FRENCH Grocery Shopping: What's It Like?

American gives you a tour of a French supermarché (supermarket) and the differences you'll find vs American grocery stores.

About Us:
We are an American family of 3 who moved to France for an extended stay adventure in 2022.
We wanted to experience Europe as more than rushed tourists on a 10-day vacation. To dive into the culture, learn a new language, experience daily life, and truly know what it was like to work and live somewhere other than the US.

In France, we set up a business, enrolled in a middle school, found housing, and even got our cat a European passport!

While in the US preparing to leave, the information we found about staying in France for longer than a short vacation was directed at college students, young & single digital nomads, or retirees. Where was the useful information for families like us?

With a year under our belts in France, we created Baguette Bound to pass on what we have learned. We hope to make it easier and inspire other families who are interested in experiencing a long stay in France with their families. Stay tuned for more information on French culture, local travel ideas, and the logistics of moving across the world.

#france #americansinfrance #frenchlifestyle #expatlife #expatinfrance #frenchfood #frenchlife #gourmeteats #culturalexploration #HEB #groceryshopping

[CROM-onbz]

When it comes to food, there are hundreds of French comments, it's crazy how much we love it Bouffe.

[Pointillax]

7:27 look for "poitrine fumée", that's american bacon and near the lardons in the aisle. Almost every supermarket butcher also has some and can cut it to the thickness you want.
What's called bacon in France is smoked salted pork loin slices.

[JPS]

Thanks for the video! I'm French and the hams you see are different in terms of quantity (multiple of 2), cooking method with broth or "bouillon" in French, "à la broche" spit-roasted, "fumé" smoked ...), the amount of salt, the presence or absence of nitrites, the region of origin, organic or not, with or without rind, and the part of the pig (often "épaule" shoulder or "supérieur" ~superior (litteraly) which means the upper part of the pork leg).

[LittrowTaurus]

8:00 Fun fact. Did you know a famous American whose ancestors were French? They came from Isigny and were therefore called d'Isigny which over time became... Disney

[lindadorman]

Food shopping is my favorite activity when I travel and France does not disappoint. I can spend hours in the supermarket and have a very long list of preferred items. As a Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef, I consider it professional market research and my duty to taste test as many foods as possible!

[TheCapitaineCarnage]

Quick thing about the shopping carts: If you do not have a euro coin available, you can go to the welcoming desk and ask for a plastic coin. They will give it to you, for free. And you can keep it.

[Janpoldeu]

You may be surprised at this so-called "American burger sauce" you had never heard about, but let me tell you that while in the US some 25 years ago, I often came accross "French (salad) dressings" I had never had in my life despite being from France! Whichever countries you compare, a lot of cultural differences also work in reverse - it's just that people are not aware of them.

[sylvaincroissant]

You can easilyvfind brown sugar in any supermarket in France . It s called "sucre vergeoise" . True we dont use it as much as the other sugars, but it is there...

[heliedecastanet]

If you ever have the opportunity to buy "crème fraîche" from a local producer not in a supermarket but in a "marché", go for it 😉 You won't believe the difference between this one and the ones you buy in a supermarket. It is almost yellow, very thick, and the taste is… To die for 🙂

[susanjacob]

I enjoy your videos on how you're adjusting to life in France. I've been here since 1976 and just wanted to make two comments on what you can and cannot find in Centre Leclerc (where I also shop - in Brittany). You can find brown sugar for making chocolate chip cookes and other things: it is called sucre vergeoise brun ou blonde. The brun is just like our brown sugar. The sucre cassonade is useless for this. They don't always have it so you might want to try Super U or some other supermarket. Also, they do have American style bacon strips - most of the time, and especially around Christmas. They are definitely not as tasty as our fried bacon but they are great to use for aperitif. Wrap a small slice around a prune (pruneau en français - not plum), stick a toothpick to hold all together and put in the oven for a while, watching closely to make sure the bacon doesn't burn. Delicious. My family and french friends can't get enough of them.

[armelle]

about french ham, the difference is in the "cook "mode ! smoked, baked, boiled, with salt or without, with herbs or ... there is ham for every taste

[rowandowland]

Part of the real joy of moving to France is the food….Over here in the Haute Savoie the selection of fresh locally grown bio and bio dynamic food from a variety of locally owned independent stores is bewildering and so well priced. It’s true what they say about the French and food. Discerning, quality, freshness, choice……. Where else can you purchase 13 different varieties of tomatoes or 12 different types of apples or 6 different varieties of radish….etc. A foodies heaven.

[xurok]

If you want bacon in France, you need to go to the charcuterie (even the one inside Leclerc) and ask for "ventrèche". There is two kinds of ventrèche: flat (like us bacon) and rolled (more common type I think).

[TonyCMAGNA]

J'ai tellement l'habitude de regarder des français vivant à l'étranger présenter des produits qu'on ne connaît pas que ça me fait tout bizarre de vous voir nous présenter des produits français ! :D Merci pour ce regard bienveillant sur notre beau pays !

[LittrowTaurus]

I'm really surprised about the absence of deli section in your Leclerc! Mine has a huge one with queuing tickets and everything, where you can get anything from cheese to serrano ham to ready made meals cooked on the premises. I think you should try another Leclerc! Or another retailer.
As for quality brown sugar and things in bulk like bicarb, I really recommend places like Biocoop, Satoriz and la Vie Claire. These are smaller supermarkets specialised in organic stuff but you can also buy things in bulk, including detergents.

[annebernard]

How interesting it is, even for a French like me, to see What is different, what astonishes foreign people… I really love to share those things! Hugs from Brittany!

[leopratlong]

Very interesting to see the point of view of americans to what is something very normal to me as a french :).
About the wine medals: unfortunately, in France, they are also a marketing thing and not a seal of quality. There are a lot of reports and articles in french talking about that. In 2022 for example, 24 000 medals have been given to wines in France. You can find more information about that for example in FranceInfo article about the "Foire aux vins".
Personally, I almost avoid wine with medals. This is not a red flag, but medals should not be considered as a good point for a wine. By the way, you'll very rarely find medal-winning wines in a good wine merchant.

[mikesmith-rpmb]

Coming from Ireland, the first thing I notice in French supermarkets is the smell. Charcuterie, fromagerie, boulangerie etc. So different from home. ❤🤍💙🇫🇷

[odealajoie-fr]

Pour le bacon, il faut aller au comptoir à la coupe, demander de la poitrine fumée, ils peuvent faire des tranches fines dans la machine à jambon.
Le Baking soda, c'est du bicarbonate de sodium, vous en trouverez en pharmacie ou au rayon nettoyage.

[neroleptic]

Avez-vous essayé la vergeoise ? C'est littéralement du brown sugar et parfait pour les cookies