For a tourist who is neither a worker nor a student, but just staying in the US for a month, every day is a battle against boredom. Unlike New York, where you can go anywhere on foot, there are many restrictions in Western California, where you cannot move without a car.
Living as a homebody in Korea and living as a homebody in the US are worlds apart in terms of the degree of loneliness. In this place where time is limited, being lazy is a waste of time and money. Therefore, unless you make something to do every day, you will have no choice but to go to Bangkok.
While some consider visiting famous tourist spots and eating at restaurants recommended by other travelers as part of tourism, I believe that ‘grocery shopping’ can also be a worthy element of tourism. Grocery shopping is one of those activities that makes us feel like a local for a little while, and it’s also a great way to kill time, so it’s like killing two birds with one stone.
I used to go to the mart near my house, a 20-minute walk away, for lunch every day. It was the same mart I always went to, but it felt new every time I went. No one cared if I stayed for two or three hours, so I felt like I could shop all day if I wanted to. My heart raced when I saw the colorful packages painted all over in English. When I saw myself going around the corners with my cart, comparing prices and thinking about what to buy, I felt like I had briefly become part of their daily lives. Although I was a traveler, at this moment, I felt like a local.
Hummus
Hummus, my No. 1 snack. Hummus is not only hard to find in domestic marts, but there are many people who don’t know what hummus is or have never tried it. I also learned about it through a foreign YouTuber’s vlog. Hummus is made from chickpeas and is a healthy food preferred by vegetarians. It comes in a variety of flavors, including original, spicy, avocado, olive, and chocolate. It can be used in many ways, such as dipping nacho chips or pita bread in it, or spreading it on toast. If you’re looking for a snack that will ease your guilt a little in the United States, where sweet and salty snacks like potato chips and Oreos are prevalent, I recommend hummus.
Source: My Gallery
Icecram
Just as sparrows can’t just pass by a mill, one of the corners that always ties my ankles is ice cream. My heart raced when I saw the colorful packaging of dozens of brands that haven’t been imported into Korea yet. Not only did none of them look bad, but there were also many combinations that stimulated my curiosity. There were also many vegan and low-calorie products, so I had a wide range of choices when I wanted to reduce my guilt a little. The photo above is from one of the small marts near my Santa Barbara dorm, and the prices were definitely cheaper than in Korea. As someone who likes nuts, my favorites were Ben & Jerry’s Peanut Butter Cups and Pistachios.
Source: My Gallery
Peanut butter cup
For me, who always shouted ‘chocolate over candy’, America is a heaven. When I look at the shelves filled with colorful chocolates, I have no idea what to pick. But doesn’t everyone have a favorite? No matter how much I think about it, the place I always reach for is chocolate. These are Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. There is no need to explain my favorite combination of chocolate and peanut butter. When you take a bite, the sweet and creamy chocolate first coats your mouth, followed by the salty and savory flavor of peanut butter that gently spreads and melts in your mouth. Sweet and salty Addiction is something that is hard to break once you feel it.
Alternative milk
Whenever I go to a domestic cafe, the milk option is always a disappointment. There are no other options besides milk and soy milk, and the milk itself is bland, making it difficult to taste the depth of flavor. Recently, there have been changes and you can often find places that have oat or almond milk options, but it is true that more development is needed. Therefore, what I have been waiting for before going to the US is milk. In addition to the commonly known oat and almond, there are many types such as macadamia, hemp, cashew, rice, and coconut milk. In particular, it is no exaggeration to say that milk is the key to a latte. If you pour espresso into a cup full of ice and top it with thick, rich milk, it becomes much more flavorful. There may be differences depending on the brand, but I personally think that oat, almond, and macadamia go well with coffee. If you don’t like blandness, I recommend oat milk, and if you want a subtle sweetness, I also recommend Califia Farms almond milk.
Nut butter
I love peanut butter so much that I can just eat it with a spoon whenever I see a bottle. It’s one of those foods that I always keep in stock, so much so that I can’t even imagine living with a nut allergy. As expected from the home of peanut butter, my eyes widened when I saw the shelves lined with various kinds of jams and butters. Among them, the products I really wanted to try were natural peanut butter and almond butter. Natural, which is made mainly with peanuts and salt rather than processed peanut butters like Skippy and Jiff, shows a big difference in taste and viscosity. Since there are no additives or stabilizers, the oil layer separates, so you have to mix it evenly before eating. It’s very lumpy and viscous, and you can barely taste the sweetness. Since I’m so used to processed foods, it feels unfamiliar, but if you want to feel the natural richness and mildness of peanuts, it’s worth a try.
