Converting in the Romp - Grocery Shopping

    Grocery shopping is such an underrated adventure. But always a necessity when you stay at someone's flat or at an Airbnb. Grocery shopping can be a slight challenge when you are not sure where to go or what is being sold.  In the States we have instant everything and 24 hour everywhere. Down Under there are three major chains Woolworths, Aldie, and Coles. Yes folks, here Coles is not clothes shopping and Aldie is rather a nice spot to get produce. Woolies (Woolworths) is truly equivalent to a Kroger here.


    Now, Australia is foreignly familiar and typically has the same fresh produce with some Asian fruits that can be difficult to come by in the States. The biggest name differences I noticed was in what sweet peppers and cilantro are called. Sweet peppers are called capsicum, cantaloupe is often called rockmelon, and cilantro is called coriander. I guess not all words are shortened Down Under. No worries though. The stock items at Woolies were familiar to a point. Yes, General Mills and Kellogg’s have made a mark on the entire world, and Aus is no different. But really, I'd recommend buying some blueberries to pour into the Weet-Bix. It's shredded wheat in nature-valley-styled bar forms you can break up with a bit of milk and a spoon. Fair warning, do not buy a large box - you will not consume it all. Now chocolate is different only because Hersey’s brand does not dominate here. In Aus it is Cadbury chocolate and I must say this brand is far superior.

Nom nom nom gimme some some some!

    What isn’t superior here (and some Aussies will admit to this bit of information) is their bacon. My opinion is simple... If cheese is the glue of food, bacon is the duct tape. Cook almost anything with bacon and it magically gets better. Asparagus wrapped in bacon – Yum. Bacon and eggs – Devine. Even chocolate chip bacon cookies are delicious. Don’t knock it till you try it because the sweet and savory mix is worth not yucking this yum yum in your tum tum. But what passes for bacon Down Under?

    What does Aus have that passes as bacon… Well, it is a thicker version of what Americans would often refer to as ham rasher or more colloquially as Canadian bacon. So, before I could take this home and fry it up I needed to purchase a small amount. I walk up to the butcher’s counter and I ask for some bacon. The lady response with how much? It was then I realized I have no clue what metric sizes were. I froze for a moment trying to math this out. The only time in the States metric units are used within the general public is if you are buying drugs (not over the counter drugs either folks). Well I am not exactly an expert on purchasing drywall dust and I do not know a guy named Heisenberg (Breaking Bad, folks). I could feel the polite impatience of the people around me wanting to order this wonderfully salted pork product. Perhaps just in my head were such thoughts, but the pressure was on... What was maybe a few seconds felt like five minutes, but I finally said, “A key” like I just ordered something chalky from Pablo himself. 

Cooking 30 grams... Of Aussie Bacon Sydney, NSW 2018

    For those that are not good with conversions, I literally panic ordered 2.2 pounds of bacon. Next time, maybe just 200 grams would do to satisfy my withdraws for salted breakfast pork. But hey, have to love that exchange rate, right?! So, cheers to eating bacon every morning with my avo and toast with a poached egg on the side...

    Yes, I felt a little like Jesse from Breaking Bad when I was cooking.  But the aroma that woke my brain from its slumber and continued 14 hour time changed transition was of coffee with a splash of milk.

    And yes... I ended up buying spinach because... Well... heaps of fiber was needed.  And no toilet was harmed during the digestion of these foods.

~~~Dustin J. Casey~~~

~~~©Dustin J. Casey 2021~~~