THE AFRICAN COURIER. Reporting Africa and its Diaspora! The African Courier is an international magazine published in Germany to report on Africa and the Diaspora African experience. The first issue of the bimonthly magazine appeared on the newsstands on 15 February 1998. The African Courier is a communication forum for European-African political, economic and cultural exchanges, and a voice for Africa in Europe.
Surprised by details Germans take for granted, some newcomers are shocked by the country’s supermarket culture. Here’s useful advice from Elizabeth Grenier, a self-declared grocery shopping expert from Canada, who learned the hard way.
Know your different types of supermarkets
The different categories of grocery stores in Germany can be confusing for newcomers. A few chains are actual supermarkets, while a growing number of stores are rather categorized as discounters. The “bio” markets sell exclusively organic food. If you’re planning on cooking a Middle Eastern recipe, Turkish markets are your best bet; Asian markets provide everything you need for Oriental cuisine.
When I arrived in Berlin some 10 years ago, trying to find everything I needed for what I believed to be a very ordinary recipe was embarrassingly complicated.
Being a Canadian, most ingredients I would typically require were luckily available in German grocery stores — but not all of them.
Basically, it took time because I had to rule out various options: Was I not finding something because it didn’t exist, or because I didn’t know where to look?
Brown Sugar, just like a young girl should
I once remember going to at least five different stores trying to find soft brown sugar, scanning all the aisles 10 times, hesitating with renewed hope that it had to be there, somewhere, in a hidden spot — especially after I’d discovered that flour was randomly stacked right by the toilet paper in one discount store.
German friends had recommended a stop at the “Bioladen,” the organic grocery store, but they didn’t realize the raw brown sugar they were referring to was not what I had in mind. Now I know: It simply doesn’t exist in Germany.
Lost in translation
On top of such challenges, the language was still an issue when I arrived, too.
There isn’t necessarily a direct translation for Germany’s numerous dairy products, so you need time to discover what they all are. What’s the difference between Schmand and Saure Sahne, Crème fraiche and Schlagsahne, Hüttenkäse, Frischkäse or Quark? And all English speakers who’ve already learned that milk is Milch in German will be astonished to find Dickmilch among those multiple options.
Dickmilch? It’s soured milk
Caffeine needed
Certain products are already challenging even if you’re able to read what’s on the package. Take coffee, for instance.
Is a light, dark or French roast something I should care about? What’s the actual difference between Robusta and Arabica beans? Does it matter if they come from the Peruvian Andes or Ethiopia? And what about the working conditions of the people who picked the beans in the first place — is that Fair Trade seal enough or should it be organic and Rainforest Alliance certified as well?
And then there’s the format: No one wants to end up with coffee tabs without having the right machine for them — plus, they’re bad for the environment anyway. So is there a brand of pre-ground beans that works with my stovetop espresso maker?
I was trying to answer all these questions, informed by German labels, while wearing a too warm coat, my arms already loaded with other random groceries (because I had missed the spot to pick up a basket at the entrance) in the most humongous supermarket in the world: a two-story Real store.
After too many minutes of hesitation, I finally found some kind of relatively affordable Fair Trade coffee and decided that had to do.
I spent several days chugging cups of it, finding I was immune to its effects. At some point, I realized that the word “entkoffeiniert” means decaf.
An expert now
I needed years of trial and error to become a super-efficient grocery shopper in Germany. And it’s not like riding a bike: I find you need constant practice. A couple of months away from your favourite grocery store and you might miss a complete reorganization of the aisles.
Actually, now, whenever I go back to Canada, I’m completely lost in supermarkets there. Way too many items, the lighting is weird, and everything is so expensive.
© DW
