from Carters and then bring it over/have others bring it.

A word of warning - Amazon.de shipping costs to Hungary are ridiculously high, often higher than the price of the goods themselves!

We usually get English language kids books ordered from bookdepository.co.uk (or brought from the US by friends/family). 

But in the 6 years I've been here, it's been pretty incredible how much more availability there is of things "from home".

Good luck with the move!

Kara
ps - it seems that only in America are we such big believers in the powers of baking soda that you can get large boxes of it...here you can only get wimpy tiny bags, so that's something else we sometimes bring.

Clara Dunning

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Mar 11, 2016, 8:15:56 AM3/11/16
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Hey everyone! Both Culinaris and The British Pantry stock regular Cheerios:
http://culinaris.hu/item/nestle-cheerios-375g
http://www.thebritishpantry.hu/index.php/termek/product/nestle-cheerios-

Tesco does both Honey and Oat flavours (but not regular):

I also recommend checking out the improved food section in Marks & Spencer, they have a lot of basic ingredients now which may be helpful.

- Clara =)

Bori rieger

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Mar 11, 2016, 8:43:36 AM3/11/16
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I know this is very random, but artificial bacon bits. :)



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Elizabeth Floch

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Mar 15, 2016, 8:02:39 PM3/15/16
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So helpful, thank you Kara!

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Elizabeth Floch

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Mar 15, 2016, 8:02:40 PM3/15/16
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A big thank you to everyone for the feedback, much appreciated!  

amrit...@gmail.com

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Mar 15, 2016, 8:02:40 PM3/15/16
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I've found large quantities of baking soda at bio stores.

Kaye Little

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Mar 16, 2016, 6:05:48 AM3/16/16
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Real American style Brown sugar and Nutmeg

Judit Whelan

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Mar 16, 2016, 6:09:23 AM3/16/16
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You can buy nutmeg here

Judit Whelan

Kaye Little

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Mar 16, 2016, 8:04:43 AM3/16/16
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Where? Because the last 2.5 years I haven't found it?

Judit Whelan

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Mar 16, 2016, 8:41:58 AM3/16/16
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Szerecsendió any shops really

Judit Whelan

Kara Irwin

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Mar 16, 2016, 9:20:47 AM3/16/16
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I think the issue is that you can’t readily find ground nutmeg, just whole.

And yes, we also import our packed brown sugar!  We also bring some common US meds like Tums, milk of magnesia and those large bottles of advil (here you get smaller blister packs of ibuprofen).

 

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Kaye Little

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Mar 16, 2016, 9:39:55 AM3/16/16
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Whole? Wow. I probably glanced at it and didn't recognize it. Now I am determined to get some! Thanks so much for the tip!! 

Marley Hood

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Mar 16, 2016, 11:23:25 AM3/16/16
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I checked, I have ground nutmeg in my cupboard! It's a well-known brand, so I must have just got it at a regular grocery store.

Best,
Marley

Kaye Little

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Mar 16, 2016, 11:27:55 AM3/16/16
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Any ideas where I can find gingersnap cookies???

Judit Whelan

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Mar 16, 2016, 11:28:28 AM3/16/16
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British store maybe ?

Judit Whelan

Kara Irwin

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Mar 16, 2016, 11:49:28 AM3/16/16
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If the British Pantry doesn’t have gingernuts, then probably pepparkakor from Ikea is the next best thing.

Judit Whelan

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Mar 16, 2016, 11:55:27 AM3/16/16
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Kaye Little

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Mar 16, 2016, 2:05:40 PM3/16/16
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Thanks, however, I don't want gingernuts, I am seeking ginger snap cookies ... there a staple in the grocery store cookie aisle in the USA. I will checkout the pepparkakor from Ikea just in case it might work.  I crush these cookies up to make a very tastey crust for a cheesecake.

Elizabeth Floch

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Mar 16, 2016, 2:28:09 PM3/16/16
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Ikea here in California has ginger cookies, maybe the one there does too. I've been buying mine from Ikea for over 20 years :).... though they are a little stronger than the mainstream Ginger Snaps you would find in a grocery store here.

Kara Irwin

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Mar 16, 2016, 3:11:06 PM3/16/16
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I love gingersnaps! Gingernuts are the British version and are similar, though a rougher cookie and a bit more gingery. Either they or Ikea’s pepparkaka could be a good substitute crushed for cheesecake crust.

 

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Dina Rippon

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Mar 17, 2016, 4:00:19 AM3/17/16
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Marks and Spencer's in Mammut has started selling food and they have ginger biscuits there... don't know how they differ from ginger snaps though. They also have a range of other British-type foods (all M&S brand, of course). 
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Yulia Galvin

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Mar 17, 2016, 4:08:58 AM3/17/16
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Kara Irwin, for baking soda in huge boxes go to Arbat-the Russian chain ))
For Amazon, just make sure the order is shipped by amazon, not private seller. I bought pushchairs, high feeding chair, lots and lots of heavy stuff, and shipping was never over 15 euros. For lighter items i think ot starts with 6. 
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