(image credit: Merry Berry)

Before coming to the United Kingdom (UK), I heard that many food items in Europe had fewer preservatives than in the United States which led to them being healthier. The American students and I came to the conclusion that fewer preservatives are why there are quicker expiration dates.

We have not only been trying the food from grocery stores but also UK restaurants. We try to find restaurants that have European items on the menu to try different things. Last week we went to a pizza place with a name I can neither spell nor pronounce. After we each ate a 12 inch pizza by ourselves, we were full but felt wonderful. There was no regret after eating an entire pizza nor was there a sick feeling in our stomachs. The pizzas tasted delicious, fresh, and I cannot wait to go back.

A common difference in wording of food items between the US and UK would be in regards to French fries. In the UK, French fries are called chips. If you would like a burger and fries, you would say a burger and chips. Potato chips are called crisps. It took a little while in the beginning to get used to the different words, but now I say them without really paying much attention.

I would also like to mention my new favorite food item that I discovered while studying here in the UK. I had never had a scone before arriving here and I can now say that I absolutely love them. I like to think of them as a cross between a biscuit and an English muffin.

Since being in the UK, I have had plain, cheese, blueberry, blueberry and ginger, and an apple and cinnamon scones. They have all been amazing. I know I will miss them when I am back in the United States.

Another interesting fact about food in the UK is that most of their grocery store foods have very quick expiration dates. I never knew it was possible for expiration dates to be in a few days rather than a few weeks. Since arriving in the UK, I learned to not stock up on many food items because they will go bad well before I would be able to eat them.

Pasta sauce, for example, had an expiration date expiring in a few days after I purchased it. I have discovered that in order to salvage the food I buy and make sure it stays mold-free would be to freeze it.

My roommate and I know what many of the grocery store employees look like because of our frequent visits and we quickly became pros at navigating the store aisles.

I have had delicious food in Wales, Ireland, and the UK. I am excited to continue my adventure and food journey.

 

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