Forget the Tower: Try Safeway...
 

<BR> <BR><BR><BR><BR> Am I alone in that, when I travel, I like to paruse grocery stores? Yeah, it sounds pretty bizarre, I reckon, but I think it is such an interesting, low hassle, informative thing to do (though I don’t care much for it when at home). Recently in England I found “American-style” hotdogs, packed in a can of brine (gosh, that’s how mom made ours!), sandwich “filler” (spread) made of tuna and corn, ginger beer, lemon Fanta, and a lot of other strange concoctions. (My cats love the rabbit flavored cat food from Whiska’s). I mean, I wouldn’t plan a trip around grocery markets but the next time you’ve got a bit of time to kill, give it a shot. Fascinating! (Now I’ll sit back and wait for the nasty, “why don’t you get a life,” responses! Cheers!)<BR><BR> <BR> <BR><BR>

It's also one of the things I do abroad, look at supermarkets, markets, specialist shops, etc.<BR><BR>Doug

Nope, you're not alone! There's not much I hate more than grocery shopping at home, but I LOVE going overseas!<BR><BR>Years ago I brought home littlel tins of baby food for my grandson that were things he'd never get to try here. I have a friend in Scotland who just sent me a new stash of Ruskoline breading (I can't fry chicken decently without it) and McDougals's gravy thickener.<BR><BR>I also miss the round patties of goat cheese in fine breading and lots of other stuff. A British friend once told me that our (U.S.) stores had a huge variety of each item (like 100 kinds of cereal), but that they had a better variety of goods, probably because of their close proximity to all the European countries. I think she's right!

Not exactly the same thing, but years ago on my first trip to London we spent a Saturday in Portobello Road. I saw a vendor’s cart, the wares consisting only of olives! I’d seen green olives and black olives, but there were olives on this cart I’d never imagined, some purple, some the size of golf balls, olives from all over the Mediterranean area! I had a giant, purple olive stuffed with a jalapeno pepper, stuffed with a clove of garlic and an almond! Gawd it was good. I still brave the insanity of that market when I’m there just to sample a few exotic olives.<BR><BR>As to the grocery stores, yup, a much more diverse selection than anywhere I’ve seen in the States. Fruits and vegetables I’d never heard of, many of which I’ve sampled which is a mixed blessing. Like the olives, you try them, want more, and have to travel umpteen thousand miles to get them again!<BR><BR>(Once I tried little, white balls of ginger root preserved in heavy syrup. First the sweet of the syrup, then the punch from the ginger root. To die for. Made in China, but I've not found them here, though I've gone so far as to try and order them.)

Me too - I love hitting the grocery stores when traveling! So does my husband. Neither of us are crazy about grocery shopping at home. We don't plan trips around them :-) but if we pass by a grocery store it's worth a look. Actually, we rent an apartment in London when we visit (just got back end of April again) and we need grocery stores, so I'm pretty up on what Tesco, Sainsbury's, M&S, & Safeway carry in the UK. We have relatives in Paris and have hit the grocery stores with them too!!<BR>Not a grocery story, but we looked at washer/dryers in Madrid one day..seriously, we were in a large store and found ourselves in appliances. (OK, we did not stay in appliances very long, but it's interesting to see what things cost, the models, etc.) I believe Harrod's sells appliances too if you ever get that far up in the store -- from the Food Court that is :-) :-)

I can relate. When it comes to shopping, I am not the one on the plane with three bags of shoes, but with two bags of cheese, oil and other goodies.<BR><BR>True, U.S. grocery stores have 100 different choices, and I get frustated in Itaoy with having to choose one of three brands of detergent.<BR><BR>But on the other hand, in the U.S. I was never been able to indulge in four different kinds of artichokes (little purple, big purple, big green, and little green or purple on stems), not to mention the varieties of aspargus, fresh mushrooms and truffles. <BR><BR>I recently discovered that I had the onset of osteoporosis, so I have been scarfing down a LOT of yoghurt, which I never particurly liked or ate when I lived in the U.S. You would not believe the kinds of yoghurt you can get here, and they are all wonderful (I now eat at least two servings a day). Imagine my dismay when I returned to the U.S. and was confronted with such a skimpy, tasteless selection, even at stores such as Whole Foods.

We sure have a lot more to choose from here in the U.S. but have you noticed how much more flavorful everything is Europe? European grocery stores are a lot smaller but everything sure tastes a lot better!!

After a few years of traveling to the same places (for work), I now do all my souvenir shopping in grocery stores. It's a blast.<BR><BR>And nolife, if you haven't tried the tuna and sweetcorn spread...don't miss it next time. MMMMMMMMM

Nolife: see?, you're not alone at all. We also like poking through grocery stores, and have brought back interesting things; my husband loves to cook, and really enjoys looking at the cuts of meat, even though we aren't buying. Truth be known, if one of the reasons to travel is to get a glimpse of another culture, what better way than through everyday activities like grocery shopping?

We all shop abroad, so why not for food? I like to try local food, have a short chat with a cashier, and along with the souveniers I usually bring home something I can't buy here - candy, spices - something non-perishable.

Santa Chiara, have you tried the Total yogurt from Whole Foods? It's from Greece, the real thing. The no-fat version, adding your own fruit, is delicious.

My bf and I love to check out the foreign supermarkets/groceries and household stores when we travel - it gives us a thrill to see the items for sale that we've never seen at home; checking out the cost of appliances and vacuums is a good indicator of the cost of living there. Nope, you're not alone.<BR>ja

Since we do self-catering when we take trips...grocery shopping is a must!!!!! I enjoy it!!!!

I don't peruse them for the sake of perusing, but I do love to check out the different items when I'm in one doing some shopping. <BR><BR>It's interesting to see the wide variety of some items -- like mustard in French grocery stores ("You're looking for mustard? It's on aisles 2, 3, and 4." :) -- and also the different packaging. <BR><BR>One thing that always puzzles me when returning to the U.S. is why our grocery store checkers all seem to stand up, whereas in the stores I've been in in Europe, they all seem to sit down, which seems a much more reasonable idea.

My husband found something called Pisto,in a can, while browsing through a grocery store in Spain.

My favorite shopping last time in London was at a grocery in So Kensington.Bought lots of chocolates,biscuits,teas,and I always like to get lotions and moisturizers in other countries.The only problem with that is, when you run out you have to schedule another trip:)<BR>I also found great sandalwood soaps that were very inexpensive and smelled wonderful.

Love to grocery-shop in Europe but if I had to stand in line this long, all the time, and had to bag my own groceries, it would drive me crazy. Not to mention trying to find a parking place or worse having to carry all this stuff home.

I almost forgot my very favorite thing from the U.K.--Milky Way candy bars! They're not at all like the ones in the U.S. They're kind of a cross between a Three Musketeer and a malted milk shake. Incredible! I bring bags of the minis back and leave them in the kitchen at work. They've gone over MUCH better than the Christmas puds I used to bring :)

Mel,what about Roses? the ones they only sell in London not in the US :) <BR>scarlett

I LOVE shopping at European grocery stores! Some of my fave items: yogurt, scones, juice, sweetener pellets that come in their own little dispenser, tea, Nescafe, shaving oil (perfect for my husband to use while shaving his goatee) produce, tubes of travel soap, chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate!

Capo, you hit the nail on the head. I too have often wondered why in the world the US demands that check out people stand up all day, while all the rest of the world seems to have discovered they could just as easily sit down on the job.<BR>I am a big fan of markets. So far, I've never had a kitchen or done any cooking while traveling in Europe. But what a great way to learn the language of the local food. So many things are labeled. That's how I learned things beyond the bouef is beef -- different cuts and specialities -- like beef heart or beef liver became apparent when seeing the various labels. And unusual vegetables or other produce are marked, so sure enough I recognized them that night on the local menu.

Absolutely~! we love to browse shops and see what they have we don't. In Portugal one year, we needed 'cloths pins' to hang our wash on the line on the veranda and looked all over the mini=marts, etc., finally found out the name: MALISH!! Then we found them just fine, and had fun.

Katie Scarlett--GTYR!

I have discovered great things at the markets. In Madrid, my Spanish friend picked out what was considered a premium olive oil..it cost me the equivalent of $6 USD. It is the best olive oil I've ever tasted - I later saw an episode of Martha Stewart where she was presenting different olive oils, and there it was. It retails for $30 in my neighborhood gourmet food store!<BR><BR>For example, if you go to Belgium, try the chocolate sold in grocery stores. Good stuff, and they make nice inexpensive souvenir gifts.<BR><BR>Also, the general stores where they sell cosmetics and toiletries are fun too. You can find high quality European items at drugstore prices.

In Hungary I head for the local grocery store to buy paprika. It's fresher than the tourist stuff, it's way cheaper and you can get the four main kinds. Here's a link to an explanation: http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/.137...cle/164/5/?s=z

In the U.K., try Sainsbury's. We always buy lavender soap (very inexpensive) and yogurt which is better than U.S. yogurt.

We had a wonderful time in Tesco's, an ordinary supermarket chain in London. <BR><BR>My nephew collects outrageous and silly food products (well, the packaging anyway). We were debating about how well the shrimp-flavored potato chips would travel, but then in the freezer we discovered a box of "Dr. Brain's Pork Faggots." They're like meatballs but mushier.

They only sell Roses in London? Let me guess, you didn't venture out of London during your last visit, right?<BR><BR>I don't have a problem with bagging my groceries - it's the norm here, and it often raises eyebrows when I start packing stuff at Kroger.

What an enjoyable thread!<BR><BR>You’ve inspired me to add a “pop in” to the local grocery store to my European trips.<BR><BR>I bet it would be a memorable experience for kids too.<BR><BR>

Like Patrick, I use grocery stores and outdoor markets to improve my menu reading capabilities. It's such a kick to see a sign on some wierd looking fish and think--oh, that's what xxx is that was on the menu last night. There are stores in France, I think called Surgeles or somesuch, that are nothing but frozen foods. These are particularly good for French lessons since they have pictures on all the packages telling what the French words mean. I also enjoy shopping in Super Marches in small towns. You can find just about everything--and some great wines for cheap.

We have a host of items we pick up on every trip to Europe:<BR><BR>Fa men's deodorants<BR>Local beer<BR>Hela Curry catsup<BR>Local cheeses (You can bring back "hard" cheeses)<BR>Ritter and/or Milka chocolate (Koko Mandel is the best)<BR>Bad Ischler seasoned salt (Only in Austria)<BR>Taschi (?) small packs of Kleenex - very soft<BR>Soup mixes<BR><BR><BR>At the risk of sounding sacrilegious, does anyone know if there's a Wal-Mart in Eastern Germany? I'm not realthrilled with this example of Americanization, but it's already there so why not check it out? I'd love to see what kind of merchandise they'd carry - super cheap European stuff or American junk with Euro price tags.<BR>

To Dough,<BR><BR>yes there are several WalMart Superstores in Eastern Germany, f.e. in<BR>Jena, G&uuml;nthersdorf, Querfurt, Cottbus, Berlin-Neuk&ouml;lln, Schwerin, Wismar and Heidenau.<BR>I don`t think their merchandise will be much different from regular German supermarkets.<BR><BR>Miriam

Well, here I thought that scouring the markets for souvenirs was my secret. The sweets available are seemingly endless. I usually mail a goodly sized box home, rather than fight with carrying it on the plane or the potential hassle with customs.<BR><BR>In England the little “toothpaste” tubes of Coleman’s mustard are a HUGE hit at home (haven’t been able to find them in the States, does anyone know if they can be had?)<BR><BR>Have also tried the little balls of ginger root in syrup and it is delightful (I haven’t been able to find it here either, though I’ve found shredded ginger root but it doesn’t taste the same and the texture is weird.<BR><BR>Almost any Cadbury bar goes over big. Yes, we have Cadbury here but it’s not the real thing. Ours is licensed through Hershey's and we certainly don’t have the variety. <BR><BR>(Another interesting thing is to look through racks of magazines. Even American magazines like TIME feature different stories and different slants on things…)<BR><BR>And the dazzling array of flavored crisps! Bacon (delicious), roast chicken (disgusting), and umpteen other kinds of potato chips.<BR><BR>We once bought prawn crackers in London . In the States an oyster cracker isn’t made from oysters, goldfish crackers certainly aren’t made from goldfish, but the smell when we opened the prawn crisps left no doubt in our mind what they were flavored with. Every cat from miles around came running.<BR><BR>Thanks for this wonderful thread. I’m getting hungry! (But not for prawn crackers! Ugh!)<BR>

We too enjoy shopping the grocery stores in Europe. I think our most memorable experience was in Athens. A small store was half a block from our hotel. We went there and bought bread, cheese, olives, fruit, wine, and returned to the hotel, where we had a glorious picnic on our balcony looking out at the Acropolis. Wish we were there now!<BR><BR>j

Nice to know that I'm not alone!<BR><BR>I'm definately a grocery store-marketplace junkie when we travel.<BR><BR>Most of the souvenirs we bring back are things like mustards, jams, soaps, spices, etc. all bought at local stores and with wonderful packaging and/or labels.<BR><BR>I love Europe!

I never gave this much thought but for whatever reason, I have stopped in grocery stores while on vacation. My kids actually enjoy doing this too (they don't enjoy it at home)! They like to look at everything from the packaging, to the different varieties of familiar foods, to things they have never seen or heard of. We usually make 'snack' stops to buy a few things for the room. Sometimes in smaller stores sometimes in larger. In any case we all get a'a kick' out of checking things out. I also enjoy stores that sell small kitchen gadgets.

Sorry! I was not clear,<BR><BR>Roses chocolates.Mel mention candy bars and I remembered the Roses Chocolates that they only sell in London,not in the US.<BR><BR>The flowers we can still get in the US:)

Absolutely love markets all around the world. Bot the very best curry powder in Asia. Love the mustard, horseradish and remoulade sauce in tubes. Also enjoy the kitchen shops.<BR><BR><BR>

Souvenir shopping in grocery stores is about as cost-effective and authentic as you can get IMO. But don't overlook the opportunities provided by drug stores/chemists, auto supply, hardware, or home furnishing stores. <BR><BR>It's also fun when you see something ordinary from home in a "specialty" section of a foreign shop. I'll never forget the thrill of seeing tortillas (in a can) at a supermarket in Scotland. (I know, I know... What life?)

I love it too, although I usually have to think up an excuse because my traveling companions don't "get it."<BR><BR>To me, going to a grocery store is one of the few, and one of the best, ways to get a view into how people _really_ live. They don't eat all their meals in restaurants, what what's on the menu at restaurants doesn't usually reflect what they eat at home, any more than McD's or 4-star restaurants reflect what we eat at home in the US.<BR><BR>You can tell a lot about what gets made from scratch and what's bought prepared; what's considered exotic and what's absolutely necessary for, say, baby's nutrition. It's a major anthropological study for me, plus I get to pick up great stuff, either to eat or show off.<BR><BR>Seems relevent to note that when my son got a Norwegian email penpal, they mailed each other local food oddities. He sent them Pop-Tarts (they'd heard about them but thought it was a joke), grits, and canned pork-brains in milk. They sent something canned involving reindeer meat, something canned involving a lot of sugar, and something flat and crackly that looked bread-like but was a mystery to us.