Exactly - any peanut butter/chocolate combination is one most Europeans enjoy.

I can assure you that there are a lot of Europeans who are not exactly fans of Hersheys. Ghirardelli is ok IMO, but the only thing I'd go the extra mile to find is indeed Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. I also like Candy Corn, some Lifesaver varieties etc. And nowhere else can you find such a variety of Jelly Beans as in the U.S.

I transport suitcases full of chocolate from the EU to the US, and I wonder why anyone in the EU would want chocolate from the US. (Then again, some friends brought some JetPuffed back from the US sometime during the 70s, and I loved the stuff. Yuck!)

Now, this is a good one. Ever been to a supermarket in France, Germany, or Switzerland? Dozens of different kinds of chocolate bars, compared to what, Hershey's and Cadbury, and three kinds of Lindt bars (white, milk, dark) in the US? The more sugar thing can go both ways, and I know a lot of people who can't eat American candy bars because they are too sweet.

Peanut butter filled chocolate (including M&Ms) is probably the only kind of chocolate I'd consider worth transporting to Europe (unless you get a specific request). Of course, no matter what you bring, it may be appreciated because of the novelty factor (see above: JetPuffed). (In that case, I'd stock up on MilkyWay and Mars products--there will be a surprise factor, as they are sold under different names over there).

hershey bars all the way. Anyone been to Hershey PA?

I'd tend to agree with that, as I don't think I've been buying chocolate from anywhere other than the EU or Canada for several years now.

However, as already noted in this thread, different strokes for different folks.

Mike

Scharffenberger

http://www.scharffenberger.com/

But I can understand someone saying that she can't understand the appeal to living in NY. So your analogy works for me. :p

I did a MR a couple of years ago to SFO when I was going to be a couple of K short of GM on DL. Never left the terminal. Walked up to the See's cart in Terminal C. One box of Nuts & Chews and had the present my wife liked best for Christmas.

She does NOT share those either.

Based on my experiences with European based friends and relatives, I'd suggest filled chocolates with whole nuts - I've been told several times that European companies puree all the nuts into praline and it is next to impossible to find chocolates with a good, satisfying crunch as you bite through the nut. See's gets my personal vote for nut chocolates. Also, Oreos seem to quite popular with our Swedish cousins.

Of course, California wines also tend to be popular as a gift. :D

My relatives abroad love See's Candy Nuts and Chews

Don't eat too many twinkies! It may cause you to murder someone. :D That actually happened in the late 70's. The man got sent to prison for manslaughter, not murder. Afterwards, there were riots in protest. That incident resulted in the term "twinkie defense".

If you're in CA, try and pick up some See's Candy.
Always tasty!

Since the OP keeps his home city a mystery it's harder to advise without wasting time/space.

Based on your location, I'd bring some See's and some Ghiradelli's if possible. If you're in NYC, I'd suggest some Li-Lac chocolates or Martine's. From Chicago I'd bring the famous Marshall Field's chocolates. Upstate NY....oh never mind...I'm too tired to play chocolate geography.

I'd also bring an assortment of name brands as other suggested like Reese Peanutbutter cups, Mounds/Almond Joy and Hershey. I'd mix it up between nuts and no nuts as well as milk and dark chocolate. Also, I suggest bringing Jelly Belly jellybeans, my European friends love them!

The only chocolate product in the US that has left an impression is the aforementioned peanut butter cups. However as my local corner shop sells them, a trip to NYC isn't needed to stock up anymore.

I've never understood the bit of the Simpsons episode in London, when Bart and Lisa go made after eating chocolate in Harrods. What have I missed about perceptions of British sweets in the US?

I've never had them, but what how are the Godiva chocolates that you see at department stores?