Grocery Shopping Australia

Something pineapple? I Didn't try, and no one I asked had either.

Hitting the grocery store in a foreign country gives me kid in a candy store syndrome. I could stand in the aisles reading ingredients and feeling produce all day. Its necessary to do so in Australia on a budget. I've been grocery shopping to avoid the $3.50 syndrome. Coffee, water, Coca-cola, chips, everything costs $3.50. Most restaurant/cafe meals are $10-20. I can easily drop $50 without even trying, but that makes 7-10 meals depending. Its important to remember that Australians are paid $19-22 an hour minimum wage. Quality of life is higher here, because everyone is paid well, but prices reflect their pay stubs.

Strawberries a darker red than California/Florida, taste the same. Mangoes rule this country as a standout fruit.

Grocery stores are well stocked, and fresh foods seem fresher than in America. A bag of lettuce in America doesn't have the same flavor as one piece of lettuce in Australia. Is this because Americans don't like the taste of their vegetables, or because Australia is so much better at growing them? Australia lacks the variety foreign food available in the America. You aren't going to find flat leaf and curly parsley, culantro, or peaches. Again I don't know if Australia is proud to be selling food it produces itself, or if its too expensive to be importing a wider variety. Its probably unfair to compare anything to NYC where the melting pot of residents call for lots of ingredients.

Good peanut butter isn't really available outside of the states. I find it mostly too thick, so that it practically closes your throat, with an off flavor. Not enough salt or sugar. Natural peanut butter is a better option. My pal Ben has located this variety, which is really is a good representation of peanut in butter form.

Tim Tams are the nations pride. A crunchy wafer biscuit covered surrounding sweet chocolate mouse, can coated in more chocolate. Sugar is more prominent flavor than chocolate. The textures are right on. Tim Tams come in lots of flavors, white chocolate, caramel, dark chocolate, mint, and run raisin.

$11 a kilo (about $5 a pound) for bananas is a good deal in Queensland. They were more in Sydney. It may seem like a shock, but Australia doesn't import food it can grow. Floods and cyclones have devastate crops since March, so bananas are scarce. Its also a few weeks from the beginning of the banana harvest, when more will hit the market.

A triumph of flavor technology from the Smiths chip company. Bacon chips taste more like bacon than most bacon and are just as crispy too. All that's missing is the hot fat texture. Awesome with the super thick sour cream in Australia. I look forward to making a Bacon chip, lettuce and tomato sandwich. I nabbed a few bags to bring back to America.

They said it not me. Coon cheese will not be making an appearance in America anytime.

They like their chilies here. Just liked the name. Nothing special to taste.

Artificial butter for fairies.


Got to have ice cream in the jungle. Maxibon is half ice cream sandwich, half chocolate dipped ice cream bar. Perfect for people like me who enjoy a little of everything. The ice cream is smooth, thick, and custardy. Maxibon I hope to see you in America some day.

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