Wednesday, March 23, 2005
A Public Service Announcement
I received a message in my inbox the other day with the title
A Public Service Announcement-Cranberry Juice
You might be able to imagine my surprise at this title.... since I'm not aware that Public Service Announcements exist in France. Additionally, I've never seen cranberries, of any kind, in the French grocery stores. So I wondered... why would an email with this title be sent to me??
Ah.... the expat life. It was not a warning about something wrong or dangerous regarding a particular cranberry juice. Rather, it was a notice to a bunch of Americans that cranberry juice, or more specifically, that OCEAN SPRAY CRANBERRY & Framboise (Raspberry) juice was "sighted" at the Casino grocery store on Rue Belles Feuilles/St. Didier.
The note continues "The price is 1.79E. for a 1 litre bottle, and there
is a NOUVEAU, votre Premier Achat Rembourse notice on it. I beg you all to buy lots and lots of Cranberry Juice and make Ocean Spray's operation here a huge success so we won't have to pay the exorbitant prices at you-know-where anymore...and remember your first bottle is on them so don't throw that receipt away!"
Those of you in the United States.... imagine getting so excited about cranberry juice? Probably not, but I know I'm heading out to the store tomorrow to stock up.
-- said Auntie M in Paris
10:43 AM
# posted by Pat : 12:28 PM
# posted by fraise : 2:47 PM
# posted by Donna : 4:30 PM
# posted by maryse : 5:37 PM
It is only relatively recently that companies such as Green Giant have come onto the market with yellow sweet corn as we know it in the USA.
In France, sweet corn is traditionally reserved to animals, not people. No traditional French housewife would even think of serving it to French guests: it would be considered an insult.
L'Amerloque
# posted by L'Amerloque : 8:15 PM
Sweet corn: my French MIL turns up her nose at my Mexican Omelette with Sweetcorn & Green Peppers, and thinks I shouldn't give sweetcorn to the children "because it's pure sugar & starch". If you could only SEE the amount of sweets & candies she feeds them!!! Grrr.........
# posted by Antipodeesse : 2:32 PM
Sweetcorn is available around La Rochelle, our nutritionalist doesn't like it, too much sugar!
# posted by Anji : 3:28 PM
-Diana
# posted by Anonymous : 10:03 PM
Fraise, I wish our Carrefour carried cranberry juice. My kids love the stuff -- unfortunately not the flavored ones like Cranberry-Raspberry.
Donna, It's always exciting to find another product from home at the grocery store. Sad but true!
Maryse, When I got here there was no Heinz ketchup. Thankfully, it arrived in grocery stores shortly after our arrival.
L'A, I will never understand the French position on sweet corn! Another cultural difference that makes me smile and shake my head.
Pismire, It is good and good for you. Much better than apple juice for the kids.
# posted by Auntie M in Paris : 10:30 AM
Sammy, Yes, my kids also like cran-apple. The cran-raspberry is too sweet, even for them.
Antipo, The French kids eat so many sweets... candy and chocolate. I never have enough candy when my kids invite their classmates over. Some of their friends are addicted to sugar.
Anji, How does sweet corn have such a bad reputation over here?? I must check the nutritional value of sweet corn.
Diana, Hopefully, regular cranberry juice will soon appear in stores here too.
BM, I agree!
# posted by Auntie M in Paris : 10:35 AM