Grocery stores revealing cultural phenomena is an understatement!
When visiting the Middle East, I was surprised to find that refrigerators are almost always empty—only for condiments, medicines, and the like. Food is brought in and used up quickly, always fresh and from the local street market. Even fish are seen swimming in the back of trucks and are caught fresh. It was definitely a different experience, one I'm glad I had.
My son fainted in Morocco at a market. The chicken stall looked like a crime scene to a child who grew up with his chicken coming home wrapped in plastic.
When I lived there, I shopped at Hieber's in Lörrach and sometimes Carrefour in Saint-Louis. Occasionally, I would smuggle over the limit of cheddar cheese (I'll do anything for my kids!), but I stopped as the anxiety from doing that was too much for my nerves! At my local Coop, there was a bizarre routine of putting the groceries back into the cart only to move a few feet away to a table along the wall for putting your groceries there and then into bags. The extra step onto the table and then into the bags was necessary as they had to clear away carts due to lack of space. I still remember how bizarre it all was — the speed at which the items were thrown to the end and the surly demeanor of the cashier. Another craze amongst the expats was to shop at Picard in Saint-Louis. Never have I been a frozen food fan and so I never went.
When I left in 2009, there was a ballot initiative that would require schools to provide lunch at school across the board. I wonder if that remains the same too — across the board. You mention that it is still that way but is it just in the lower grades or for all of them?
Vacation cereal!! I love it! Also, didn't Germans have this concept that there can be only one warm meal? my old roommates were very happy with cold meats, cheese, and bread as a meal. To me and my Italian roommate that was barely a merenda ;)
It's called Abendbrot, which translates as “evening bread.” It used to be the norm, but not so much anymore. I do love me some good German bread, though!
Nice piece, Elizabeth! Having lived in Sweden until recently, I can commiserate about the high price of groceries (in fact, people in the US probably can too, now), but it sounds like Switzerland is something else entirely. In Sweden, there are massive supermarkets right on the Norwegian border, and more importantly, there are also liquor stores, so that the Norwegians can come over on the weekend and stock up on everything—because as expensive as Sweden is, Norway is worse. However, there are no police ready to fine you for playing "hide the sausage". 😉
I live part part of the year in Spain, and the rest in Switzerland (our main residence) and each time I go back to the Swiss supermarkets I am horrified by the amount of money I’m paying when I get to the checkout!!! It’s about three times more than in Spain , where I go to the top end organic supermarket! But then Swiss salaries are higher than Spanish salaries, so you can’t really compare. Great piece!!
Lack of choice… or lack of choices you‘re used to? Fenchel, Schwarzwurzel, Bergamotte, Peterliwurzel, Pastinaken, Randen, Cima di Rapa, Krautstiel, Winterportulak, Ciccorino, Kopfsalat, Chicorée, Nüsslisalat and a few more kinds, 7 kinds of potato I’ve never seen in the US though the US is closer to the home of the potato, 10 kinda of apple, Selerie (root), 3 kinds of kiwi, Kaki Persimon, chestnuts: a few of the fresh produce currently in our organic store, in addition to the rest of the things you likely know from home like broccoli, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, carrots, zuccchini, cauliflower, winter squash etc. And this store is much smaller than a one-M Migros.
You have only found 2 grocery stores so far? I assume you are in BS/BL from your description. More likely urban since you don’t mention Volg. And maybe driving. Take some public transportation and explore a bit. Jelmoli, Globus, Manor all have groceries. Lidl, similar to Aldi. Denner & Alnatura are both in the Migros group. Little local shops, often with ethnic specialties. The local Markt often has plenty of variety too.
I loooove European grocery stores! If I could I would spend hours strolling down aisles, observing the different types of food, seeing what's popular (and what's not). I guess as an American I'm bored of Costco and giant Vons's. And after 17 years I'm bored of British Sainsbury's as well. So I guess it's the novelty I'm after...
We brought home curry powder from a trip to Sri Lanka… used it once, dumped dinner in the trash and gave the remaining large packets of fire spice to an Indian friend who could tolerate the heat. Ah, the thrill of not knowing!
As an artist, it's extremely difficult not to think about the destination (the end product and the audience's reaction), but my best work comes when I focus on the journey. It's hard, though.
Thank you for explaining where the word Schengen comes from. I’ve been wondering for years (although not enough to google myself.)
I like the idea of daily shopping. We do it when we are in France. And yes. How many types of toilet paper do we need in the US? On the other hand at my local supermarket in the US, my groceries are bagged by an employee, while I pay so the line moves efficiently but my tomatoes don’t get crushed. In contrast to having to face a smug faced cashier in France sitting with her arms crossed across her chest while I struggle to get my groceries in the plastic sacs she just rudely tossed in my direction. Even the nice ones don’t lift a finger. Maybe they are nicer in Switzerland. 🙄.
They're not nicer, just not so overtly enjoying my discomfort as a French caissière--those women are mean; the Swiss are more plainly disinterested in my struggle.
I was shopping with my elderly father once in a 10 or less lane and he had 12 items. She sat there and refused to check him out. We split the order between the two of us just to get through but her stubbornness in light of the fact that she had an 85 year old in front of her disgusted me and I told her so. And loudly.
Visiting Vancouver now, in the city without a car, the edible landscape differs from what I’m accustomed to. Somewhere between the US wide world of food, and what you describe. Maybe a really happy medium?
I expect it’s different out of this more densely populated center, but I’m finding lots of small markets with expensive pre-made delectables, and relatively little in the way of what I’d stock up on to dine fully DIY. Small carts, plenty of hand baskets, people seeming friendly.
By way of contrast, my isolated US desert town of 8K has a giant Safeway (almost no customers at any given moment) and a huge City Market with lots of customers. Giant carts and 0-3 hand baskets available. Customers neither friendly nor stressy.
And I have NEVER EVER seen so many sushi and pizza restaurants. EV. RY. WHERE.
The coming US elections aside, this makes me want to get on a plane and join you! I'm so tired of cooking every stinking meal; the idea of small plates and ready-to-go meals sounds like absolute freaking heaven!
Isn't it funny how the Safeway is empty, and the City Market is full? I wonder what about each of those stores attracts and/or repels the locals?
There is this bag of boeuf bourguignon next to the bag of carrot coconut ginger soup in my little fridge; Thai lemon vegan chicken below it in the freezer. Heirloom tomatoes, pre-sliced artisan bread, tiny yellow potatoes, and pearl onions atop the microwave of the kitchenette. It cost a pretty (Canadian) penny.
The main missing ingredient is a friend to share all this with, and you would fill that gap like no one else!
Definitely the West End! If you branch out, say across False Creek, you'll begin to find Vancouver food shopping a bit closer to what you know in the US. Still not the same, but then Vancouver's generally isn't like the rest of Canada's either.
As a former San Franciscan, I always think (enviously) of Vancouver as a clean SF, but I'd be curious to hear more about how it's a bit of an outliner from the rest of Canada.
There's a huge Asian diaspora in Vancouver that began a trend toward vegetables and fruits that are fresher, tastier, seasonal, and more varied. More generally, California produce in Vancouver winters comes direct from, well, California.
In Alberta, where I have also lived, winter produce took days longer to arrive from the southern US. Nobody seemed to care enough to do anything about it and the delay cost quality. That may have changed since one large national chain has figured out faster routing. I haven't been back for decades so can't speak for now, but I'd bet it still doesn't come close to Vancouver.
I haven't been in Toronto for decades. I assume you can find anything you want there today, but that the main supermarket chains are generic North American: boring.
Continuing east, Montreal is brilliant for food markets and Quebec City is a place one could live to eat. People care about food.
I was staying in Halifax once when some middle Eastern money started coming in and someone opened an absolutely brilliant large grocery store, presumably so they could eat as well as they were accustomed to. I don't know anything else about Halifax food shopping.
I'd guess comparisons are a function of time as well as place, but that it’s also a question of base traditions.
And fwiw, the places I have fed myself most deliciously (always from farmers markets) are Kas In Turkey and Ojai in southern California. On the other hand, what I found in the rest of California, in the main supermarkets, was pretty ordinary.
That's a lot, hope it gives you a sense of what my sense of it all, is. I'm sure if I knew more I could be more abbreviated.
Oh, and avocados? Ojai. I read that the Mexican Mafia has taken over most of N. American avocado farming; they're often not worth bothering about anymore.
Actually, the drought has taken over most of central California's avocado ranches. CA is the biggest avocado producer for US. The MX mafia took over Michoacan's avocado ranches - of course Mexico is North America. A sad state of affairs re that--ranchers killed, kidnappings. Finally the main avocado town began vigilante justice.
Grocery stores revealing cultural phenomena is an understatement!
When visiting the Middle East, I was surprised to find that refrigerators are almost always empty—only for condiments, medicines, and the like. Food is brought in and used up quickly, always fresh and from the local street market. Even fish are seen swimming in the back of trucks and are caught fresh. It was definitely a different experience, one I'm glad I had.
My son fainted in Morocco at a market. The chicken stall looked like a crime scene to a child who grew up with his chicken coming home wrapped in plastic.
This was so funny! Just put a huge smile on my face :)
When I lived there, I shopped at Hieber's in Lörrach and sometimes Carrefour in Saint-Louis. Occasionally, I would smuggle over the limit of cheddar cheese (I'll do anything for my kids!), but I stopped as the anxiety from doing that was too much for my nerves! At my local Coop, there was a bizarre routine of putting the groceries back into the cart only to move a few feet away to a table along the wall for putting your groceries there and then into bags. The extra step onto the table and then into the bags was necessary as they had to clear away carts due to lack of space. I still remember how bizarre it all was — the speed at which the items were thrown to the end and the surly demeanor of the cashier. Another craze amongst the expats was to shop at Picard in Saint-Louis. Never have I been a frozen food fan and so I never went.
And it’s still exactly the same as when you left it. Why the hell it should be so damn stressful, I will never understand.
When I left in 2009, there was a ballot initiative that would require schools to provide lunch at school across the board. I wonder if that remains the same too — across the board. You mention that it is still that way but is it just in the lower grades or for all of them?
Vacation cereal!! I love it! Also, didn't Germans have this concept that there can be only one warm meal? my old roommates were very happy with cold meats, cheese, and bread as a meal. To me and my Italian roommate that was barely a merenda ;)
It's called Abendbrot, which translates as “evening bread.” It used to be the norm, but not so much anymore. I do love me some good German bread, though!
Nice piece, Elizabeth! Having lived in Sweden until recently, I can commiserate about the high price of groceries (in fact, people in the US probably can too, now), but it sounds like Switzerland is something else entirely. In Sweden, there are massive supermarkets right on the Norwegian border, and more importantly, there are also liquor stores, so that the Norwegians can come over on the weekend and stock up on everything—because as expensive as Sweden is, Norway is worse. However, there are no police ready to fine you for playing "hide the sausage". 😉
I have a good friend in Oslo, and she thinks the Swiss and Norwegians, neither of whom are in the EU, share many cultural similarities.
I live part part of the year in Spain, and the rest in Switzerland (our main residence) and each time I go back to the Swiss supermarkets I am horrified by the amount of money I’m paying when I get to the checkout!!! It’s about three times more than in Spain , where I go to the top end organic supermarket! But then Swiss salaries are higher than Spanish salaries, so you can’t really compare. Great piece!!
Who doesn’t love an ode to produce?
I think, as a former Californian, I miss all the gorgeous produce like you have in Spain. The lack of choice is something I’ve never gotten used to.
Lack of choice… or lack of choices you‘re used to? Fenchel, Schwarzwurzel, Bergamotte, Peterliwurzel, Pastinaken, Randen, Cima di Rapa, Krautstiel, Winterportulak, Ciccorino, Kopfsalat, Chicorée, Nüsslisalat and a few more kinds, 7 kinds of potato I’ve never seen in the US though the US is closer to the home of the potato, 10 kinda of apple, Selerie (root), 3 kinds of kiwi, Kaki Persimon, chestnuts: a few of the fresh produce currently in our organic store, in addition to the rest of the things you likely know from home like broccoli, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, carrots, zuccchini, cauliflower, winter squash etc. And this store is much smaller than a one-M Migros.
You have only found 2 grocery stores so far? I assume you are in BS/BL from your description. More likely urban since you don’t mention Volg. And maybe driving. Take some public transportation and explore a bit. Jelmoli, Globus, Manor all have groceries. Lidl, similar to Aldi. Denner & Alnatura are both in the Migros group. Little local shops, often with ethnic specialties. The local Markt often has plenty of variety too.
I loooove European grocery stores! If I could I would spend hours strolling down aisles, observing the different types of food, seeing what's popular (and what's not). I guess as an American I'm bored of Costco and giant Vons's. And after 17 years I'm bored of British Sainsbury's as well. So I guess it's the novelty I'm after...
We brought home curry powder from a trip to Sri Lanka… used it once, dumped dinner in the trash and gave the remaining large packets of fire spice to an Indian friend who could tolerate the heat. Ah, the thrill of not knowing!
LOL we pay for the journey, not the destination 😹 Amending this to say that I love foreign grocery stores, period.
I'm still thinking about what this means,re the jouney vs the destination. I totally understand about foreign grocery stores though.
It means the joy comes from the action, not the result. Retail therapy is a good example of this
As an artist, it's extremely difficult not to think about the destination (the end product and the audience's reaction), but my best work comes when I focus on the journey. It's hard, though.
Thank you for explaining where the word Schengen comes from. I’ve been wondering for years (although not enough to google myself.)
I like the idea of daily shopping. We do it when we are in France. And yes. How many types of toilet paper do we need in the US? On the other hand at my local supermarket in the US, my groceries are bagged by an employee, while I pay so the line moves efficiently but my tomatoes don’t get crushed. In contrast to having to face a smug faced cashier in France sitting with her arms crossed across her chest while I struggle to get my groceries in the plastic sacs she just rudely tossed in my direction. Even the nice ones don’t lift a finger. Maybe they are nicer in Switzerland. 🙄.
They're not nicer, just not so overtly enjoying my discomfort as a French caissière--those women are mean; the Swiss are more plainly disinterested in my struggle.
I was shopping with my elderly father once in a 10 or less lane and he had 12 items. She sat there and refused to check him out. We split the order between the two of us just to get through but her stubbornness in light of the fact that she had an 85 year old in front of her disgusted me and I told her so. And loudly.
A gold medal in awfulness.
Visiting Vancouver now, in the city without a car, the edible landscape differs from what I’m accustomed to. Somewhere between the US wide world of food, and what you describe. Maybe a really happy medium?
I expect it’s different out of this more densely populated center, but I’m finding lots of small markets with expensive pre-made delectables, and relatively little in the way of what I’d stock up on to dine fully DIY. Small carts, plenty of hand baskets, people seeming friendly.
By way of contrast, my isolated US desert town of 8K has a giant Safeway (almost no customers at any given moment) and a huge City Market with lots of customers. Giant carts and 0-3 hand baskets available. Customers neither friendly nor stressy.
And I have NEVER EVER seen so many sushi and pizza restaurants. EV. RY. WHERE.
O Canada ❤️
The coming US elections aside, this makes me want to get on a plane and join you! I'm so tired of cooking every stinking meal; the idea of small plates and ready-to-go meals sounds like absolute freaking heaven!
Isn't it funny how the Safeway is empty, and the City Market is full? I wonder what about each of those stores attracts and/or repels the locals?
Safeway across North America, in my limited experience, aims for the lowest common denominator. And oodly, also higher prices
Come on over, please!
There is this bag of boeuf bourguignon next to the bag of carrot coconut ginger soup in my little fridge; Thai lemon vegan chicken below it in the freezer. Heirloom tomatoes, pre-sliced artisan bread, tiny yellow potatoes, and pearl onions atop the microwave of the kitchenette. It cost a pretty (Canadian) penny.
The main missing ingredient is a friend to share all this with, and you would fill that gap like no one else!
My heart!! I’ll be right over, doll!
Definitely the West End! If you branch out, say across False Creek, you'll begin to find Vancouver food shopping a bit closer to what you know in the US. Still not the same, but then Vancouver's generally isn't like the rest of Canada's either.
As a former San Franciscan, I always think (enviously) of Vancouver as a clean SF, but I'd be curious to hear more about how it's a bit of an outliner from the rest of Canada.
There's a huge Asian diaspora in Vancouver that began a trend toward vegetables and fruits that are fresher, tastier, seasonal, and more varied. More generally, California produce in Vancouver winters comes direct from, well, California.
In Alberta, where I have also lived, winter produce took days longer to arrive from the southern US. Nobody seemed to care enough to do anything about it and the delay cost quality. That may have changed since one large national chain has figured out faster routing. I haven't been back for decades so can't speak for now, but I'd bet it still doesn't come close to Vancouver.
I haven't been in Toronto for decades. I assume you can find anything you want there today, but that the main supermarket chains are generic North American: boring.
Continuing east, Montreal is brilliant for food markets and Quebec City is a place one could live to eat. People care about food.
I was staying in Halifax once when some middle Eastern money started coming in and someone opened an absolutely brilliant large grocery store, presumably so they could eat as well as they were accustomed to. I don't know anything else about Halifax food shopping.
I'd guess comparisons are a function of time as well as place, but that it’s also a question of base traditions.
And fwiw, the places I have fed myself most deliciously (always from farmers markets) are Kas In Turkey and Ojai in southern California. On the other hand, what I found in the rest of California, in the main supermarkets, was pretty ordinary.
That's a lot, hope it gives you a sense of what my sense of it all, is. I'm sure if I knew more I could be more abbreviated.
Oh, and avocados? Ojai. I read that the Mexican Mafia has taken over most of N. American avocado farming; they're often not worth bothering about anymore.
Actually, the drought has taken over most of central California's avocado ranches. CA is the biggest avocado producer for US. The MX mafia took over Michoacan's avocado ranches - of course Mexico is North America. A sad state of affairs re that--ranchers killed, kidnappings. Finally the main avocado town began vigilante justice.
Thanks for clarifying this.
I had no idea. Need to rethink my avocado consumption when I’m in the US.