I am SOOOOOOOOOO overdue for this post about my foodie exchanges no. 13 and 14. Yes I have done that many so far! And 2 more are in the mail. And 2 more are in the works for May!

First up is a great package I got from Milan! This is my third exchange with a fellow Italian foodie I believe and I always remain surprised by the variety. This foodie exchange comes from Alessandra of Viaggiando Mangiando. I was afraid her package got lost in the mail but finally after 1 month it arrived. Phew!

I got so many little delights! There was some corn meal for polenta, 2 types of cookies made with/of cheeses (the Grock stuff was awesome), 2 samples of Nutella, a few candies, and the most surprising item of all: black squid ink! I have had once some Paella with this ink so i have no fear of it lol but I will take my time to research a recipe for this truly special ingredient. Suggestions are welcomed! Thank you so much Alessandra.

Next foodie package is from Tara of What We Chow. Tara lives in Honolulu, Hawaii (yes we all HATE her) so I was really excited to see what I would get from her. I am just a bit sad though that she was not as thrilled with what I sent her than I would have hoped. Well it was her first one and who knows what expectations can be. But 10$ does not take you that far and considering how many exchanges I make I pretty much stick as close as possible to the budget. Sorry Tara, would be happy to do another one with just a can of Maple syrup for more of the honey you sent. A can of Maple syrup , with tax, is about 10$ alone for a can and heavy). but no worries we have kissed and made up he he.

Now this is what she sent which is AWESOME. Everything was purchased from a farmer’s market and Tara explains in aletter the very strong feeling people have there to buy local products as exclusively as possible. Who wants over priced items brought by massive conatiner ships, right? First item is a bottle of Waimanolo honey which is simply the best honey I have ever tasted (I NEED MORE). The Lilikoi dressing is said to be tangy and sweet at the same time…have not tried it yet. The charcoal salt is a salt I have wanted to try for a long time but had not. It is said that the charcoal removes the negative charges from the food we eat. And finally she sent a bottle of Kaiulani spices. The mix is hand made by a wonderful local woman. A big thank you to Tara!

Would you like to do such an exchange with a fellow foodie? Then join us on the Foodie Exchange right now. We are a group for foodies from around the planet who wish to exchange their local food specialties as a care package with other foodies.