Not been to France for years - what's good in French supermarkets?

[Standstilling]

Indulge me - I am off to France soon with the DCs and LOVE a foreign supermarket. Am idly planning and looking forward but I need some specifics. Do they still do those peanut flavoured wotsit things? Obvs cheese and wine... what else is good?

UsedbySomebody the butter is beurre aux cristaux de sel de either Noirmoutier or Guerande, it's delicious on baguette tradition with rhubarb jam..,my favorite breakfast. DC not quite so keen on it.

^All of the above ^

And also, if you have wooden furniture that needs a good polish, Cedar cire liquide, an old-fashioned can of beeswax polish, is fantastic. Gives everything a glow and fills the house with the smell of beeswax

Love this thread and will be making a list for my holiday in October. OP, you have cracked me up avec la francaise, tu es rigolo.

Wine. Boxes of wine for silly cheap prices. That is all

Cheeses that are quite hard to find in the UK are easy to find in French supermarkets, eg St Marcellin, St Nectaire, Monoprix sells both of these, a small St Marcellin is only just over 1 euro.

www.monoprix.fr/courses/saintmarcellin-moule-a-la-louche-igp-monoprix-gourmet-1243954-p

They have some interesting flavours of yoghurt - lychi and rose yoghurt, carrot cake yoghurt! Also the Rhone Alpes yoghurts, especially the fruit compote ones - so good! (Might only be available in that area though?)

The little pots au chocolat - also inexpensive and all supermarkets sell them usually in packs of 6, also the vanilla ones - the Carrefour vanilla ones are good.

By the way, why is single cream so expensive in France!?

Those little fro mage blan c with the paper wrappe r inside the pot.

I’m currently in France, near Versailles.

I really enjoyed this wine, if anyone fancies it. It cost about €3.

As it’s a public holiday, we’ll be scouring France for any shop open for wine 🍷

Strange Ah, just saw that you linked the location in the first post. Heh - I may take you up on that if you have some free time next month

If I try everything on my list while there, I will come back extra padded. At least the airport won't weigh me. Ah well, I always tell myself Paris is not the place to diet.

Two things that no one's mentioned yet - the fresh squeezed orange juice machines (mic with creme de cassis and sparkling wine) and the ready to eat gazpacho.

Has anyone used the Europafood delivery? They have a fantastic selection just looked it up.... the prices don’t seem too bad... my mouth is watering now!

Blitzen Thank you

These are amazing, so much nicer than English jaffa cakes!!

Can someone please explain apericubes to me? Do you eat them on their own or on bread or what?

There's a super u white wine with a fleur de lis on the bottle which is really good.

You eat them on their own froome, peeling them open carefully. The best ones are flavoured, Provençal herbs or jambon par example. Though they are cubes of Laughing Cow cheese, they are the height of sophistication in rural France!

In my part of rural France the Aperivrais are more popular and a lot nicer than Apericubes, plus you don't have to peel them before eating.

Yes, I agree Aperivrais are nicer, a better class of Laughing Cow altogether.

Not sure if already been mentioned as I don't have time to read it all, but haribo tagada sweets - heaven and highly addictive! And the cote d'or milk chocolate, it's darker than normal milk chocolate and lovely and rich.

Would also echo canard in a tin and rilletes, and too many yogurts to mention

OP I love this post. I have just promised my DH (who is an Englishman who did uni in France and can pass for a local) to get hims ready-to-go shopping list for when we are next in France, which unfortunately is not in he foreseeable future.

And sorry for typos! Rose not helping.

Un/une petite update: Well, we are surviving despite my terrible French. Have visited 3 supermarkets and a real market - the DC’s eyes have been out on stalks quite a lot

I have 5 types of cheese in the fridge, rémoulade, something made of canard I haven’t opened yet, several DOP shower gels (Haribo!, toffee apple, caramel), Snacky crackers (big hit), cacahuète wotsits, ah so much lovely food And the sirops!

to all for the pointers.

Ouais! Glad you are having a fab time.
This is a random one - can you buy ready made (chilled) mashed potato en français?

@LePetitPont as a regular France visitor I've never seen ready made mash (like you might get in M&S and Waitrose) but plenty ready meal type au gratin or dauphinois. Some bigger supermarkets have a freshly made meals chilled section near their deli counters which might include mash with eg a boeuf bourginon but not individually.

I can vouch that they sell potatoes and mashing devices though!

French love la purée but usually not fresh, you buy it dry and add water like the old Smash.

I'm currently watching BFM news and heading to Super U this morning.
YYY to Petit Marseilles handwash and shower gel. Also their honey scented floor wipes - tinned daupninoise is always on my list too.

Ooh I’m jealous you’re there! We just got back I’m missing it already.

Pistachio custard pots - petit pot au creme in Carrefour
Chestnut purée jam
Orgeat sirop (almondy)

Speculoos paste is called ‘biscoff’ in Sainsbury’s