Conversation starter...
What is a souvenir?
According to Merriam-Webster: "something kept as a reminder (as of a place one has visited)," but it can also be defined as "something that represents the culture and values of the place visited." Both definitions can share common traits (or not, as we'll see below). Over the years, I've discovered that everyone has their own idea of what a souvenir is, so to "recommend" a souvenir, you must know what type of visitor you are.
For some, who don't want to "overthink it," a souvenir is any trinket sold in those ubiquitous tourist shops found in popular destinations. These range from T-shirts with catchy phrases or images to keychains or fridge magnets with something "local-ish." Most of the time, these products aren't truly representative of the local culture, often mere clichés or caricatures of supposed local traits. In reality, many are low-quality items imported from mass-production centres located in "the World's factory", designed for this type of tourist but having little to do with the actual place. Still, it looks quite cosmopolitan to have a fridge covered in magnets from around the world, right? Is this your idea of a souvenir?
For others, a souvenir is a handmade or unique product closely tied to the place, like embroidery or other crafts, or even edible items. When it comes to artisanal products, it gets into personal preferences: should they be useful? Beautiful -which is very subjective-? Exclusive? Knowing your preferences is crucial because otherwise, the list of potential craft items could be endless. Additionally, at what point does craftsmanship stop being representative of local culture and start being an individual expression of its creator?
When it comes to food, while it's easier to narrow down the options (e.g., Iberian ham in Spain, prosciutto in Italy, lokum in Turkey), many products with minor variations are typical of multiple cultures (cheeses, wines, spices, chocolate). So, how good are they as souvenirs? Also, in a globalized world, it's not uncommon to find these items in speciality stores in your own country, saving you the hassle of transportation. This is not to mention the restrictions some countries have on bringing back food products from abroad.
To make things more complex, we often generalize and homogenize cultures under the concept of "country," which can be a mistake. Cultures exist, form, and evolve over centuries and are often grouped within current "administrative units" due to wars and conquests. Thus, we find geographic areas that "belong" to a country now but didn't in the past, making it incorrect to equate the region's culture to the national stereotype. Alsace is a good example, currently part of France but having switched between the German Empire and the French Republic several times over the last 300 years. So, is Alsace more representative of French culture or German culture?
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