finding ingredients in France

Emily_vdh · Joined: 17 Dec 2006 Posts: 1

Dear Clotilde,

I'm studying in Paris this year, and I seem to have hit a culinary langauge barrier. I was just wondering if you could help me find some ingredients - I was trying to make a birthday cake last week and couldn't find confectioner's sugar in my local supermarket (although it is quite small). What is the french name for it?

Could you possibly add some translations like this to your bloxicon? I realise most of the names are evident, but I had no idea what to ask for. I couldn't find any cocoa powder other than drinking chocolate either. As I said, my local supermarket is quite small, and perhaps I was looking in the wrong place, but some advice on where to find such things would be much appreciated.

Many thanks

Emily

Rachel · Joined: 22 Oct 2006 Posts: 296 Location: Santa Barbara, CA

Hi Emily, I hope Clotilde won't mind my jumping in but I believe what you're looking for is 'sucre glace'. Good luck with the baking and have a great year in Paris!

poongy2 · Joined: 20 Aug 2006 Posts: 3 Location: Yeosu, South Korea

Emily,

I have such fond memories of my year in Paris! Many of which involved the hunt for familiar ingredients and the mastering of baking without an oven (sounds like you have one - lucky you!). I also went looking for powdered sugar and had a really hard time finding it. In fact, I don't remember if I ever did, but surely it exists somewhere in Paris!

Perhaps some of you will enjoy a laugh at my ignorance: Wanting to make an apple crisp, I went looking for oatmeal. My dictionary told me that oatmeal is "avoine" and so I confidently asked several grocers if they had "avoine." They laughed at me. Finally I asked my employer, and she informed me that only horses eat "avoine" and I needed to ask for "des flocons d'avoine."

In any case, do shop around. I found the selection to vary tremendously even in chain stores depending on the neighborhood (Monoprix in the 16th, where I worked, is very upscale and had everything I could think of; Monoprix in the 17th, where I lived, was somewhat lacking.)

I found a few things I wanted desperately - such as pecans - at the Thanksgiving store, but most of the items they carry, as I recall, are the prepackaged mixes (Betty Crocker cake, icing, etc.). I don't recall exactly where it is but I could look it up if you're interested in checking it out.

Have a wonderful time, and feel free to ask questions!

Cheers,
Susan