@MIke Butler Best French bitter I have found is the IPA from Ninkasi here in Tarare (69) but I suspect it won't that widely available. Failing that, make your own. My latest batches have been really good, last was a Scottish Heavy from Coopers I think.
Oh, and the dogs miss Bonio’s!
We miss real curry, take-aways in general, pork pies, and several varieties of cream!
Mike, I am lucky enough to count amongst my friends a local brewer!
Normally I get my boyfriend to stock up in England bring things baked. Heinz beans x 200, Fray Bentos Pies x 100, 25 x PG tips he bought back last month lol.
We have very soft water here.
There is a couple in the village who do the ASDA run for everyone once a month too.
I also like Yorkshire hard water tea bags...for a proper cuppa. Our water is so hard that these are the only teabags I have found so far which make a decent cuppa...what about you?
Oh yes defintely halloumi cheese. I buy it in uk freeze it and bring it back in car in a cool box. I love halloumi.
@holly Surely you can get good beef in France. The Limousin is blessed with it. It’s not cheap though!
Good corn on the cob (rarely found in supermarkets), seedless grapes (unavailable in France), good beef. Sadly, the only way to get these is to travel outside France. I agree with whoever said that Old El Paso products are awful!
Big, juicy, dry aged Irish T bone and Rib eye steaks !!!!!
Being a Southern California native, definitely good Mexican food! GoMex in La Confluence in Lyon is great for a quick burrito or tacos. Having later lived in Bend, Oregon, the excellent microbrewery beer found there! Just impossible to duplicate the world class beer (Deschutes Red Chair and Fresh Squeezed, Boneyard's RPM to name a few), the wonderful ambiance in the breweries, and the beautiful scenery. Making my mouth water just writing this!
And Haloumi cheese
Ham/gammon joints roasted with honey and mustard. I've told my son he has to manage to get one in his luggage before he leaves Uni to come here at Christmas. Mince Pies and custard cream biscuits. I have a Christmas pudding in the cupboard but cream would top it off nicely. Someone told me the other day they had just eaten the a BLT and I got a sudden craving for proper bacon. I don't understand why the shops don't sell pork joints with crackling, however my sister and brother in law have their own pigs. I love French cheese so it seems wrong to say this, but yes, there is no replacement for proper cheddar. I love French food, but it would be nice if international foods were as easily available as they are in UK shops just to have a change from time to time.
I do miss decent cheddar and would love to find a reasonably priced source of gammon, the ones I've found in France are good but too expensive when you add in the P+P. Am hoping to add Back Bacon to my B List, I already make my own Beer, Bread and Bangers.
Steve
PS I am surprised to see a couple of people mention Bisto, why not just grate stock cubes and add some salt ?
http://www.e-velan.com is quite good, they are in Paris and their delivery charge varies with the weight of goods. They do pretty much all the spices and seem reasonable. Pataks is €2.60.
Elaine, if you can get hold of a ripe persimmon you can use it as a substitute for tamarind - similar flavour and texture. David, you can easily make falafels with broad beans and/or chickpeas.
Otherwise I miss what almost everyone else has said - marmite/vegemite especially, plus sweet mixed spices, some nice bread yeast (yes, they have dried here but it's extremely variable in quality and activity), gingernuts, and good cheddar cheese (not to mention Welsh cheeses....), New Zealand fish...
Living most of our lives in North America we have developed at taste for Mexican food. El Paso is NOT Mexican food. However, as we spent our childhoods in Scotland we miss the same UK products as the previous posters. We had two visits to Scotland this year so have stocked up on items which were not available in the US and were expense, plus items which are available here but expensive. I do miss the ability to buy foods from other countries, they are just not on the shelves!
JOHN PRICE butcher in Dordognne sells excellent Back Bacon smoked/undermined, great pork pies, steak and ale pies , steak and kidney. Pies etc c and delivers extensively......Seriously Strong Cheddard is now sold by large Carefour /L'lerclerc supermarkets and Grand Fraud Supermarkets at Bribe, Narbonne and Montabaun sell lots of oriental foods and fruit and veg from across the world .....Yams. /Bread fruit/Plantain/all sorts of chillies etc etc ..........or its a car ride back to UK to stock up
I am a South African living in Lyon, and biltong is the one thing I really do miss. However, I have a biltong maker here - and regularly make a batch. Pretty good it is too. I get a friend to send the biltong spices over from Jo'burg. We lived in Australia for 10 years - and I have managed to wean myself off Vegemite and onto Marmite - so always make sure I pick up a half kg jar, when I am in London. Otherwise, I miss a good "braai" (BBQ) during the winter - and by spring, I am getting pretty desperate (occasionally bring back some Boerewors from London - or get it flown in from Belgium).