One of the oddest things that I’ve gotten used to around
here is the grocery store. Not that I usually find grocery stores confusing,
but there are a few things here that are just a bit strange to me. And for your
entertainment I would love to talk about it and bring you into my world.
First of all, milk is not quite the same here. Milk is sold
near the refrigerated section, note that I said near not in. Milk isn’t
refrigerated in the stores. That was the first thing that was so weird to me.
How doesn’t your milk spoil, Europe? I guess its processed in a different way…and
it tastes different, which is sad. I can’t wait to get home and have a giant
glass of milk. It’s also sold in little square cartons, whereas I’m used to
large plastic jugs. I suppose that part is fine, I’m just not over the taste.
Eggs are also sold near the refrigerated section, not in it. So odd.
Second on my list of shocking things in packaged beverages.
If you’ve been to Europe then you’ve seen drinks are sold in liter sizes, and
that’s pretty big. It was a little shocking to see for me, but I adapted to
that change pretty quickly. The one thing that is still odd to me is being able
to take a drink out of the plastic package. Ok so in the U.S. packages of
bottled water come in packs of 6 or 12 and so on. That means if you want to buy
it, you have to buy the whole pack or go to the front of the store and buy a
single one out of the cooler. Here that’s not the case, if you want a drink you
can open up the plastic casing and take a soda and pay for it individually.
That’s a big no-no back home, I would get in trouble for that. The first time I
saw this happen I was a bit shocked, and I had to ask and make sure it was ok
for me to take a single drink. Again, so odd.
Lastly, what is American sauce? In the grocery stores there
is this sauce sold near the ketchup and mayo (by the way, Europeans seem to
really like mayo. Like when you buy fries you’re asked if you want mayo for
them…ick). “American sauce” is orange and its pretty good, but I have no idea
what it is. I’ve never seen it in America, I’ve never had it served on a burger
(like I have here), and I have no idea who determined that this was an American
thing. I’m sorry Europe, but you are being lied to! I don’t know the origins of
this sauce, but from an American, I’m a bit suspicious.
But it's not all so strange. One thing I really love is that croissants are sold in grocery stores. Every European would yell at me for buying them in grocery stores instead of going to a bakery, and I would agree, but its just so convenient and they are so good. Also, there is a small "American" section in a few grocery stores that are kind of nice. They usually just contain a few things like peanut butter and maple syrup. The peanut butter here isn't as sweet as the stuff you buy back home, but it has helped me with my cravings for PB&J's so I don't mind. I haven't tried the syrup yet, but just the thought of it makes me pancakes. Someone take me out for breakfast when I get home!
Side note: waffles are considered desserts here, I'm not complaining though. A chocolate covered waffle is such a good treat.
Have you seen hot dogs sold in glass jars? There's like 8 hot dogs in a jar filled with hot dog juice... Drunk Rita thought that was hilarious.
ReplyDeleteThose milk cartons are vacuum-sealed, so they will last longer than nuclear waste. Also, the milk in them is unpasteurized. Europeans use milk for their coffee and cooking, not to guzzle. Don't bother with the maple syrup - I've found it no better than Aunt Jemima's, and Europeans don't understand good ol' Grade A Amber from Vermont because they've never had it! (And they think they're such gourmets! Ha!) Try the "American" sauce - it's probably pretty good with french fries - and it's made at Heinz's European factories, which produce stuff we never see here as Heinz-labelled products. Europeans love to throw the tag "American" on anything that seems slightly exotic to them and reminds them of the can-do American spirit.
ReplyDeleteHi Francois, the milk is pasteurized, just to clarify. You're right that Europeans like to call stuff "American", just like Americans like to call stuff "French"...
DeleteHi Paige,
ReplyDeleteAs a Luxembourger who lives in the US, I find it interesting to see what strikes Americans about Luxembourg. The milk you mentioned is UHT (ultra-hight-temperature) processed. Personally, I prefer my milk fresh. You will find it in the refrigerated dairy section of your local supermarket, next to yogurt, cheese, and deserts. http://luxlait.lu/en/produit/micro-filtered-pasteurised-milk
As for the eggs, as long as they are fresh and their shells are intact, there is no need to refrigerate them. We usually put them in the fridge when we get home though.
You're right about the sauce, it's probably as American as the Olive Garden is Italian. Some people compare it to a mix of thousand island dressing and ketchup. Heinz products vary widely between countries, e.g. I've never seen those green relish containers in Europe.
Enjoying the rest of your stay in Luxembourg!
Patrick
Reading the package, American Sauce sounds like the secret sauce on Big Macs and other fast food burgers. That would make it very American.
ReplyDeleteIt could also be like the "fry sauce" people in Utah like to put on their French fries.
DeleteSorry, Patrick - yes, I was thinking that the plastic containers in the cold section are not pasteurized. They do have a distinctly more earthy taste. That is because the milk is more natural. Milk in America tastes like creamy water, with some indefinable sweetness due to the lactose, I think. That is why it is so easy to drink as children. When it comes to food, I almost always prefer the European version, after I have compared the two. Not because the "quality" of the food itself is better or worse, but because European laws prevent so many things that American laws allow. Not just dyes or hormones in the milk, etc., but very insidious things like barbiturates in meats and milk, and coatings on eggs. That is why I now "shop" at my Community Supported Agriculture, and get my eggs, meat, milk, and vegetables directly from farmers. The final straw for me was seeing the ooze that is in McDonald's hamburger meat. But just to show you how indoctrinated I had become, it still took me 4-5 times of seeing that before my brain said "woah! what the heck am I eating???"
ReplyDeleteDear Paige!
ReplyDeleteYou cannot consider Europe as one state. Europe is not all odd. Lux is :D. In my country, you never find milk and eggs outside of fridge ;-) Some things are also odd for me in Lux and I am from Europe.