When you think of culture and travel, the first thing that comes to mind might be art museums, architecture, or music. But what about something more mundane, like the grocery store? National Geographic Traveler introduces the idea of a grocery store as a cultural resource, in an article titled "So What's For Dinner?"
Just like the article's author, Daisann McLane, I tended to associate grocery stores with homogeneity: the same foods, no matter where you went. But when you're in a foreign country, going to the grocery store is more than just a food run. It's a chance to play cultural investigator from the relative comfort of familiar environment, without all the distractions of public places.
A grocery is probably the easiest place to tell what foods are most important to the people you're visiting. I still remember one of my first big Italian grocery stores, it was a Billa in Trieste, if I remember correctly. Italian groceries, while similar in layout to American grocery stores, have a distinct slant towards certain foods: pasta, mozzarella, olive oil, and tomatoes. Cliché? Nowhere even close. You can't believe the variety of pasta types, the sheer volume of olive oil choices, or how cheap mozzarella is, until you see it with your own eyes. This one grocery store trip taught me more about how Italians live and eat than a million meals in a restaurant could have.
So, the next time you're in an unfamiliar place, follow Daisann's advice and hit up a grocery store with an open mind. I bet you'll leave with more than just a bagful of food. Who knows, maybe you'll find a new flavor of ice cream, soda, or a new snack food that you can't live without?
I love going to grocery stores in other countries! One I remember vividly is a Billa (I think it's actually an Austrian chain, but so close to the border that it's in some Northern Italian cities) in Austria where they had an escalator built the perfect width to take your shopping cart on.
It's totally true that it gives you an insight into the culinary culture of a place and I think it's aesthetics as well with the packaging. I think of Japanese grocery stores with their colorful labels, quite eye catching.
Another plus is that you can stock up on cheap gifts, like candy bars, etc that you can't find back in your home country.
The Billa (or it may have been a Coop) in Trieste has the same shopping cart escalator...I'm surprised the Americans have not bought into that yet.
I think it's amazing that there's so much buzz around supermarkets now that NatGeo has mentioned it. Surely this is a well-known fact?
I agree, it should be obvious, but I think it's an often overlooked resource by the casual traveler. I can't tell you how many first time travelers I've advised to head straight to the grocery store on their next trip. The typical response is "wow, that's a great idea, I would never have thought to do that." It's funny what common habits people overlook when their on the road.
That's crazy talk! I think we've got a new topic for Indie Travel Podcast in February or March...We've talked about supermarkets as a cash saving tip a lot and mentioned the cultural aspects but maybe we should hit it home.
Thanks for the link-love, Austin! Daisann's been writing for NatGeo Traveler (where I work) for about seven years but we just started putting her columns online this month. She often writes about how doing everyday sorts of things abroad (like getting your hair cut, delivering a package for a friend) can open your eyes to things tourists don't normally see. I'm glad you found her story, and I'm sure she'll be happy that you liked it.
You've got a great blog, by the way-- I liked the crazy tram hotel at Controversy Farm, and the Irish road bowling story. Nice clean layout and irresistible photos. I'll be back.
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