PicoBlog

Grocery shopping is one of those activities I enjoy. Call me crazy, but I like to roam the aisles, pick up products, smell the produce and discover new items I might not otherwise find if I only shopped on-line. When I travel to new countries, it’s always a fascinating experience to go to a grocery store and see how others experience one of the most important facets of their life – finding food to cook and eat!

I’ll never forget the first time I went grocery shopping here in Sweden, the day after we arrived. I was jet lagged and discombobulated. While the store layout was somewhat familiar, the language was completely foreign and the aisles were set up differently. It took me more than twice as long to shop for food as I frantically used Google Translate to assist me with the language barrier! Needless to say, it’s gotten easier over time. But those first impressions remain a vivid memory in moving to a new and foreign land. With two years of grocery shopping under my belt, there are a few observations worth sharing on the experiences and how they differ to those in Berkeley.

The first observation is about quantity and choice. When walking into either of the two main grocery chains – ICA or Coop (together, they represent 70% of the retail market) – there are numerous aisles chock full of products. Delving into the food aisles, the brand choices narrow to a smaller selection. Most of the brands are regional or European, although there are a few US brands like Old El Paso (hello General Mills) to deliver on the Swedish love for Tex Mex (this is a thing!). In general, I see fewer options for the same types of products and less brand differentiation on products. That said, for some product lines, there are many more choices than I can even comprehend. For example, when purchasing flours, there are many more types of flours beyond all-purpose and whole wheat. Here, they offer ancient grain flours, specific varietal choices, multiple variations of milling, etc. I am sure this speaks to the amount of baking people must do in their homes, and I still need to figure out all the intended uses for these flours!

[Several flours are available beyond All Purpose, from rye to oat to spelt, and more]

Another observation I have is that the aisles are set up differently than what I am accustomed to in the US. Some of the sections are similar (fresh produce, snacks, dairy/plant-based, etc.), but others are unique to this place, and it’s not always clear to me why they group products together. One more obvious grouping is an area they callfredagsmys, which translates to ‘cozy Friday’. This Swedish tradition started in the 1990s and celebrates staying at home and eating comfort food (like Tex Mex), playing games and just chillaxing as the weekend starts. The knäckebröd section also provides numerous choices from brands to flavors. I wrote about how I eat knäckebröd for lunch in this previous post; I’m still making my way through the variety offered. One more unique section to highlight is the “u-pick candy” aisles, which feeds the Swedish obsession for candies. 😊 These are just a few examples of different arrangements one can find while perusing the store - below you can see them, and more, on display in stores.

(Fredegasmys has its own special section, mostly dedicated to the snacks one might eat on Cozy Friday – chips!)

(The selection of knäckebröd (crisp breads) is notable!)

(Food in tubes is very Swedish, from cheese to caviar to mayo and more. Admittedly, this has not quite caught on in our household, but I can see the appeal! Thanks to Colleen for the reminder to include this Swedish grocery store staple!)

(Candy is a bit of an obsession in Sweden, so one can find bulk bins in grocery stores as well as dedicated retail stores throughout town)

(Fresh produce sections have a decent selection, oftentimes offering local/seasonal produce as well. Produce is oftentimes plastic-wrapped, but thankfully we have dedicated recycling for the flexible film!)

The final noteworthy point relates to finding organic and more sustainable foods. In general, I find eco-labeled products are more available here in the average grocery store than in the US, whether it’s through the EU organic certification or through Sweden’s KRAV certification standard. KRAV is similar to organic with additional sustainability attributes included. Interestingly enough, I’ve learned that Sweden has a goal for 30 percent of its agricultural land to be organic by 2030. Currently, they are at 19 percent organic. Impressive, especially considering that the US has less than 1 percent of its land devoted to organic. While there is room for debate on how to best move forward with certifications (or not) to drive sustainability, what I can say is that when I go grocery shopping, I see more products and produce with sustainability labels. What is odd, and something which I have yet to figure out, is that some stores have both distinct “natural/organic” sections with specific brands, and then simultaneously, the same types of certified products are distributed throughout the shelves. While odd, it does usually mean I can find sustainably-certified products somewhere in the store and it’s simply a matter of finding my favorite brands!

In comparing my experience here to that in California, the most obvious difference is the quality and diversity of produce. We definitely lived in a food bubble in Berkeley, and I loved my weekly visits to Monterey Market where the abundance of fresh, high-quality – and oftentimes organic produce – was overflowing. Clearly, we lived in the land of plenty, and I do miss it sometimes. But because I know that Berkeley does not represent all of the US, I can say that the average quality I find here in Sweden is better than the average quality found in mainstream supermarkets in the US. However, when it comes to finding those superior products and produce like we found in Berkeley or at a Whole Foods Market, there is less of that available in Sweden. Having worked in the natural and organic foods industry for so many years, I feel fortunate to have been part of some of the leading consumer packaged goods (CPG) innovations for farm to table connections. And I do find that the US has a higher bar for food innovation. With food being such a cornerstone of our lives, it has been an adjustment in making the move to Sweden. However, I’m impressed by what I can find in the average grocery store. Better yet, I’ve found a hidden gem that prioritizes high quality Italian, Spanish and Swedish produce, allowing us to still savor our Meyer lemons, pomegranates and stone fruit, when in season. We also have an amazing local deli that delights us with regional cheeses, jams and sauces. From April until December, we have our local farmers to thank for the best seasonal and sustainably farmed produce and our eggs. So while I miss my weekly jaunts to Monterey Market, and the CSA boxes from Riverdog and Frog Hollow, we’ve found a good balance here in Sweden, too!

What questions do you have for me? What was interesting to learn about here?

ncG1vNJzZmirmJbCr63Smpuor6Ogtm%2B%2F1JuqrZmToHuku8xop2imkau2qK3ToqWgZaOssqW10qFkoKqfmLKzxYysq6iqlag%3D