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it’s all relative

sweetamerica

My Sweet America is a Belgian shop that offers American delicacies (the picture is a capture of their FaceBook page header).

A new shop, My Sweet America, hopes to take away all of that angst by adding a new ingredient: American-style customer service.

“By living in the USA, I really learned what customer service means,” explained James, the shop owner, in a recent interview. A native of France, the owner and his (Belgian) wife have lived in New York City and Los Angeles for the past several years…

You got that? They learned the true meaning of customer service by living in Los Angeles and New York City. Oh, my sides! That gives you a glimpse what it’s like in France and Belgium.

Unfortunately, while the FaceBook link above works, their shop seems to be down, and the site I found it on doesn’t want to let me link directly to the article. Hell’s yes it matters — they do mail order! I’d kill for a proper PopTart (our local supermarket has them, but it only carries the gross flavors like Chocolate and S’Mores).

On a related note, I ordered some Benadryl off eBay this week. Did you know you can’t buy Benadryl as an antihistamine any more, just as a sleep aid? Fun fact. Anyways, I ordered some in bulk from a seller called uksleep expecting them to ship from the UK (duh), only to find they shipped from Texas.

Second class, three days, free shipping. I ordered Sunday, got the notice it had shipped on Monday and got my order today. The world of international shipping is a confusing but sometimes gratifying place these days.

Comments


Comment from Janna
Time: October 6, 2016, 8:59 pm

Pop Tarts? Can you order bacon? Maple bacon?


Comment from S. Weasel
Time: October 6, 2016, 9:23 pm

There’s one supermarket where I can get American-style bacon (it’s one particular Sainsbury’s). It’s made in Spain and for years it was marketed as Oscar Mayer. But sometime last year they must have realized the brand means nothing outside the States, so they’ve been selling the same exact bacon as American-style bacon (no doubt saving themselves a fortune in licensing). I have about four packets in the fridge right now.


Comment from Janna
Time: October 6, 2016, 9:28 pm

Actually, a bacon sammich sounds pretty damn good. Off to check the freezer.


Comment from RimrockR
Time: October 6, 2016, 11:27 pm

I hope they stock Saltines for you Ms Weasel. I seem to recall you had said you had difficulty finding them. Or maybe you need to shop at Savory America for them.


Comment from Some Vegetable
Time: October 7, 2016, 2:39 am

I was in a London Sainsburys a few weeks ago and spotted the American section: Lucky Charms cereal, AppleJacks cereal, Reese’s Puffs cereal, Jiffy peanut butter, Twinkies, Pop Tarts, and Aunt Jemima pancake mix and syrup. Oh, and jars of Goober Grape peanut butter and jelly.

The U.K. And the U.S: Two countries with a common background separated by their cuisine junk food


Comment from Some Vegtable
Time: October 7, 2016, 2:41 am

I am Anonymous! I’m also Spartacus unless they make me take my medication, but that’s a tale for another day…

Edit: well I was anonymous but now I see my first post has picked up my name somehow. Nurse!


Comment from Niña
Time: October 7, 2016, 3:50 am

You want some pop tarts? I’ll be glad to send you a box if you’d like.

I like them too, but my altered digestive system doesn’t like me liking them (and a bunch of other things), so I refrain from noshing them. No reason foe everyone to suffer, though!


Comment from Niña
Time: October 7, 2016, 3:58 am

I should say, that if you want something, get me now, because my S-I-L is going back to England Tuesday.


Comment from S. Weasel
Time: October 7, 2016, 1:08 pm

Yes, I’ve found some pretty good substitute saltines, thanks. I think my larder is pretty well stocked, Nina, thanks for offering.

The number of transAtlantic flights I took sitting next to food smugglers.


Comment from Mr. Dave
Time: October 7, 2016, 3:45 pm

When I lived in Norway we couldn’t get anything ‘Murrican at all but I had parts for my project coming regularly from Houston. Cereal and candy for the kids and Mexican food staples were the main components coming along with oilfield parts. You can buy bubble gum by the 5 gallon bucket for a bulk packing material. Once we moved to Banchory, Scotland we stood in awe at Tesco as we saw all the variety of stuff. Even British stuff was a luxury when you’ve lived in a lutefisk and cold cuts country.


Comment from David Gillies
Time: October 8, 2016, 1:36 am

Going the other way, I have one of my mules bringing me Marmite and Colman’s English mustard powder. I can get the overwhelming bulk of the things in that photo here in CR.


Comment from guffaw
Time: October 8, 2016, 1:54 am

Chocolate Fudge Pop Tarts are terrific!
(chocolate surrounded by chocolate pastry!)
But blueberry and cherry rock, too!

gfa


Comment from JuliaM
Time: October 8, 2016, 6:29 am

If you have a Tesco Superstore anywhere near you, they’ve taken to including a ‘USA’ section, usually located next to their ‘Indian/Oriental/Caribbean’ sections.

Some very odd things on the shelves, along with the Snapple, Arizon Iced Tea, sugary cereals with marshmallows & cans of pumpkin pie filling – like yoghurt covered pretzels!


Comment from Niña
Time: October 9, 2016, 6:24 pm

Dave, when my son first moved to Norway I had to bring red vines every time I came to visit…red vines for him and Reese’s for his wife. I don’t have to do that now, but last Christmas when they wanted tamales for Christmas, I had to bring it all with me, chilies, masa, husks, everything besides the pork. 😎🇳🇴🇺🇸🇲🇽


Comment from BJM
Time: October 10, 2016, 4:44 am

Oh for a packet of Tunnock’s Teacakes, dark chocolate, of course.

I still long for Jacob’s Cream Crackers spread with sweet cream butter and a thick dark marmalade..or silky smoked salmon paste from Waitrose…or glorious English cheese for elevenses.

We lived in the UK during the pre-multi-culti 80’s and i expect much of what we craved can be had now. We jonesed hard for Mexican food and ball park franks.

I finally figured out that Chinese Parsley was cilantro and Sainsburys occasionally had small cans of chipotle…which I recall paying something like five pounds for and fine ground Italian Polenta made a tolerable masa for tamales. We also discovered that Austrian wurst could be had and slathered with English mustard they were pretty close to American hot dogs.

Doritos were my junk food crave and I never found anything close and Brit flavored crisps are very odd indeed.

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