I’ve lived in 4 countries. Due to the large amounts of time I’ve spent in each, I’ve explored their regions, learned 2 new languages, experienced their holidays, and eaten my weight in their traditional foods. Through this, I gained a heightened understanding of their culture.
If only it were practical to spend years in every place on our “must visit” lists. Short visits can be fabulous, but getting ushered into Disney-like tourist traps can be frustrating – leaving you wondering if you even saw the “real” Italy at all. My best tip for getting an authentic hit of local culture on your trip? Head to a grocery store.
You’ve heard it before – “eat as the locals do.” Why not make it a point to stroll through a market during your next overseas vacation? They’re plentiful and free to enter. A visit to one is like peeking through a window into everyday life.
What’s in a Brand Name?
My first cultural revelation during a trip to a grocery store came while visiting my grandparents in Italy in 1997. Browsing through the personal care aisle, I found the same Italian shampoo my mother always brought back to the USA every time she visited her family. It finally hit me: that pungent green Antica Erboristeria Shampoo all’Ortica was something my mother had used while growing up in Italy and was thus tied to her identity. Brand names can evoke strong cultural memories – what’s more American than a Thanksgiving Green Bean Casserole made with Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup and Durkee’s French Fried Onions? When I tried to recreate this dish in Japan with powdered mushroom soup and fried garlic, it tasted nice but somehow wasn’t the same. On your grocery store trip, take note of those Meiji chocolate bars, Kerrygold butter pats, and McVities Digestive biscuits; you’re peeking at someone’s sense of “normal.”
Popularity Contest
Bread? Cake? Nothing like a walk through the market to tell you what the people want. In Japan, the cheese selection is relegated to a tiny cranny in the dairy aisle, but you can find nearly every part of the fish in the seafood department. In the US, the explosion of cereal brands need their own aisle but in Ireland, the comparatively few brands only require a few shelves.
Current Events
A visit to a market can tell you something about the country’s socio-political climate. Ireland has been hit hard by the global recession, so everywhere I go, I see signs like these:
Some supermarkets even go so far as to list the Irish products separately on the receipts, so customers can see how much money they contributed to the local economy.
Souvenirs
Inexpensive and easy to pack, snacks and cosmetics can make great souvenirs – far more unique than those elephant-printed Thai silk tablecloths sold at every kiosk on Khao San Road. After my trip to Paris, I hoarded a bottle of apricot-scented Dop bodywash I’d bought in a Carrefour. Apricot fragrance still reminds me of my cruise on the Seine.
The downside to hitting the grocery store for souvenirs – snacks and toiletries run out. But that’s just another excuse to return.
What’s the best thing you’ve ever seen in a grocery store abroad?
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6 Comments
Italy – horse meat.
ok, not best thing – weirdest thing…best thing was also in italy – spreadable gorgonzola and marscapone cheese layered….mmmm heaven and a heartattack.
Interesting post!
vwry interesting and engaging…by the way , I have tried the same shampoo your mother used in Italy and it is great! It smells so good!
What a great way of looking at things, and I guess you are so right. Markets are a great way to see and learn and alot about where you are and also to mingle with the locals, I agree.
hahahaha so true! I remember being in the philippines and wanting to cook for my aunt and uncle, so I went to the huge, nice grocery store in manila to look for crushed red pepper. they didn’t have it, but they did have an entire aisle devoted to canned meat. though I guess I shouldn’t talk, some of the stuff you find in the bodegas around here is frighteningly telling . ..