Globalization
In London we decided to eat as locally as possible. Not that we stuck to stereotypical British food like shepherd's pie and bangers and mash for every meal, but we tried to stay away from American chain restaurants and foods we could just as easily eat at home. We ate in pubs, we ate in church crypts, we ate at street markets, we bought sandwiches from EAT. (several times) or Pret a Manger (at the airport). We bought Cadbury's chocolate even though we didn't taste much of a difference and tried in vain to find a Magnum Mayan Mystica bar at the corner grocery store after being bombarded by ads all week.
Since most of our days began and/or ended at King's Cross/St. Pancras, where we caught the Circle Line, the National Rail Service, and the Eurostar, we also discovered Marks and Spencer's Simply Food stores, and a decent portion of our meals came from there--sandwiches with the "No Mayo" sticker, sea salt and cracked black pepper crisps, chocolate-covered shortbread biscuits, and lemonades with raspberry puree.
Our first full day in London, browsing the St. Pancras M&S, we picked up a package of Pink Lady apples and were immediately hooked. They were huge, juicy, pink-skinned, and sweet and came in little shrink-wrapped packages of four. What wasn't to like? We ate them in our hotel room and on the boat cruise from Tower Pier to Westminster. We bought them at a Borough Market fruit stand. Toward the end of our trip we spoke fondly of hoping to somehow find them back home.
Our last day in London, sitting in the Great Court of the British Museum and swamped by a wave of nostalgia for a city we hadn't even left yet, I took out the last Pink Lady, shined it on my shirt, and prepared to eat it. Then I noticed the little sticker on one side.
Washington, USA.
The day after we arrived home, I trudged to the grocery store to restock the kitchen. On special in the produce aisle--Pink Ladies. Later that week I ran to Super Target for paper products. On special in the produce aisle there--Pink Ladies again. Both times I bought a bagful. This weekend, I bought more. Despite the little Washington labels, they taste like London to me.
Since most of our days began and/or ended at King's Cross/St. Pancras, where we caught the Circle Line, the National Rail Service, and the Eurostar, we also discovered Marks and Spencer's Simply Food stores, and a decent portion of our meals came from there--sandwiches with the "No Mayo" sticker, sea salt and cracked black pepper crisps, chocolate-covered shortbread biscuits, and lemonades with raspberry puree.
Our first full day in London, browsing the St. Pancras M&S, we picked up a package of Pink Lady apples and were immediately hooked. They were huge, juicy, pink-skinned, and sweet and came in little shrink-wrapped packages of four. What wasn't to like? We ate them in our hotel room and on the boat cruise from Tower Pier to Westminster. We bought them at a Borough Market fruit stand. Toward the end of our trip we spoke fondly of hoping to somehow find them back home.
Our last day in London, sitting in the Great Court of the British Museum and swamped by a wave of nostalgia for a city we hadn't even left yet, I took out the last Pink Lady, shined it on my shirt, and prepared to eat it. Then I noticed the little sticker on one side.
Washington, USA.
The day after we arrived home, I trudged to the grocery store to restock the kitchen. On special in the produce aisle--Pink Ladies. Later that week I ran to Super Target for paper products. On special in the produce aisle there--Pink Ladies again. Both times I bought a bagful. This weekend, I bought more. Despite the little Washington labels, they taste like London to me.
posted by Madame Defarge at 3:57 PM
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