Grocery Shopping in a Foreign Country During a Pandemic
As an American in France, it hasn’t always been easy finding American diet staples in Parisian grocery stores. When I first moved to Paris, I came to the rude awakening that a French pharmacy is not the same as an American superstore pharmacy like CVS or Walgreens. You will not find sodas, candy or snacks in a pharmacy. I quickly gave up hope in finding bags of SkinnyPop, Sweet Potato Chips, Cotton Candy Grapes, or my personal favorite, Sriracha popcorn in a grocery store. Even with months of figuring out what was in which aisle, there were some American delights I realized I would not be enjoying in France; however, little did I know that soon, I'd be stocking up on groceries for a global pandemic.
I quickly learned that it only takes the threat of quarantine to ignite a population into panic-buying. I also realized that panic-buying will quickly hip you to what are considered “food staples” according to different cultures. As the impending quarantine began to loom over many countries’ heads across the globe, I read about how in the US, toilet paper was flying off the shelves. Why? Well, according to psychologist Mary Alvord, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the George Washington University School of Medicine, “There is comfort in knowing that it’s there... It’s a basic need to take care of ourselves.” So essentially, all of the items that were low in stock during the first week of impulse buying chaos, made us feel safe, depending on what side of the world we’re on. This need for comfort doesn't halt at toiletries, it applies to comfort foods as well.
In China, millions of their online consumers stocked up on skincare, yoga mats, and cosmetics. Gaming consoles have also become a hot commodity. Pinduoduo’s gaming console sales for Nintendo Switch and Sony PlayStation 4 have doubled.
In France, after President Macron’s first announcement that schools and offices would be closed starting Monday March 16, 2020, some of the first items to fly off the shelves were hand sanitizer, pasta, flour, tuna and beans. For me, my most important items were sandwich bread, pasta, tomato sauce, rice, chicken, cold cuts and veggies.
Pasta Section at Carrefour, Image Credit: Leila Roker
When I went to the grocery store the Friday after the announcement, I was shocked to see just two boxes of pasta remaining in a large Carrefour City. I also noticed there was only one box of couscous left, which most likely reflects France’s flourishing Arabic culture. The cheese section was practically barren, considering most of the French population identifies as cheesemongers. In the baking section, I was confused why all the flour was gone, but after some thinking I realized the high flour demand was so the French could ensure they have their daily bread. On my way home, I noticed boulangeries had lines out the door, which supported this theory. However, Paris quickly responded to their low-inventory grocery stores, and since has been stocking their stores more regularly.
Grocery Store in New Jersey, Image Credit: Courtney Roker
The US, on the other hand, has been slower to take initiative during this global pandemic. People in the New York area, where I’m from, are currently under a two-item per-person limit for major staples like pasta, toilet paper, and even laundry detergent. In Russia, the item that has been in the highest demand is buckwheat.
The pandemic has caused many populations to come to grips with many peoples’ deepest fear: the unknown. Many of us are finding ourselves in an odd betwixt and between in this confinement, considering there is no official date as to when it will end. Going to the grocery store has become a crapshoot for most, as there’s no telling what will or will not be in stock. All we can do is take this opportunity to get inventive, spend some extra cash on recipe subscriptions, and maybe start exploring some new ingredients and flavors.
