Cultural immersion in a European supermarket

While there’s clear appeal to Roman ruins, towering cathedrals, and magnificent museums, I find myself drawn to something more commonplace whenever I’m in Europe. It’s the supermarket (and I know I’m not alone).

Supermarkets put a culture on clear display, whether you’re in a Carrefour in France, a Mercadona in Spain, or a Tesco in the UK.

For example, have you seen the four types of gazpacho sold in Spain?  Or the orange juicer in the fresh produce section, offering you an easy way to take home some truly fresh juice? And don’t forget the entire aisle of hams on the hoof.

In France I marvel at the many types of pastry crusts in the refrigerator case, ready for me to unroll and bake. And there is the wide array of fresh breads, each costing a quarter of what you find here in the states. And have you seen the canned tuna in a variety of spice combinations and the fruits and vegetables each clearly identifying the country of origin? And what about those many Pâté options?

And in Northern Ireland I recall a simple things like dishwasher detergent pods. They are packaged in carboard rather than the plastic boxes you find in the US. It’s a clear attempt to reduce the product’s environmental impact.

These things are all clues to the culture.

When I’m lucky enough to be staying somewhere with a kitchen, I race out to the supermarket and buy everything that catches my eye. Invariably, I buy far more than I can ever eat before its time to move on.

And even if I don’t have a kitchen, supermarkets are still places where I can dream of meals to come.

In addition, there are also the picnic lunches that each start in the supermarket. Bread, cheese, sliced meats, cucumbers, tomatoes, mayonnaise, exotic mustard, pickles, plums, clementines, cookies, peach juice, chocolate bars, and so much more. And perhaps some of that gazpacho to wash it all down.

It all starts in the supermarket. I call it Supermarket Tourism.