“Mom, can I have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?” Pierre asked.
We had just landed in Spain a few days before, and he was hungry for one of his favorite American snacks. I confess, “PB&J” is one of my favorites too!
“Ugh, we don’t have any peanut butter, and we don’t have any jelly,” I thought to myself, already feeling the effects of culture shock and homesickness.
“I’ll see if they have peanut butter at the grocery store. I don’t think they have grape jelly in Spain—at least they didn’t in France—but I can get some strawberry jam,” I told my eager six-year-old son.
When we went to the store by our house the next day, there was no peanut butter. There was also no grape jelly, so I bought some strawberry jam. We could perhaps make “jam sandwiches.”
So Expensive!
We went to a large grocery store, Carrefour, in the big city nearby. I found peanut butter, but it cost over 4 euros ($4.43) for a tiny plastic container. That was crazy! I would have to spread it as thin as rice paper to make it worth the price! I stubbornly refused to buy it.
A few weeks later, in the capital, I found some creamy Skippy in an American grocery store. Much to my dismay, I paid 8,99 euros ($9.96) for the 40 oz. jar. That was almost $10, compared to the same product in the U.S. grocery stories for about $5.
It was still worth it—at least my kids thought so—but I still have to spread it really thin on the bread slices.
There are so many things that we just can’t find in our local Spanish grocery store. It’s my new reality.
Here it is—My “10 Favorite Things I Can’t Find at the Spanish Grocery Store” :
—Peanut butter (at a decent price!)
—Grape jelly
—Ranch dressing
—Maple syrup
—Root Beer
—Caesar dressing
—Maple-frosted donuts
—Dr. Pepper
—Twizzlers
—Fruit snacks (for kids’ lunches and snacks)
When Are You Coming?
Yes, it’s true! Most of these things we can live without. However, as soon as a friend or family member is crossing the ocean on an airplane to come and visit us . . . I’m sending them my “wish list”!
Until then, I will enjoy my expensive peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwiches with Pierre!
—The Cultural Story-Weaver
Let’s Weave Cultures!
Have you ever lived or traveled abroad and couldn’t find some of your favorite food items at the local grocery store? How did you handle this? Did you manage to find your favorite things and be willing to pay the price? Did you learn to “do without” and find local options?
We invite you to tell us your own cultural stories and global adventures . . . as you engage with the world, breaking down barriers, building bridges, and “weaving cultures!” Write about them in the comment box below.
