Among the missing items are:
- plain, fat-free yogurt. Better yet, greek-style yogurt.
- ground cumin, cilantro (so I can make actual mexican food, instead of what they call "mexican" in the restaurants)
- dried onion flakes
- a chicken breast. Just your standard bone-in, skin on, chicken breast
I'm already on a restricted diet (gluten free, sigh), so the thought of having to take a bus just to get "normal" things is so very unappealing...
(Sorry if I'm being too whiny)
as for chicken breast on the bone well I may be wrong but can you get chicken breast on the bone? not seen it with skin on here though so I am with you there - I buy the large chicken legs with skin on instead
Not seen onion flakes - not sure what you'd use them for? so haven't looked for them
Look for weight watchers brand (coop) or leger brand (Migros) for low fat yogurt - or go to Aldi or Lidl - they definitely do low fat yogurt and lidl do low far cottage cheese which i have yet to find in coop or migros
Not sure how long you have been here but you eventually get used to the shopping here and change your habits - I am sure swiss people moving to America will complain at the lack of certain things they are used to too - it's part and parcel of moving away from your home country
search the forum for all the things you miss from home and you will find lots of good info.
Different countries, different food in the supermarket
They have low-fat, plain yogurt. They have fresh cilantro in the produce section and ground cumin in the spice section.
You will not find a chicken breast with the skin on. If you must have skin, buy a whole roaster and cut it up yourself. They do have turkey breasts, boneless, with skin on.
I haven't seen dried onion flakes, maybe try Aligro, they have a huge dried spice collection. Are you trying to add those onions to burgers or meatloaf? Just chop up a shallot and pan saute. Will taste even better!
Perseverence is the key as well as a willingness to experiment with non-traditional ingredients. Aligro is worth the bus trip (two block walk from Renen Gare or direct stop, Planta, on the 30 or 32 bus lines).
Good luck and welcome to Lausanne!
They do have low-fat yogurt, but not *fat-free* plain yogurt. It's just frustrating, as there are a ton of other yogurt options.
Re: the cumin, I'm sure--they had two different bottles of the granule kind, so I'm pretty sure this particular Co-op (which I would say is medium-sized), just didn't carry it.
Sigh.
I moved here from the Uk 7 years ago and believe me the selection is hugely better now than it was. I came here from London where the supermarkets never close and they cater for every ethinicity and food intolerance.
The stuff is all there just not in your little local coop- They don't have the demand so they stock what sells.
Try shopping with coop at home or leshop (migros online) and you will find a much larger selection and get it delivered to your home. They do many gluten free products in the coop and list them separately on line.
good luck and happy adjusting.
Caz who enjoys shopping but is glad the shops are shut on Sundays (nice to have a family day)
The supermarkets here are definitely not as massive as those in the US and UK but they are sufficient. If they dont have products that you want, I soon learnt to adapt. Takes flexibility and creativity on your part and some getting used to, before long, you'll hardly notice.
PS: for dried onion flakes, the Asian stores will have them.
At least you can find gluten free products easy enough I imagine.
I must say in Switzerland you will find it hard to get everything you need under one roof, Migros and Coop do not stock the same stuff.
(Note that I'm not complaining about the lack of gluten-free items--I can understand that there is less demand for them here.)
You will get a wide range of gluten free stuff at any Pharmacy here as well as what is called a Drogerie ,coeliac disease is as common and known here as elsewhere.
Both Migros and Coop stock a range of it in the big sized stores,but not always in smaller ones.
Obviously gluten intolerance isnt as "out there" over here as the population of Switzerland is much smaller than both the countries you mentioned. But there ARE people who are gluten intolerant (I now know of at least 3) and they've survived.
Stop whining, start searching this forum and get your lazy arse on the damn bus!
Make it an adventure, a forage into a different world.
Hang in there, you'll be happily Swissed in no time
Tis a lovely place, hope you'll enjoy it