What foods would you miss if you lived outside of the United States? It's hard to answer that until you know what your options are in another country. I find it interesting to to see what you can get here and what is generally not available. This doesn't include things that we can buy at the Commissary, because that's just shipped from the States. Out in town is another story. For instance, if you love Doritos you are in luck. M&Ms? Snickers bars? No problem. Pringles? Got 'em. Even Snyder's pretzels are here. ColaCola appears to be universal and a major supporter of baseball (no surprise). But root beer? No way! Butterfinger? Three Musketeers? Nope.
One positive aspect of the food selection are the varying flavors. In the United States a KitKat is year-round and any specialty flavors are seasonal. In Japan you can find green tea and wasabi KitKats anytime.
I recently had a coworker list all the things she missed from the United States. She spent a semester as a foreign exchange student in New York and left with a love of all the food. Her list cracked me up and we spent a good half hour trying to describe the tastes and flavors to another Japanese coworker. Her list: marshmallows, Swiss Miss cocoa mix, Pop-Tarts, Aunt Jemima syrup, microwave popcorn, and Lucky Charms cereal.
What would you miss?
I missed my morning staple of some healthy cereal or granola when I was in Colombia. But that was about it! I enjoyed the variety of fresh fruits and produce there!
ReplyDeleteI've heard some horror stories about Americans struggling with food in Japan though. Plenty of fish, eh?
Benjamin
I bet! I miss Val's granola all the time. We can't find wheat germ here on a regular basis. Yum, good stuff!
ReplyDeleteJapan is filled with wonderful food! It really is a foodie's paradise. But yes, vegetarians would have a difficult time here. Much of the food is flavored with fish/seaweed products. And asking for substitutions is not common.