Grocery Stores in the USA

[Napoleon]

Interestingly enough I may be one of the few extranjeros that actually prefers the medialunas (de manteca) here over the ones in the US or elsewhere. You mentioned something about them being more coarser or maybe denser is a better word? And that's exactly what I like about them.

Can't speak on Paris, never been.

"Denser" is what I had in mind. The Parisian croissants were about as dense as Wonder Bread.

Same goes for the ones in the US, which have the added disadvantage of being too buttery - they feel distinctly greasy, and have no flavor.

Of course, this is just my very biased personal opinion. Only to be expected from a tasteless Argentinian.....

I can speak on both. (As can countless others on this board.)

Yes "denser" or "like lead" or "perfect for a door stop" are all great ways to describe the medialunas here.

"as dense as Wonder Bread" is not the best way to describe authentic and delicious croissants made by pastry chefs who actually have a clue as to how to create amazing baked goods. "Light and flaky" is a better way to describe the French creation and the best American attempts to recreate it.

Light vs Dense
Flaky vs Brushed with Corn Syrup

A friend of mine rafted down a river in the eastern part of the Soviet Union back in the '80s with his father and a group of others. Their Soviet guide opened a can of lard before their eyes using only his Rambo-style survival knife. Then he proceeded to eat the lard out of the can with said knife.

I'm sure to their guide, a Can o' Lard was an amazingly delicious treat when on a week long rafting trip out in the middle of nowhere. I say "was", because I doubt that anyone could eat like that and still be alive today.

Yet just because he enjoyed "lard on a knife", that does not mean that that is an amazingly delicious meal and that all those who don't like it are mindless idiots. It's $%^&$ LARD ON A KNIFE!!

Medialunas are closer to ROLLS than to being a "PASTRY". They were adapted from the croissant, but made by people who either didn't have a clue or didn't have the ingredients to make them correctly. Then they probably evolved to serve a customer base who didn't know any better. And ultimately, when people get used to something, it doesn't matter how inferior the product, there is a soft spot for familiarity that will lead them to choose crap over perfection, because it's what they know.

Now let's get back to the subject of GROCERY STORES.

 

[hannstew]

I hate to break this to you, but this is Argentina, not the US.quote]

Yes I know, that is why im posting in the forum for expats in B.A. in a thread about grocery stores.

Another incident... Today I went to Unicenter for a cable de red, standard internet cable recalling several places that should have them. Compumundo, musimundo, Garbarino, Fravega and Jumbo on a last resort, and none had them.
I mean, how hard should it be to find basics. As Napoleon said before,
"frustration from expats comes from them (us) seeing so much potential here and yet on many subjects, there is a feeling that heads are being stuck in the sand."

 

[SaraSara]

Frustration from expats comes from ... expecting things to be just like they are "back home". In my view, that's a sure recipe for unhappiness.

I noticed that in the States, and now I see it both here and in Uruguay. Expats who try to replicate their home country are forever moaning, while those who embrace the new country (warts and all) are much happier.

I see both sides of the issue because here I'm a local but in Colonia I rate as an expat. Sometimes I get impatient at the Uruguayans, who are so laid back as to be almost comatose. Then I remind myself that it's a different country, and that I chose it precisely because it was different.

 

[katti]

Yes, some days you can find something good, then the next it will be gone not to return for ages. Glad you enjoyed your asparagus.

live today, don't think about tomorrow Who knows what tomorrow will bring??

 

[SaraSara]

I can speak on both. (As can countless others on this board.)

Yes "denser" or "like lead" or "perfect for a door stop" are all great ways to describe the medialunas here.

"as dense as Wonder Bread" is not the best way to describe authentic and delicious croissants made by pastry chefs who actually have a clue as to how to create amazing baked goods. "Light and flaky" is a better way to describe the French creation and the best American attempts to recreate it.

Light vs Dense
Flaky vs Brushed with Corn Syrup

A friend of mine rafted down a river in the eastern part of the Soviet Union back in the '80s with his father and a group of others. Their Soviet guide opened a can of lard before their eyes using only his Rambo-style survival knife. Then he proceeded to eat the lard out of the can with said knife.

I'm sure to their guide, a Can o' Lard was an amazingly delicious treat when on a week long rafting trip out in the middle of nowhere. I say "was", because I doubt that anyone could eat like that and still be alive today.

Yet just because he enjoyed "lard on a knife", that does not mean that that is an amazingly delicious meal and that all those who don't like it are mindless idiots. It's $%^&$ LARD ON A KNIFE!!

Medialunas are closer to ROLLS than to being a "PASTRY". They were adapted from the croissant, but made by people who either didn't have a clue or didn't have the ingredients to make them correctly. Then they probably evolved to serve a customer base who didn't know any better. And ultimately, when people get used to something, it doesn't matter how inferior the product, there is a soft spot for familiarity that will lead them to choose crap over perfection, because it's what they know.

Now let's get back to the subject of GROCERY STORES.

After reading this post, it dawned on me that perhaps some people choose to live in Argentina because they need to feel "superior", and being here makes that illusion seem real.

It's a world-wide thing. In Washington I met Europeans who looked down on the Americans because they lacked refinement, and in Europe I met Americans who felt sorry for the Europeans because they lacked space, and had to live all crowded together in those tiny countries.

Sorry to digress - let's keep talking about that riveting subject, GROCERY STORES...!

.

 

[MizzMarr]

Speaking of, does anybody have any knowledge about how chickens are generally raised and kept here? Are there massive CAFO-esque henhouses, or are they generally more ... 'civilized' (ie. humane)? I'd definitely be interested in more information about this subject in general (though realize the grocery store thread may not be the place).

ETA: I know that the chicken parts that come neatly bagged and styrofoam wrapped in stores like Disco or Coto are factory farmed, but what about the chickens procured by the average corner carniceria? I'm going to ask my chicken dude next time I'm in there...

Just to put more info out there... I just bought some chicken from my carnicero and he said that he buys (as most do) from basically a factory farm that's in the provinces. Sounded much like the factory farms that meat hens are raised in Stateside--a big feed lot with feed intended to fatten, then to the slaughter when they reach the appropriate weight. Said there is free range meat available, but not that many people carry it because it spoils faster and is more expensive. Too bad, I was hoping... . I don't have anything to add about grocery stores that hasn't already been said.

 

[nikad]

Just to put more info out there... I just bought some chicken from my carnicero and he said that he buys (as most do) from basically a factory farm that's in the provinces. Sounded much like the factory farms that meat hens are raised in Stateside--a big feed lot with feed intended to fatten, then to the slaughter when they reach the appropriate weight. Said there is free range meat available, but not that many people carry it because it spoils faster and is more expensive. Too bad, I was hoping... . I don't have anything to add about grocery stores that hasn't already been said.

If your chicken costs 5-10$ a kilo it is not free range but from factory farms. If it is in the 12-16$ a kilo range, then it probably is free range and / or organic ( talking about whole chicken here )

 

[citygirl]

I must admit, I quite like the medialunas here too - the ones in Paris are a bit too buttery for my taste. However my waistline demands I don't indulge too often The grocery stores here don't do much for me but you know, I am not a cook so I pretty much restrict myself to wine and diet coke and they have a lot of both at Coto so I don't complain too much

 

[Napoleon]

Another incident... Today I went to Unicenter for a cable de red, standard internet cable recalling several places that should have them. Compumundo, musimundo, Garbarino, Fravega and Jumbo on a last resort, and none had them.

Go to Galeria de Jardin on Calle Florida between Lavalle & Tucuman. There are over 50 different computer supply places. You might pay 110% of what it would cost in the U.S. or you might pay 200%. It depends on how common your item is (among other things).

You'll definitely find it from one or two or ten of the locations.

After reading this post, it dawned on me that perhaps some people choose to live in Argentina because they need to feel "superior", and being here makes that illusion seem real.

S^2-

To be honest, you might not be far off. Or at least, at some point in the last 3.5 years. It would be nearly impossible NOT TO at times.

But now, it's gotten to the point that I (and maybe others) am starting to question what the hell I'm doing. As the city becomes more and more expensive and more and more dangerous, I'm starting to think about the questions I get from locals all the time. "Why do you want to live here?"

Finding logical answers is getting more and more difficult. Sad. But kind of true.

And a GROCERY STORE was the latest and possibly most powerful thing to make me think about this. And I DO like to cook.

 

[MizzMarr]

But now, it's gotten to the point that I (and maybe others) am starting to question what the hell I'm doing. As the city becomes more and more expensive and more and more dangerous, I'm starting to think about the questions I get from locals all the time. "Why do you want to live here?"

Finding logical answers is getting more and more difficult. Sad. But kind of true.

And a GROCERY STORE was the latest and possibly most powerful thing to make me think about this. And I DO like to cook.

I totally feel your pain, and am sure I'm not the only one. I love to cook, too, and generally get frustrated and annoyed nearly every time I go to the grocery store if I let myself (I start to get going in the 100 brands of white rice aisle). For me, I'm "stuck" in the short term, but it's now a matter of time before I leave BA/Argentina... I'm trying to enjoy what I do and can enjoy about living here, and try (!) not think too hard about the things that make living here varying degrees of difficult.

ETA: I want to want to be here. As Sergio said in the following post it's sometimes seeing the needless suffering, the Systemic problems that bring the quality of life down, etc., that make it most difficult. I really do want Argentina to succeed, and I do see signs of promise and change (like recycling bins dumpsters appearing in the streets, even in some obscure parts of Caballito). I appreciate that this is a culture that changes rapidly. I just hope that it can sustain and overcome a hugely corrupt and dysfunctional system. As has been said, I don't want Argentina to be LIKE the US, either, as there are lots of reasons that I left in the first place, I just want it to be better (for everybody, especially those from here) and see so much possibility for promise that remains unfulfilled.