Monday, December 19, 2011

omiyage from italy

are you guys familiar with the concept of omiyage? they are little souvenirs from travelers when they visit different places. its such a fun concept and we've started adopting it since we've moved to japan! my friend even started a blog waxing lyrical about japanese omiyage!

in my recent trip home, i was on a mission to find the most touristy store in town... to buy merlion butter cookies! you might laugh but it was so well received by our japanese co-workers!!
to them, singapore = merlion!! 


but on their italian honeymoon... our friends brought us this!

they were little grinders filled with salt from around the world!! there was french rose salt, cyprus salt flakes, british grey salt, pink sale from peru, persian blue salt & smoked salt of denmark...


for those who know me, im nuts about salt. it has been a long term addiction since young. i just about add salt (or soy sauce) to everything i eat. when i first met daniel, we went halfsies on a pack of fries then he did what i thought then was the weirdest thing! he split our fries into two stacks. then salted his half of the fries and in addition added a little stack of salt on the side for additional dipping. it was very cute. and that was when i knew i had to marry him! :)


a lot of people find it a pain (and a costly habit) to have to be on the lookout for omiyage all the time but this gift made us super duper happy because 1) our friends KNOW us! and 2) they were thinking of us on their honeymoon! (weird but you know what i mean..) and 3) we love love salt!

what do you think about travel souvenirs? 
love or hate it?

xx

12 comments:

  1. Wow... yums!!!

    I love salt too... we were at this shop selling chilian goods in new york and K suggested we get some super expensive salt from there. I wasn't too keen at first to pay so much for it but found myself using quite a bit of it after we came back :)

    Love love a good salt...

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  2. There is actually a Merlion park in Japan! If I remember correctly, somewhere in Chiba near Tateyama. Stumbled upon it while searching for the beach in Beach Boys. Thought it was funny to find a slice of Singapore there.

    SH

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  3. What a great gift. You have wonderful friends! My entire family is "nuts" about looking for and finding gifts for their relatives + friends :-)) So I have to continue this "tradition" :-)) I prefer to give something small and inexpensive.

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  4. @Anonymous

    wait the beach in beach boys is in japan!?! i totally have to find it!

    lol on them merlion park! i had a student tell me the significance of merlion. all this while i just thought it was a tourism board gimmick!

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  5. @OksanaB

    i love handmade gifts and thoughtful ones!! its just an excuse to indulge in and shower each other with love!! :)

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  6. wowww fancy salts!!! What a lovely sweet present!

    Awww the story of you and Daniel is so heart warming! XD

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  7. @Jian

    its the silliest details! but totally important in our lives!

    now when we cook for guests, we serve theirs first then resalt ours! lol

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  8. hi there!
    thanks for stopping by my blog!
    i loveee salt too. but my parents nag about high blood pressure whenever i reach for the soy sauce..
    blessed christmas to your sweet family! :)

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  9. @kt

    hahha!! i think my mum used to say that! she gave up now!!

    *hugs*

    xx

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  10. ooo this is what you talked about last night!! these look great! can you tell the difference in flavors? haha you guys probably can since you love salt!

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  11. @ohmyomiyage

    i can tell when i eat it on its own. but not when we add them to food! my taste buds ain't that sophisticated!

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