Food Shopping: First Impressions

Food shopping is not entirely accurate because we are still quarantining. My mother in law has kindly been bringing groceries. I can't wait to be out and about doing my own food shopping. For now, here are a few differences between Japanese and American sticker prices I've already noticed. 

Fruits are more expensive, and seafood is less expensive. A package of strawberries cost $8 USD and nearly as much as domestic scallops. The scallops in the photo are really fresh - so fresh that they can be eaten sashimi-style. Yet they cost only about a dollar more than the strawberries. 

Unsurprisingly, natto is a lot cheaper in Japan. Natto is a kind of fermented soybean that is eaten with rice. It has a stinky smell and a slimy texture. It is not well-loved outside Japan. Nevertheless, it is healthy, a convenient source of protein, and a staple in our household. My kids love it. At Mitsuwa in Chicago, it cost around $2 for a pack of three. Here, it is 75 cents for the same. Also, it is more delicious - if you think natto is delicious at all. 

Then there are things like this bag of muesli/cereal mix:

It's Kellogg's brand but I have never seen this in America. Have you? It is really good (light, crunchy, and only lightly sweetened). I would have bought this back home. I don't know how much this cost, but things like granola, muesli, and cereal generally cost double or triple what it would cost in America. Sad, as I love muesli. But I also love morning pastries, which are abundant here. There are french-style bakeries everywhere. More on that once quarantine is over. 

One other thing I noticed is that produce items are overly packaged. Take this for example: 

On the flip side, the quality of produce items are very high, higher than my local Whole Foods in Chicago. I've gone through three packages of strawberries, and not a single mealy, watery, tasteless strawberry. Maybe $8 is worth it then? 

There was a QR code on a package of potatoes tracing it to a farm in Hokkaido, an agricultural region in the north. I thought this was so interesting. My husband makes fun of me, but I would love QR codes on my food telling me about their origins. Japanese agricultural production seems very different from the U.S.. I want to learn more about it, so stay tuned on this topic.