When I moved to Portugal in '81 I didn't have a hope in hell's chance of finding any goodies I craved. I could only shop locally, either at the market or in the 'mini-mercado' during the week then on Saturday at the Baeta supermarket in Sintra (no car during the week). Even then, we were limited to the amount of milk we could buy, and butter was often rancid. Bananas were hard to come by, which I thought was really odd. Anyone coming to stay from the UK were obliged to bring jars of Marmite if nothing else. I can't survive without Marmite. Thinking about it now, it's quite astounding how much changed in a short space of time after I moved here.
The other day whilst in the hypermarket, it occurred to me that British products are disappearing again. Lea & Perrins, Marmite, and OXO cubes, are items I'm convinced we're around not so long ago.
One of my friends lived in England from 14 to 24, doesn't like the Brits much but she can get very wistful over bacon, an English breakfast and Greggs.
I tend just to eat Portuguese food when I'm in Portugal, so I'd completely missed the crisps things. Still horrified that there's a Pret at Colombo.
❤️❤️ (I have completely fallen in love with a particular brand of jalapeño potato chips sold here in the US. The powder on them is perfect and no other brand can compete. I will be crushed when they eventually disappear. Crushed!)
When in Lisbon take a walk at Rua da Palma. The Chinese stores on the even side have the strangest and interesting flavoured snacks you can imagine. Some are quite shrimpy.
When I lived in England for a very brief 3 months, I fell for Salt and Vinegar so strongly that I never tried most other flavours, but now you left me thinking maybe I should have.
This was an interesting read Lucy, thanks. As you're probably aware, Marmite has gone really quite mad in the last decade or so. Marmite pre-mixed with butter (!?), Marmite peanut butter, Marmite crisps (Twiglets should sue). Not to mention the Marmite 'limited edition' flavours: Guinness, chilli, truffle, and my favourite: Elton John flavour.
Down here in the Algarve, in the commercial centre of Almancil is a whole supermarket full of British food, or things masquerading as food. Huge bricks of decent cheddar! Brightly coloured bottles of sweet stuff you dilute to make sweet drinks. (and my favourite - elderflower!) Aaaaaand... there are numerous weird flavours of British crisps. Yeah, you mentioned this! But the title misled me.
When I moved to Portugal in '81 I didn't have a hope in hell's chance of finding any goodies I craved. I could only shop locally, either at the market or in the 'mini-mercado' during the week then on Saturday at the Baeta supermarket in Sintra (no car during the week). Even then, we were limited to the amount of milk we could buy, and butter was often rancid. Bananas were hard to come by, which I thought was really odd. Anyone coming to stay from the UK were obliged to bring jars of Marmite if nothing else. I can't survive without Marmite. Thinking about it now, it's quite astounding how much changed in a short space of time after I moved here.
It’s hard to believe, isn’t it? I arrived 18 years after you and so it was already massively different, but still no crisps then :)
The other day whilst in the hypermarket, it occurred to me that British products are disappearing again. Lea & Perrins, Marmite, and OXO cubes, are items I'm convinced we're around not so long ago.
One of my friends lived in England from 14 to 24, doesn't like the Brits much but she can get very wistful over bacon, an English breakfast and Greggs.
I tend just to eat Portuguese food when I'm in Portugal, so I'd completely missed the crisps things. Still horrified that there's a Pret at Colombo.
I won’t leave the house till they tell me it’s gone!!! (Sorta)
❤️❤️ (I have completely fallen in love with a particular brand of jalapeño potato chips sold here in the US. The powder on them is perfect and no other brand can compete. I will be crushed when they eventually disappear. Crushed!)
Ooooh yum. They sound good… just going to the kitchen to dehydrate some chillies….
When in Lisbon take a walk at Rua da Palma. The Chinese stores on the even side have the strangest and interesting flavoured snacks you can imagine. Some are quite shrimpy.
Seaweed chips with wasabi are the bomb!!
I like playing snack roulette. Supermercado Chen is really good for this… mostly untranslated things! :)
So you're one of us! 😉 My better half likes the tomato sauce chips, small packets. I prefer the weird stuff that is not fruity.
https://www.instagram.com/food.i.cant.read?igsh=ZWU2c2ZpZXFxdmUx
This guy is taking it to the next level
You forgot to mention Tunnocks tea cakes. And Marmite peanut butter is disgusting- had to be tried by the family gourmand.
I think the kids next door liked it, but then they like banana bread!
I guess I am Portuguese- no flavoured crisps for me. Salted is all I need.
Are you sure I can’t tempt you with a hedgehog flavoured crisp??? (The 1980s were strange)
Only if you try Coca-cola with whipped cream (I was strange in the 1980s).
😬
Coke with vanilla ice cream, though, is fabulous!! Coke float. Mmmm
When I lived in England for a very brief 3 months, I fell for Salt and Vinegar so strongly that I never tried most other flavours, but now you left me thinking maybe I should have.
(Did you read this article when it came out?
I found it so utterly fascinating: https://www.theguardian.com/food/2023/dec/02/the-weird-secretive-world-of-crisp-flavours)
Salt and vinegar is still one of the greatest! It was always my go to at the end of swimming club (I didn’t read it, but I will now)
This was an interesting read Lucy, thanks. As you're probably aware, Marmite has gone really quite mad in the last decade or so. Marmite pre-mixed with butter (!?), Marmite peanut butter, Marmite crisps (Twiglets should sue). Not to mention the Marmite 'limited edition' flavours: Guinness, chilli, truffle, and my favourite: Elton John flavour.
Thanks Joe.
Those all sound TERRIBLE, (I did have the chilli one, and it wasn't NICE). I still haven't quite forgiven them for the watered down version!
Down here in the Algarve, in the commercial centre of Almancil is a whole supermarket full of British food, or things masquerading as food. Huge bricks of decent cheddar! Brightly coloured bottles of sweet stuff you dilute to make sweet drinks. (and my favourite - elderflower!) Aaaaaand... there are numerous weird flavours of British crisps. Yeah, you mentioned this! But the title misled me.
I know… it’s why I live in Lisbon ;)