Special Report on Food

On our way to Todi, we had a three hour layover in the London Heathrow airport. Of course, we had to stop in the closest W. H. Smith booth and purchase some of the local junk food as a “cultural experience.” We tried not to go overboard, but—oh look! Crunchie Bars!

 We haven’t finished everything yet, but we’ve kept a log as we munch our way through the goodies. Here is a list of what we’ve tried so far:

·        A Cadbury fruit and nut bar—delicious, but sweet! The dried fruit in the chocolate was different from what we’re used to in America

·        Wine pastilles—like fruit pastilles (chewy, fruity, gummy sweets), but with slightly different flavors and a chewier texture

·        Ribena—a drink made with fruit juice, sugar, and sugar. We got the raspberry and black currant flavors. We only got a few sips each, but it was sweet enough that it was enough—for most of us, that is. James claims he could live off of the nectar.

·        Cadbury mini eggs—like the malted milk ball eggs that we get around Easter time.

·        Crisps (potato chips)—in various flavors that we just don’t find in the U.S.

o   Prawn cocktail

o   Irish cheddar with onion chutney

o   Worcester sauce

o   Cheese and onions

o   Oriental ribs

o   Flame grilled steak

All were delicious. Really.

·        Lemon Fanta—not nearly as sweet as lemon drinks that we find back home; it had more of a bitter tanginess to it.

·        Licorice allsorts—how could one visit England and not get these? I personally greatly prefer Dutch licorice, but Ashley found a couple of types that she likes (she doesn’t like Dutch licorice) and everyone else was happy enough to gulp them down.

·        Fruit gums—upon seeing the package, James insisted that he’d had these before. We were all quite bemused until we realized that he was thinking of the fruit snacks that one can buy in the states. These candies do look similar, but have a much chewier texture and less sweet flavors.

·        Orangina—think orange Fanta with just a little bit of real orange juice, and you know what this is.

Whew!

Also, now that we’re here in Todi, we’ve noticed a few pricing differences:

·        Fresh pasta-- $1/lb

·        A bottle of wine-- $2.50

·        A huge loaf of freshly-baked bread-- $4

However, it’s also worth noting that the price for nuts is significantly higher here—pine nuts cost about $12 for a quarter cup.

This report brought to you by Eleanor.