America week at grocery stores

America week at grocery stores

Both Lidl and Aldi, national grocery store chains in Germany, have official “America weeks” during which they market “generic” American products. At Lidl, you can buy everything from marshmallows to rice and beans, to bbq sauce, hamburger buns, corn flakes, chocolate, California wine and almonds and much more. Most products at the Lidl are also packaged in red, white and blue colors.

America has been distilled to several basic food products. Buy and eat some food and feel American! Freudian psychoanalysts could have a field day with the idea of consuming and expending culture. Perhaps, these food sales are the perfect metaphor for much of American social culture: an endless cycle of consumption and waste.

Aldi is supposed to display or give out recipes during their week. I will have to go there and pick up several to report on. In the meanwhile, be happy that the USA is showing its colors to the German public!