Going to French hypermarket on Thursday - what yumminess can I buy?

[MakkaPakkasPacamac]

Am planning on buying tuna steaks (so much cheaper there) to smuggle bring home for dinner on Friday and want some nibbly bits for Saturday. I love their salads - macedoine, celeriac remoulade etc., but what else can I get? They have thousands of types of dried sausage/salami, any particularly good ones to recommend? Anything else nice to eat? Any interesting cheeses?

mergues, andouillette (if you're into tripe). they also seem to have much better quality salads/lettuce than us

If you like garlic, get some smoked garlic. Fabulous!

Mmm, love the sound of smoked garlic - we love garlic! Merguez a good suggestion too, thanks!

tins of duck confit.

Too late for oysters.

um - some of everything

I used to stock up on cassoulet, luxury alternative to baked beans! Also the tabouleh salads as a quick thing to have in the house. Also used to buy mustard and cheese.

If you like pate and things like that, you might like rillettes (made with pork, very fatty but very yum). Can be bought from the meat counter or pre-packed in tubs.

Tinned tuna also much cheaper there. Ditto veal which my DH likes to smuggle bring back (actually I don't think it's smuggling if it's shrink-wrapped and is for your own consumption )

In northern France artichokes arae so cheap they're virtually free.

Do you have very little children? In the hypermarket I always used to stock up on fruit puree in little pots - no added sugar and also some very yummy combinations of flavours.

Hope you've got a car with a capacious boot!

Drat! I've now convinced myself I really want to go to France. I love the hypermarche!

I love the Tomme cheeses, have never seen them in UK. I am trying to think of the other cheese, Valnostra I think it is called. I am not sure if they are specialities from this area though.

The DC love Flan yogurts and the filled croissants/pain au chocolat.

Wine (goes without saying but I will say it anyway)

I live 10 mins away from a hypermarché

[smug]

Washing powder/liquid is much cheaper.

Fresh brioche also very nice.

Ah, yes. Also beauty basics like cotton wool and fancy tights. Go to the pharmacy attached to the hypermarche (there always is one) and buy fantastic soaps and bathroom goodies.

Husband recommends Coulommiers cheese (similar to camembert). I like St Paulin and Pont l'Eveque.

Bottled water also much cheaper if you have space in the car, although I always feel a bit silly importing water.

I always buy Prince Biscuits on the continent. Dd calls them Handsome Prince Biscuits (she's 2).

Comte - our DC eat it by the ton and it costs a fortune in the UK.

Mamie Nova desserts- they are divine!

Le Petit Marseillais soaps are great.

I second Rillettes - so yum. Also the packets of make at home Taboulleh - they normally consist of the dried couscous and a tin of sauce to mix into it. Really yum and great to keep in the store cupboard. If you like Goat's cheese then there are all manner of stinky gorgeousness to be found. Cor, I really fancy a trip to France now! sadly am pregnant so pretty well everything I fancy is off limits

hmmm tubs and tubs of dannette, the most delicious gooey dessert ever. I don't even know what it is, but it's yummy. You'll find it by the yoghurts.

Balsamic vinegar and Olive oil is always much cheaper in French supermarkets, as is wine of course. Not sure if that still applies now the pound is so weak, but I think as it's made in France it'll still be cheaper.

Peanut flavoured crisps, you can't get them over here and are strangely delicious.

I appreciate everyone else is suggesting such gourment foods and I'm just suggesting junk, that's very sorry!

I love the fromage blanc yoghurty stuff in little glass pots that then make beeyootiful tealight holders but they don't sell here.

Oh and exercise books with squares

Funnily enough we have found that Italian food is much cheaper in France and in Switzerland than it was in Germany. Parma ham and pecorino/parmesan very reasonalby priced.

Just go to the bakery counter and pick up any desserts and pastries - nothing tastes as good!

ooh and lots of wine of course!

mmmmmmmmmmm

Definitely merguez. And how about celeriac remoulade?

HangingBelly - rilletes are very easy and very very cheap to make plus everyone will think you are a charcuterie guru. Have a look at Anthony Bourdain's recipe.