I remember how excited I was the first time I went to do the groceries in the US. That first shopping trip was to Albertsons and I walked around the aisles while happily pulling my shopping cart. Grocery shopping in Spain felt way different than in the United States, and it kind of made me feel like being inside one of those many American movies I had watched back home in Spain. And there were some specific products that made me feel that way:
Differences compared to grocery shopping in Spain:
1. Fresh milk
Opening that huge fridge full of bottles of fresh milk was such an experience. That package was the typical format that appeared in many American movies and tv shows that I had seen before. And here is the big difference: you won’t find fresh milk in the fridges of grocery stores in Spain but cartons instead (with a longer expiration date) which are not in the fridge. So knowing this will save you time while doing your grocery shopping in Spain: milk is not in the fridge but on the shelves outside ;-)
2. Hot Cocoa (ok now gimme my Nesquik please).
-“Where is the Cola-Cao?”, I dared to ask.
-“Cola c… what?”, my American roommate answered.
And from that moment on I had to get used to a similar product named “Hot Cocoa”. There was Nesquik though, but it didn’t taste the same as the “Spanish version” (such a mystery).
3. Olive oil (or golden drops)
12 dollars a cute but more than little bottle of oil.
“Wait, what? I must have misread that number. Oh no, that is the real price. Not “olive oil” anymore, “golden oil” from now on. I’m not going to cook with butter though”.
That was an approximately serious talk I had to have with myself. Mixed thoughts at a high speed popping in my head, but deep inside I knew what was the clear ending of that situation in which I was involved: “Ok, I’m bringing you home” (you little precious overrated bottle of oil).
4. Pepperoni, ham, bacon (a lot of bacon)… But wait, where is “jamón”?
-“Ok now seriously, where is the “jamón” section?” I dared to ask, again. To myself though.
– “Oh thank God, there is a “Ham section over there”, I answered to myself. “Wait. Again, where is jamón? Because this ham isn’t the type of ham I had in mind. Not even pepperoni or this pork-roll over here are close to what I have in mind.” Suddenly I realized I was forced to face the truth: no jamón serrano while in the States.
But a twist in the plot of this story arrived months later. After giving up and being totally ok with it, I bumped into a little store/restaurant where they sold jamón (I clearly remember that evening. And forever will).
5. But look at the bright side of life… Welcome to cereal’s land!
Not the healthiest product to be honest, but what about those colorful cereals, shapes, flavours…? That was an experience as well.
Grocery stores in Spain
Big chains
There are big chains of grocery stores in Spain, the Spanish/European version of Target but a bit smaller. Some examples are Mercadona, Lidl or Aldi.
Small chains
There are also smaller chains such as Casa Ametller (in Catalonia) or Veritas, that offer a product which is more organic. In this case, we could find its American soulmates supermarkets in chains such as Whole Food Stores or Trader Joe’s. Check our article Organic supermarkets in Barcelona for more information.
Colmados and small shops
Beyond big, medium and small chains of grocery stores in Spain we find also what we call “colmado”. These unique, historical and little food stores are managing somehow to survive against the threat of the big supermarket chains. This is why we encourage you to buy in little chains and specially these little shops to support the local businesses.
