14 Everyday American Things You Can't Find Abroad (Slideshow)

Snacks are a strangely accurate barometer for local culture. Whether it's seaweed-wrapped rice packets in Korea, dried fish in Russia, or salty licorice in Finland, local snacks are like a sneak-peek into the broader cuisine. Then as you're sorting through bags of tiny dried crabs, chili-flavored lollipops and mystery jerky, there they are: familiar snacks. But don't be fooled: the Doritos, Pringles, and Cheetos are themselves tailored to local tastes, and it's nearly impossible to find any flavor that even barely imitates what you'd want from back home. Chex-Mix, Cheez-It Crackers, Combos, Pretzels? Forget it. 

Fruit is generally a very regional thing, and often a major benefit of traveling abroad. Things like mangoes or avocadoes that might be expensive where you're from are basically given away in parts of the world, while you get a host of fruits not even readily available in the States like coconuts, papayas and durian. But it's a definite trade-off. Things like apples, blueberries, and raspberries are all but unavailable in many parts of the world. (Don't be surprised at the $14 sticker price if you can find them.) 

While you can certainly find chocolate most places abroad, often some of the best in the world, that quintessential Hershey's Chocolate Bar that we all grew up with is notably absent. Like snacks, candy itself is highly colloquial. Ex-pats also are always on the lookout for Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and Starbursts, as both rare finds.

Pizza is actually a pretty reliable find around the world — it seems like even in the most remote areas or lounging on deserted islands, you can still score some pretty good pizza. But those one-dollar grease-soaked-paper-plate slices? That is truly an American luxury. 

These days there are entire restaurants dedicated to a menu of gourmet macaroni and cheese choices, but there's something nostalgic about that blue box of Kraft Mac & Cheese. Nothing else on earth quite emulates whatever that orange powder is, and when the craving hits, even the most decadent restaurant dish just doesn't quite live up to the standard our childhood set. Kraft isn't the only absent brand, though; Velveeta lovers will be disappointed abroad as well. While we're on the topic: R.I.P., Spaghettios. 

Pie crust, peanut butter bars, and endless other desert options — graham crackers pop up in American baking more than we realize, and they're all distinctly lacking without that value-added item. Plus, what American childhood is complete without roasting s'mores in the summertime or building gingerbread houses over the winter holidays?

This food item is the bane of nutrition's existence. There are few things that are so unhealthy within the American repertoire of junk food, but not even the greatest critic can avoid scooping a handful after getting a whiff of that permeating butter smell. Around the world, theaters have basically universally adopted popcorn as the de-facto offering, even adding in caramel and cheese options, but no known butter flavor lives up to the trans-fatty-goodness of that in the States.