Earlier this year we were in León, Spain and stumbled on this curiosity: Taste of America.
Taste of America proudly proclaims to be “The Original American Supermarket” and, oh hey, we’re American. Naturally, we went inside.
I know, I know, the anticipation is killing you, so let me get right to the point. What kinds of foods do Americans buy in their original supermarkets? We buy junk food; canned soup, canned frosting, canned potato chips and boxed cereals in a rainbow of artificial colors. The store was crowded with eager Spanish shoppers, baskets laden with this exotic American fare. We felt so patriotic!
Somewhere out there, Andy Warhol is smiling.
While I’d like to think that the people of León admire the USA for jazz music, Frank Lloyd Wright, or that our Supreme Court just upheld the Affordable Care Act and legalized same sex marriage. But if they happen to love us for our high-fructose corn syrup and trans fat-laden junk food, well, at least they love us.
How we got to León: train from Frómista to Palencia followed by another train from Palencia to León.
Where we slept: Hostal Alda Casco Antiguo. Price: €45 for a double. Recommended: yes.
Picnic at the Cathedral 
So this place was full of Spaniards? I would have thought it would be full of Americans walking the Camino who were tired of eating Mediterranean food and drinking local wine and who wanted a taste of home. Tell me there was peanut butter for sale.
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I’m fairly sure we were the only Americans, though perhaps that’s because it was off season for the Camino. Personally, I’d take a nice jar of peanut butter over canned frosting any day…..
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I wish I had one of those by me when I went to Spain on an exchange trip, I missed my cereals.
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I think I would miss vegetarian food the most. I’m not a real vegetarian, but in Spain there’s just so much ham!
Where did you go on your exchange trip?
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I agree about the ham, and they had it really thinly sliced and it was cured so it tasted quite different. I went to Alicante, it is southeast, about half an hour from the coast and an hour or two south of Valencia.
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I don’t think I’ve ever had frosting from a can. But hey, at least someone is helping the rest of the world catch up with our country’s obesity rate!
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Well what else are you supposed to use to frost your cake from a box?
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Don’t people know how mind-numbingly easy it is to make frosting? I don’t get it. And cake from a box! Eeeek don’t get me started.
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This made me smile, and it also reminded me of the funny ‘McEnnedy’ products here in Germany. They have everything from buttered or salted microwave popcorn, to peanut butter, to special Halloween hot dogs in a jar that have a jack-o’-lantern imprinted on them. 🙂
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Oh my—Halloween hot dogs! I’d certainly buy that as a souvenir.
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