Only one month left until I leave for Germany, and I am trying to cram in as much American goodness as I can. Germans have a slightly different palette than us Americans, and while I loved trying new foods the last time I was in Germany, I definitely missed a few household staples. I recently emailed my exchange student to see if any of these foods are available in Germany now, and luckily for me a few can now be found in regular grocery stores. That being said, they’re still very American foods, and I (hopefully) will be able to go the next few months without them in favor of sticking to “culturally appropriate” foods. With all that out of the way, let’s dive into the list, shall we?
1. Peanut Butter
I am so excited that peanut butter is now in German grocery stores! When I was there a few years ago, you could only find peanut butter in specialty American stores (yes, those exist in other countries) and it cost like $15 for one dinky jar. To get my fill of my favorite spread before I leave, I’ll probably make my mom’s delicious peanut butter balls before I go as a final farewell. It is nice to know that I can get my hands on a jar if I’m really desperate, but like I said before, I’m going to try and avoid my favorite American foods.
2. Jell-O
This sounds so stupid, right? On a scale of one to ten, Jell-O probably gets a score of zero on how much people would actually miss it if it disappeared forever. For some reason, being told that Jell-O might not be in Germany makes me feel panicky. What’s even more ironic is that I honestly can’t remember the last time I even ate Jell-O. Something must be wrong with me…If you live in Germany or have been there recently, let me know in the comments if you saw Jell-O in grocery stores–it might make me feel better (ha).
3. Poptarts
It’s a blow to us all. Poptarts, aka the life blood of all children, can only be found in special stores and they are SO EXPENSIVE. One of the girls on my last trip to Germany was addicted to these and bought a box that cost practically an arm and a leg. I’m already planning to pack a box of Poptarts in my carry-on for my exchange student (yes, I do cater to special requests), but I’m half tempted to sell it on the black market or something. Something tells me I wouldn’t get much for it though.
4. Kettle Corn
Before I say anything on this subject, I’d like to officially declare kettle corn as the supreme ruler of all popcorn-y treats. Unfortunately for me, Germans typically aren’t fans of sweet foods, so I don’t think I’ll be able to find kettle corn in stores. I can get my hands on regular popcorn though, which is better than nothing.
5. Cornbread
Again, I don’t know how many Americans would actually miss cornbread if it vanished, but I would definitely cry if Jiffy Cornbread went out of business. Cornbread is about as American as you can get (next to fried chicken and apple pie, that is). My dad and I have started making homemade cornbread, and it is so tasty. Besides providing the all-important base for my ham and beans to rest on, cornbread is also the most important ingredient in corn casserole, my favorite Fourth of July treat. I think I’ll try and bake a corn casserole in July for my own “YAY AMERICA” celebration this summer.
Are there any other foods I should be prepared to let go of? Let me know if you guys think of anything else! Also, if you’re interested in the foods I’m looking forward to finding in Germany, leave me a comment.
Signing off,
Claire