Pray inform me O` wise one, what should I study ,the scutch or the marmalade
Although we can get Frank Cooperās Thick Cut Oxford in our local Leclerc, Iād be slightly embarrassed to be seen buying it, despite it being very good stuff. Fortunately Iām very happy with the two very different marmelades we get from every year from two very different local English friends.
Thatās sad. Maybe you just need to live here longer. Iāve long ago stopped worrying about āintegratingā - heavens above, people only have to look at me to know Iām not a French woman of a certain age and Iāve only got to say ābonjourā to confirm their suspicions ( I cannot get rid of the diphthong in jour!)
So, there is a Carrefour I go to from time to time where the Frank Cooperās marmalade, Heinz baked beans and strong flavour mango chutney just leap into my basket. Iām delighted they have the selection and certainly donāt feel embarrassed.
I have a French photographer friend who lives in Cambridge who is always alerting us to Lidl ābest buyā French wine deals on Facebook, so it works both ways.
All of us have a few ānostalgia foodsā that we like to indulge in from time to time.
I donāt mind French āconfiture dāorangeā, it can be a touch watery sometimes but is generally acceptable.
It makes a very nice orange ice-cream mixed with greek yoghurt/ mascarpone/ jockey/ crème fraîche whichever you prefer.
Heinz baked beans no longer jump into my basket as since eating French supermarket own brand brand the Heinz staple diet of my childhood seem far too sweet. The other product I used to buy on trips to the U.K. stay on the shelf for exactly the same reason and theyāre McVities Plain Chocolate Digestives.
Iāve never bought porridge from the British shelf in local supermarkets because thereās always a cheaper equivalent with the āFrenchā cereals. I canāt remember which was where but Quaker Oats would be on one shelf and Scotās Porridge Oats on another with a significant difference in price.
Itās nothing to do with wanting to be mistaken for a French person, I donāt want to be mistaken for an English person whoās nostalgic for processed English food.
I love walking around German supermarkets and seeing the long forgotten favourites. Luckily Iām usual on my motorbike so cannot buy too many of them to take home with me. In Spain itās a tomato flavoured biscuit that comes in a crisp like packet that insist on coming home with me. I just went into the kitchen to find out what theyāre called but horror of horrors there are none left! My next road trip to Spain might have to be brought forward.
I donāt see anything wrong with having a hankering for the odd British foodstuff, particularly if itās a favourite, even the ubiquitous feesh an cheeps. My weakness is Oxo cubes. I drink two mugs of Oxo every day so i bring a gross minimum back every visit to Scotland. I donāt see why you should deprive yourself of things you like just because youāve chosen to live in another part of the world, particularly if it is foodstuffs that are easily attainable at a reasonable price. Itās out and out snobbery to suggest otherwise.
Oh well in that case.
Fortnum & Masons deliver to France, ask them to package discreetly, and they will oblige. https://eu.fortnumandmason.com/search?q=marmalade
I enjoy a mug from time to time, also the stuff to have in the thermos when on a Winter hike / fishing / outdoors activities etc. Another fav when out & about in Winter is Mulligatawny soup.
Oats is for orses,
Thanks for that, but since I weaned myself off Marmite, a few years back, I honestly canāt think of anything I used to buy in the UK that Iād wish to eat down here apart from some decent Cheviot lamb. Our local lamb is generally slightly disappointing, unless itās a long braised souris, or minced lamb ordered in advance from the one butcher whoāll do a batch for you.
We like the āintenseā range of Bonne Maman. Thereās less sugar and more fruit taste.
I buy Whiteās Jumbo Oats in local Waitrose when I make it back. Think they are organic but still my fave either way. For actual porridge I like them best and they go a long way although in the past David_Mās have been my preference.
When you make it back, you wont beat these in Aldi.
https://groceries.aldi.co.uk/en-GB/p-kavanaghs-organic-porridge-oats-1kg/4088600056135
Sold elsewhere at 3x the price