Hanging on the wall near our kitchen is an empty burlap bag that once contained 2 lbs. of Konriko Wild Pecan Rice.

I bought the rice during my visit to New Iberia, Louisiana, in the summer of 2009, when I stopped at the Conrad Rice Mill, a local tourist attraction but also a functioning rice mill. I’m glad to say that even now the mill is still in business, producing rice and other products. When I was there, the mill’s centennial was coming up in a few years; now it’s well past.

The rice included no pecans. The bag, and the Conrad Rice Mill web site, are careful to note that. The bag promises a “nutty aroma and a subtle pecan-like flavor.”

The rice is long gone, and we probably enjoyed it, but what I really like is the bag. That’s my kind of souvenir. Other examples kicking around the house include the small can that used to contain some reindeer pate, acquired on the Finnish ferry between Helsinki and Tallinn, and the front panels from some small cereal boxes acquired in Mexico.