Don’t skip grocery stores
While markets often get the prize for variety and amazing local color, grocery stores also allow great insight into a culture. Not the supermarkets we see back home, but small, neighborhood grocery shops. The necessities on store shelves can serve as a cultural study, souvenir source, or simply a place where you can restock your travel supplies.
When I’m traveling, I like to purposely forget some items so I know I’ll have to buy them locally. Whether it’s toothpaste, adhesive bandages, laundry detergent or just a snack for the day—I like to peruse the possibilities another country offers to replace my standard stuff from home. At best, I discover something that adds to my understanding of a place, as well as a new beloved item I may want to bring home.
Even searching the shelves in a shop is pure entertainment. Finding new flavors of well-known items, or completely unfamiliar products can prompt a “must-try” moment if the price is right. Even comparing prices of items to those back home can give you an idea about availability or scarcity of resources in an unfamiliar country.
What’s the most memorable thing you found in a grocery store on your travels?
June 12th, 2010 at 12:30 pm
I love finding new snacks in fun flavors – all of the chips and drinks are in flavors they never release in the states so it’s fun to try seaweed flavored chips in Asia and lime-salt plantains in Central America!
June 14th, 2010 at 8:01 am
Value-priced wines in French grocery stores…three or four euro bottles there very rarely disappointed us.
June 14th, 2010 at 10:38 am
Most people don’t realize they can buy toothpaste, tooth brushes, and other toiletries when you’re in other countries. It’s a lot of fun to purchase items and you may discover you wish your country of origin had these products. Plus, the packaging is usually funky and colorful not drab and boring.
June 17th, 2010 at 10:30 am
Ceiling to floor section of Spam in Manila. I had no idea there were so many flavours. And live, huge toads in the “seafood section” of WalMart in Nanjing, China. Don’t discount going into the superstores. It is a good comparisson from country to country.
June 17th, 2010 at 12:09 pm
Southern Africa (Namibia, Botswana, Zambia): chutney flavored Simba chips, industrial grade raisins, eye drops aka oogdruppels, biltong. Noticeable absences: coffee or chocolate that had been processed in an African nation. Actually, there was no coffee anywhere. Just NesCafe. Nestle and Cadbury seem to own the chocolate market. Huge aisles of cookies.