We've become obsessed by our food. First, there is the shopping for food. Box of cereal $10. A single Breyer's yogurt $3. The price of the items I am accustomed to buying is ridiculous. So, I spend a lot of time at the store trying to figure out what is low-fat, low-sugar, doesn't come from China (can you say mad cow?), doesn't cost an arm and a leg, and that I can prepare with either a frying pan or a pot (my only two cooking utensils). I've been tempted by the organic items. I've always made them a priority in the States. But I am stuck between the budget and our desire to be healthy. There has been a lot of trial and error. Not to mention many pleas to home to send us a few of the things that look and taste familiar.
If you like juice, this place is a paradise! Just don't look for 100% fruit, fruit juice. It's all corn syrup here.
The milk? Doesn't need to be refrigerated. This means it is very important to remember to have a spare carton in the fridge at all times. Or, like this AM, you may be the person having room temperature milk on your $10 cereal! I miss the milkman.
We've been eating out quite a bit. And despite the fact that, "It's hard to feel awful when you're eating falafel," we've all had stomache upset to varying degrees. The first time it was after we had mixed grill. Mixed grill is a common thing to order in a Jordanian restaurant and it consists of lamb, chicken and beef. Both my SP and I were so sick after the first time we ate it. But, whenever we go out with someone, they want to get the mixed grill. When you've been invited out, it's hard to say, "Thank you, but I think that I will barf if you make me eat mixed grill." Therefore, we've had it two times since with much better results, but I don't think I will ever willingly order it on my own.
It seems to be when we eat out that we get sick. At home, I am washing all my fruits and veggies with Clorox. At this point, it might just be a mental thing, but I think it has helped.
The things we love about eating here? The Arabic bread. Why do we not have this in the states? And I've become a master at serving it many ways - usually as a substitute for breakfast. Our two favorite ways are warmed with cinnamon sugar, and spread with strawberry cream cheese (it is just like the soft part of a bagel!). It is not at all like sandwich bread, and I can't find a decent sandwich bread anywhere! But I love to go to the neighborhood bakery and get the Arabic bread. I've also found a fruit vendor I like. The fruit here is not the pretty, polished fruit we get in the states. Forget excluding anything with bruises. You'll never find an unbruised anything. But we've had some really good, ripe, bleached fruit. And his dates? I find they are sweet enough, I could give up chocolate. And the Felafel guy? He's my favorite. Best felafel and hummus ever.
I'm hoping our stomachs will adjust. In the mean time, I'm recommending buying stock in the makers of Tums.
13 comments:
You so made me laugh I think food obsession is absolutely an expat thing. Kindred spirits. Falefel, hummus fresh tomatoes and feta the best!!! If anyone wants to come and visit us they get a food tax, a list of coveted food items that guarantees them a bed . Its major excitement when they do come first theyve come!!!Yay!!! and then theyve bought dried cranberries and baked (not fried) nuts oh which reminds me we bought some yummy nuts at the market in Aqaba too.
Hey, careful there, tiger. You don't want to equate "made in China" with "mad cow." It makes at least one of your readers nervous.
Over here in China, we too have $10 boxes of cereal. I can send you my recipe for pumpkin bread or bran muffins, if you like. Because you gotta go cold turkey on the cereal or you'll go broke.
And speaking of turkey... just you wait til Thanksgiving rolls around and you want turkey or cranberries or something crazy like that. The most I've ever paid for a small turkey? $80. Not EIGHT, but EIGHTY. So start saving now.
And send me some of that hummus...
Yum hummus. And you've got Starbucks. Now if it was just me, I could live on those two items alone. I don't think that would be healthy for your children though.
I agree with Tanya... expat does = Food Obsessive.
We also have $10 cereal here in Cairo.. and like you, I spend way too much time trying to decide where my hard earned cash should go.. most staples are OK... I make my own bread, if you have a bread machine, use it.. A small coffee grinder does the trick for whatever grains I can find, and packets of SOURDOUGH extract that I bring from Germany really does the trick to improve the flavour if the flour is not strong enough. LOL at 'the food tax"...
Oh gosh, I'm so sorry you've been sick. I was dumbstruck when we were in St. Croix. I don't know how these people manage to eat with tomatoes at $6 a pound and everything else equally priced. The meals at the resort were astronomical so for lunch we would munch on a $6 can of Pringles!!
- Suzanne, the Farmer's Wife
Wow - sounds like such a crazy experience! If you don't mind me asking, why did you move there? I think it is wonderful to be exposed to this new culture...even if it costs $10 cereal (yikes!)
Getting used to new places & dietary habits is an odd experience. Quite often the old tum will start complaining, especially if you have a large amount of something you're unused to. I remember that in Austria with the huge amount of meat & cheese on the menu. Delicious but it can build up!
I agree, terrible shame we can't lynch Newton. Not to worry, I expect he had his moments. I was thinking more along the lines of prevent him from inventing gravity again or some such.
Have made mental note to separate dumb bells & books. Good point.
Ah food. Yea. When we go on R&R to the states, we do some restaurant tourism. Real pit BBQ, good guacamole and salsa, a good salad bar, etc. We like to explore the new cultural foods too, but eventually you start craving 'home food'. We like the local 'baladi' bread here too. Even the kids ask for it, and both have had the chance to see it made in an open-fire stone oven. Eventually, you'll have to check out the local McD's or KFC - even if you don't eat there in the US! It's interesting to see the variations of their well-known menus (and McD's McArabia isn't that bad). They can be expensive compared to other restaurants though - at least they are in Cairo.
I'm sorry you haven't been getting along with the food. I can understand the longing for what 'used to be'. I certainly miss the variety that the US stores have. Here we have three choices for milk - 3.5%, 1.5% and buttermilk. Yech. The eggs are just in the middle of the 'cold' section of the store with other milk and milk products. There is exactly one brand of chicken to choose from... etc.
I would send you some Tums for sure - if I didn't need them myself. I hope things settle down and you can start to find some new things that can become favorites.
Oh yes... the oh-so-fun acclimation process of new foods, tastes, and smells. I love the mixed grill - it's something that we've been lucky to have in all of our overseas postings.
The warm milk - we have that here too... Not my favorite thing, but at least I can buy a case of it at a time.
And the upset stomach. Welcome to our world of diarrhea on a weekly basis. Fun, eh?
p.s. Photos?
it's 1.18 our time in the morn, and i just got home from a night of drinking too much in my home at a party in my honor {they love it when i return!}...
so tell me where you live, and i will turn up on your doorstep and BRING FUN! xoxo kmm
I've never been to Jordan, but I can say I get sick every time I travel to Egypt. Boo!
PS. Can I get an invite when you and karey m. party? Sounds too fun to pass up!
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