Ozzie in Oregon

I find shopping one of the most daunting aspects of American life.  Especially since my husband dabbles in the arcane art of "coupons".  He'll sit down  with the specials, er sales pages from the Sunday paper and a great big folder of old coupons, and - abracadabra - an hour later we are ready to go shopping with all sorts of bits of snipped-out paper called "manufacturer's coupons", "store coupons" and "double coupons".

When I first went shopping, I didn't recognise any brands except perhaps Yoplait, Colgate and Kraft.  And I couldn't find anything.  However, there are (usually) staff available to ask.  They are not only happy to answer questions, but will nearly always offer to take you to the aisle and help you find the specific thing you're looking for.  Great when I have a coupon for some weird product I have never heard of (yes, they have air fresheners here that you plug into your power point, er, electrical outlet!).

You'll hear two commonly-asked questions at the checkout counter, er, checkstand: "Did you find everything ok?" and "Paper or plastic?".  This last means that you have the choice of having your shopping packed in plastic bags or paper "sacks".  Paper is much more common over here, and sacks from some of the stores have dinky little handles on them!.

You will also be asked to show a store loyalty card, and using it will automatically reduce the price paid on all sorts of goods.  Present your coupons here too, and your recycling slips (from recycling soft drink, er, soda pop bottles and cans at 5c apiece) and at the end you'll hear the attendant say, "You have saved 42% today, ma'am!".  Oh, and you won't have to show them your credit card either.  Just pop it back in your wallet once you have swiped it through the machine.

But beware - make sure you get exactly the size and flavours specified on the coupons, otherwise you are up for full price! It took me more than a year before I could reliably be sent out to coupon shop at Safeway and come back with the right stuff at the right price.

Many stores sell foods in bulk, especially Winco, which doesn't have coupons or a loyalty card.

The deli area has a wide range of ready-to-eat foods.  The first thing I saw at my first grocery store experience at Haggens (aside from the brownies) was rows of salads and cooked snacks.  There was even a place to sit down and eat!

If you like baked biscuits, er, cookies, you are in luck over here!  Every grocery store has a bakery with really yummy bendy but crunchy cookies. My only complaint is that I can taste the extra salt in them.

Depending on the store, you can find a vast range of items.  Go into a New Seasons store and you can get cheeses from around the world, and salamis from around Italy!

There is one aisle that I call the American aisle.  It will have ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, all kinds of salad dressings and all kinds of pickled cucumbers (some are called "dill pickles").

There will be a section for Hispanic foods, too, and you will see a lot of chilis (jalapeños, etc), salsas, tortillas and mucho más!  Puts the Aussie "El Paso" taco range to shame, though that can also be found on the shelves.

All the grocery stores have restrooms!  This is great, especially as shopping can take all afternoon what with traffic, a long list of errands to run to save on gas and the longer time it takes to find the correct items for the coupons.

Food culture shock

For the first year, I complained bitterly at the lack or shortcomings of some of what I regarded as basic foods.  I have made a start on a list below, but remember that the gulf between Oz and US foodwise is enormous:

Deli

• All the cheeses (particularly store brands) are orange or pretty much tasteless or sweet, unless you buy imported cheese (a good range is available at Costco and New Seasons).
• Bacon will be short lengths of mainly fat.  No one has heard of middle rashers.  The nice meaty bit you are used to has become a different cut of meat and is referred to as Canadian bacon.
• You can't buy bacon bones for soups either.  Use smoked pork hocks instead.
• The only types of salami are Italian, pepperoni and summer sausage.  If you want an interesting salami with some zing to it, go to a specialty store such as New Seasons.
• Eggs are white.  Steve was surprised to see brown eggs in Oz.
• Forget about looking for Copha, although I have heard that it can be picked up at Indian grocery stores or at Wal-Mart under the Lou-Ana brand name.

Produce (Fruit and Veg)

• The prices look cheaper but remember that they're per pound, not per kilo.
• The plastic bags supplied look very flimsy compared to the freezer bags I was used to in Oz.
• Tropical fruit comes from all sorts of places - Hawaii, Mexico, Guatemala, Ecuador, Chile....  I was used to everything being "Product of Australia", except for Oregon cherries or California navels in the off-season.
• There are many more chilies available compared to in Oz.
• I haven't been able to find Ladyfinger bananas, but the little ones from Ecuador are sweet.
• There are lots of pre-packaged salads available.
• Brown onions are yellow onions, salad onions are red onions, and there's even a sweet "Walla Walla" onion, named after a town in Washington state.  All onions are big!

Meat

• Steak is fattier.  It is graded as Standard, Select, Choice or Prime (the best). No grade mentioned means it is Standard.
• You can't find lamb, and if you do there's a limited range and it's very expensive.
• There is a limited range of sausages.
• Chickens are yellow.
• Turkeys are common, and are very cheap around Thanksgiving or Christmas.
• You will get giblets (gizzard, liver and heart) with your chicken or turkey, as well as the neck.
• You will not be able to buy seasoned (i.e. stuffed) chickens or turkeys.

Bakery

• The bread is sweeter here.  Try sourdough or some of the Italian breads to get more of an Aussie flavour to the bread.
• A muffin that is not a "cup cake" is called an English muffin.  Forget about looking for different flavours, such as wholemeal or raisin, as there aren't any.  That reminds me.  Wholemeal is called "whole wheat" over here.
• Don't bother looking for crumpets either, as you won't find them.

Spreads and stuff

• Peanut butter is sweeter here too.  Try grinding your own at Winco to avoid the extra salt and sugar.
• The sweet taste of a lot of things (baked beans and even crackers) is due to the addition of "corn syrup", which I had never heard of before I came over here.
• You will find cheap corn syrup, cheap imitation maple syrup and expensive "real" maple syrup on the shelves, but no sugar cane syrup.  Make sure you bring some Aussie golden syrup over with you, or go to a World Market and pick up some Lyle's Golden Syrup (it's English, but it's a good substitute).

Candy

• Candy is another story.  If you like peanut butter in your candy, you have come to the right country.
• The Hershey's chocolate isn't as creamy as Cadbury's milk chocolate.  This hasn't really bothered me, as I'm a dark chocolate aficionado.
• Blocks of chocolate are so thin here, and there is hardly any range.  It is apparently not the way Americans like their chocolate.
• There are plenty of candy bars, though. Look out for such delights as  Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Baby Ruth's (like a Picnic), Paydays (a bit salty, but nice if you like peanut butter), and Almond Joys (like a Bounty bar) among the usual Snickers, Crunch and Kit-Kats.
• Those who miss Aussie chocolate can get their fix at Cost Plus World Market stores, which regularly stock Crunchies, Flakes, Bounty bars, Violet Crumble bars, blocks of Cadbury's chocolate, boxes of Smarties and even packets of Arnotts Tim-Tams (packaged as Original) and Mint Slices.  No Cherry Ripes so far though.  Bring your own over!