Grocery Shopping in Paris

By: Lillian Clark

Grocery shopping is a unique activity here because there are a few ways you can go about it.

1. Buy everything from a supermarket.
2. Shop at specialized local markets.

I highly suggest shopping at specialized places. Each week, when I planned out which meals, I would cook for myself, I also planned out where I would buy my ingredients. I bought all my produce fresh from a fruit and vegetable stand, I bought all my meat from a local butcher’s shop, and all my bread from a local patisserie. Anything else that I needed, I got from a supermarket. 

This may seem like a lot of extra work, but here is why it’s worth it. The quality of food at these specialized places is higher than at the supermarket. Lots of times, the supermarket produce has been sitting there for an extended period and sometimes has flies/mold. Secondarily, it gives you a chance to immerse yourself in the local community. This way you are literally eating like a local! Finally, it’s a fun experience that teaches you about food. When you shop at a specialized market it requires you to plan out meals and become educated on what types of meat and produce you need to buy.

Ultimately, do what makes you happy and have fun doing it!