The ‘American’ Section in a German Grocery Store
If you want a glimpse at how other cultures view American gastronomy, check out this U.S. "ethnic" food section in a German gourmet megastore. I have three words for you: cheap processed foods.
By the way, what kind of American expat living in Germany can't survive without Crisco and Marshmallow Fluff?
12:44 pm
I can say that when I was living in Budapest in the mid and late 90s all of my (non-American) friends asked me to bring back all the processed stuff from the States when I'd travel home. Marshmallow Fluff, spray cheese, candy of all kinds. The only thing I really missed was peanut butter, but I think that's more widely available now.
1:02 pm
When we were living in Holland, it was always a great highlight to travel to the American PX and stock up on American candy bars, pop tarts, cereals, etc. I don't think it has anything to do with the quality of the food -- god knows there was good candy all over the Netherlands. It has to do with familiar comfort items in a foreign place. And now that I'm back in the States, I sometimes crave the junk food of other countries -- Lion bars, Nutella (though that's easy to find now), Kinder eggs, etc. And Coke made a great lemon soda that the Aussies get (Lift) but you can't find here.
1:09 pm
At the ultimate gourmet food store in Berlin, KaDeWe, the American section is much the same, offering boxes of PopTarts for 7 euros and Cheese Wiz for 5. Any expats who are willing to pay those prices for that crap, should be promptly repatriated and never let out of the country again.
4:13 am
I LOVE that they had RANCH Dressing....LOL.