Jordan's Country Crisp:
Definition: A granola cereal filled with all kinds of different nuts!
On my first trip to Monoprix (a national chain of grocery stores), they were out, and I almost settled for the one with chocolate instead of nuts, but I resisted, and was eventually rewarded for my restraint!
The next favorite thing for which I have a picture:
Danone Jockey Petit Encas:
Definition: The creamiest, yummiest yogurt on the planet!
NEWSFLASH! The reason this "yogurt" is SOOO good...well, it appears that it's not actually yogurt, it's "fromage frais", leaning more towards the custard side of the dairy dessert spectrum.
Larger than most yogurt containers in France, Petit Encas is somewhere in between snack and dessert. After I had this particular yogurt for the first time, no other yogurt has really come close (ok, there was one at Trader Joe's...) This stuff is amazing! It's SOOOO creamy, and while my local Monoprix only seems to carry Strawberry (Fraise) and Peach (Pêche), I'm on the lookout for my favorite flavors which are Apple Vanilla (Pomme Vanille) and Pineapple (Ananas).
Other favorite French things (to be continued and with pics to come):
Salade de chevre chaud (Hot goat cheese salad):
Definition: A bed of leafy greens with a creamy vinaigrette dressing, upon which are perched little toasted slices of baguette topped with warm, round slices of goat cheese. Absolute heaven!
Le Métro:
Definition: The famous Paris subway, which has many detractors, but is truly an amazing example of mass transit (And I mean MASS, particularly at rush hour when you are forced become quite intimate with complete strangers while acting as if it is nothing at all that the only way to hold onto the center pole is to place your arm in the middle of your fellow traveler's chest).
Le Petit Marseillais products:
Definition: Le Petit Marseillais makes personal hygene products like soaps, hair care, body gel, lotion, etc. I don't know that there is really anything better about it (although the various scents are often different than anything we have in America), but sometimes different (and French) is just more interesting, and consequently seems better. Plus, I'm kind of a sucker for packaging. The little boy from Marseilles is just too cute!
French pastries:
Examples: Pain au chocolat (Chocolat croissant), Pain au Raisins, Chausson aux pommes (Apple turnover, of sorts), Viennois au chocolat, Brioche avec sucre ou avec pépits de chocolat, Croissant aux abricots. (Photos to come)
If only photos could capture the smell and the taste - it's amazing that French people manage to stay so thin when you have to walk past a bakery almost every 500m or so if not more often.
Couscous and Mint Tea (the a la menthe):
While neither are actually French in origin, the North African population in France has helped to make both a common sight around the country. Both are absolutely delish! And this is not the mint tea that you can buy in the tea bag in the store. It definitely has sugar and its fair share of peppermint leaves in the tea pot. I've never encountered mint tea like this anywhere but in France (although I have yet to visit North Africa.)
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