A lot of you might agree with me that it has been so hectic the past few months. Trips that have been planned months ahead had to get canceled. The people you were supposed to meet had to wait a little longer. The 6 months that I was supposed to spend in Salzburg got shortened into just 1 month. Short as it might be, it was 1 month that I will never regret spending. Through that 1 month, I have experienced a lot. But one that I liked the most, shocked me a little bit, and will try to remember it as best as I can is… THE SUPERMARKET.
You might be wondering, why? Out of all the places why the supermarket? Well, let me tell you something. The supermarket was the number 1 place that I visited the most often in Salzburg and with the many supermarket chains, I made it my goal to try and enter each one. There were many things that shocked me also. Just as a quick background story, I am Indonesian and I now live in Japan. The countries I’ve been to have been mostly Asian countries which means Asian supermarkets. What’s so special about that? Supermarkets are supermarkets, they are practically the same. Well, let me tell you some differences.
This is the size of the rice that I am used to seeing in supermarkets and not the small ones Iike the ones I find in Merkur
Fruits are really cheap in Salzburg. In Japan, we can only get 1/3rd of the number of strawberries for ¥398 or €3,40.
and there were more types of dairies with interesting packaging in Salzburg
and college students usually eat a lot of instant food but I saw that in Salzburg most people cook or just eat outside
So, just a quick tip for people like me, who have always lived in Asian countries and never visited Europe before, it is very different. Don’t expect to see big sacks of rice or instant ramens or even pre-made lunch boxes that we have in Japan. But it is really fun to try out all the different types of milks that ALL looks so good and especially if you’re from a country where fruits are expensive THIS IS YOUR TIME. Your time to get healthier while also keeping your wallet healthy. If ever you miss home cook meals don’t be afraid you can always go to an Asian supermarket and find tiny bits of your home country there.
