I live in the Netherlands. Here's what the 'American' section of the grocery store is actually like.

insider ^

[mylife]

When I moved from the US to the Netherlands five years ago, the grocery store was an adjustment.

Some ingredients I used to buy, like chocolate chips, aren't available here. But it's possible to find some American ingredients and snacks in the foreign-food aisle of a Dutch grocery store.

Some ingredients I used to buy, like chocolate chips, aren't available here. But it's possible to find some American ingredients and snacks in the foreign-food aisle of a Dutch grocery store.

Some ingredients I used to buy, like chocolate chips, aren't available here. But it's possible to find some American ingredients and snacks in the foreign-food aisle of a Dutch grocery store.

Here are a few of the foods in my local grocery store's "American" section:

Candy bars might come as a bottled shake

[mylife]

I found the whole thing ridiculous. :)

[WHATNEXT?]

Question, when you were in Germany, did some of the drinking establishments (bars, pubs, etc.)have tall glass boots behind the bar for drinking beer out of?

[mylife]

yup

[Trillian]

It’s called pearl milling company now.

[Betty Jane]

Maybe they wanted to make chocolate chip pancakes.

[Fiji Hill]

I was in Saarbrücken, Germany 1971-1972. I don’t recall any glass drinking boots. That fad apparently started in England and then spread to Germany.

[WHATNEXT?]

I think this boot was behind the bar in around 1960+. Was told they were used as a special way to honor someone. I’ll have to Duck,Duck,Go this rumor.

[Myrddin]

I write software that gets distributed to countries across the globe. It is necessary to add lots of extra support for internationalization so the applications work correctly for different language and nationalities. The software my team built for a UK customer had to support UK English. Colour and licence vs color and license. It mattered to the customer. Work done for the German customer needed to work properly with the German keyboard vs US English keyboard.

As an end user, I have language apps in German, Welsh (Cymraeg), Scots Gaelic (Gaelic) and Spanish. Each language has special vowel markings supported by the display and keyboard. Spanish likes the inverted question mark and exclamation point to identify that sentence construct. Attempting Japanese, Arabic, Chinese, Hebrew or Russian requires special support for both keyboard and display.

[robowombat]

One time owner of Giant Supermarket s

[reg45]

So, get a bar of chocolate and chop it up.

[9YearLurker]

What was that like in the early 80s?

[Albion Wilde]

There’s a reason Dutch people are called ‘cheeseheads’ (kasekopfs in German).

They were called "John Cheese" (pronounced "Yan Kaes" in Dutch) by the English-descended early inhabitants of New York. What started as a slur against the Dutch settlers of New York is the origin of the term "Yankees."

[dfwgator]

They were called "John Cheese" (pronounced "Yan Kaes" in Dutch) by the English-descended early inhabitants of New York. What started as a slur against the Dutch settlers of New York is the origin of the term "Yankees."

Even old New York was once New Amsterdam.

[mylife]

Bloody limeys...

[Radix]

Mayonnaise on the pomme frittes taste good.

[WHATNEXT?]

Looked it up. Lots and lots of glass beer drinking boots. Different and more modern makers. Found a couple like mine, 2 liter, 12.5” Tall, 9” foot and 4.5” wide at top. Anyway, has sentimental value and some of the information supports what both of us said.

Thanks.

[minnesota_bound]

Today I was again unable to get Hash brown patties!
https://www.ralphs.com/p/kroger-seasoned-hash-brown-patties/0001111087589

I use Instacart to deliver.
Ralphs, Walmart, Albertsons etc all say they have them but during the shopping I am texted that they are out and would I like Tator Tots instead?

I shop once a week. It has been 3 weeks without new supplies.
I am down to just 16 patties. I am rationing them. Instead of 2 delicious patties I cook up only one! Sometimes skipping all together!

I tried slicing up red potatoes and adding salt and pepper but that is too much work for me. It takes hand eye coordination with a sharp knife.

Why? Are we short machines that can shred and shape potatoes into patties?

I am reduced to eating TATOR TOTS!!!
10mins to heat the oven and 24mins to bake them!

Is there a conspiracy going on?
Is my name on a list and I am denied my hash brown patties by “BIG TATOR TOT”?.... who kicks back a bigger TIP then I do to the Instacart shopper?

I may have to sneak into the stores wearing “shudder” a mask!

TATOR TOTS!! They are not the same thing!!

I may buy a Mueller Mandoline Slicer. It is “European” so you know it is good. https://tinyurl.com/4r34kr7k

Or Ourokhome Rotary Cheese Grater Shredder
https://tinyurl.com/2p9evzs6

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

The Brits flip out over pancakes.

They are a once a year sort of thing there.

[minnesota_bound]

Youtube has many videos on how to make your own hash brown patties. Just add milk or powdered skim milk and corn starch and salt and pepper. One video says you can store them in the freezer for a few months.

[mylife]

bloody limeys!

do they put baked beans on them?