Everyday Japan

I meant to post something about Japanese groceries months ago, but finally focused on a few things that are noticeably different than what you find in American stores. The quick summary is: groceries are sold in smaller amounts, with less packaging, and often with a shorter sell-by date.

The most obvious is milk: available here only in 1 liter containers like this, about 1/4 the size of an enormous American plastic milk jug.


We drink one of these every 1 1/2 days - which means we are constantly shopping for milk! Fortunately, Arno, who loved to drink milk in Seattle, decided the day of our arrival here that he didn't like Japanese milk; we think the milk here has a nuttier, less sweet flavor.

Also, most milk sold here is whole milk, and this tastes like it has a higher fat content than the 4% standard in the US; you also do find low-fat and non-fat milk. Some whole milk is also pasteurized at a lower temperature (you can see the temp printed on this package, and some show a lower temp) which some say improves the flavor.

Next, eggs. They are sold here in plastic cartons of 10 eggs, and each egg has a small sticker with a sell-by date. So precise!


Sandwich/toast bread is typically sold in packages of 6 or 8 slices - as much as a typical American family might eat in 1 day! The heels are left out and the bread is soft and fantastic; six-slice bread is thicker and almost luxurious. We are not talking Wonder Bread. In the US, bread is big business, so you find a variety of grain combinations. Here, nutty, whole-wheat bread is rare except in French bakeries.


Chicken broth: Sold in small, collapsible-plastic packages. Lots of products (including shampoo and cleaning supply replacement containers) come in this thin plastic, presumably to limit trash and packaging.


Finally, carrots. They typically come in cellophane packages of 1, 3 or 5 carrots. They are also three times as fat as American carrots and much more flavorful.


More as I find them...