Bye bye, American food...

Every time I start to feel like Sweden isn't really that much different from where I grew up (Michigan), all it takes is a quick stroll through the grocery aisles to remind me how far away from home I really am.  While all the trees, fields, barns, and mossy forests might look a lot like the upper Midwest, the food is much different and obviously most American brands of food are nowhere to be found.

Honestly, I'm thankful for this...we eat WAY too much processed crap in America and Swedish food is mostly based on whole, natural ingredients instead of different parts of corn that have gone through five different chemistry labs and processing plants on the way to our stomachs.  The food here is delicious and I can find substitutes for most things that I really miss if I need to.  But, I can't help feeling a little bit of nostalgia in saying goodbye to the food that just isn't sold here:

Root beer is nowhere to be found.  No substitutes either and therefore no cold, frosty root beer floats.  

Yellow mustard is not used here.  There are a lot of different types of mustard (senap), and fancy brown spicy mustards are available, which I like.  But, regular everyday mustard here is weird and sweet and sticky....and everyone will look at you like you're nuts if you put it on a turkey sandwich.  

Chocolate chips are absolutely not available...although there are lots of different types of chocolate and wonderful stuff like Nutella, but no chocolate chips = no chocolate chip cookies.  Boo.

 All brands of American Candy are, you guessed it, apparently only sold in America.  None of our delicious chocolatey peanutty candy bars are here, and Swedish candy is mostly based on gummy, licorice-flavored, half-salty concoctions.  Great for the diet because it's so gross for the tastebuds.

Same goes for all this junk: no Chips Ahoy, Oreos, Fig Newtons, or Nutter Butters.  Anyone else starting to realize how us Americans have become such fat-a$$es?
(***Update*** Just found out that they DO sell Oreos here, they just started last year :)

Cilantro doesn't seem to be grown or used in Sweden.  Can't find it anywhere.

There are a few sad excuses for Mexican food, but as a girl who lived in Guatemala for two years, it doesn't even come close.  They put CUCUMBERS on their "tacos" here.  No, no, no.  And on top of that, no Pacifico (my favorite) beer to wash it down with.

So, that's my food eulogy for the day...there is still plenty of crap food available here in Sweden, and I feel a twinge of shame every time I see my country's wonderful contributions to the world when we drive past the golden arches.  And I'm sure all this junk food tastes much better in my nostalgic mind than it does in real life....in the meantime I'm sure I'll survive on all the fresh and delicious real food here in Sweden.