BEST FRENCH GROCERY STORE SOUVENIRS WORTH BRINGING HOME!!
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- Опубліковано 23 жов 2023
- Everyone wants the perfect souvenir when they travel to Paris and the rest of France, but do you want to know a little secret? Your neighborhood French grocery store is a great place to shop for fun and affordable souvenirs from France. From food items like chocolate, cookies and spices to linens, books, and more, don't count your local French supermarket out when it comes to Paris souvenirs. There are so many items that represent French culture and are easy to pack in your suitcase.
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Salut! I'm Diane, an American who has lived in France since 2012 and the creator of the blog/UA-cam channel Oui In France. My channel's focus is "Everyday French life and beyond." I make videos on French culture topics, France vs. US culture comparisons, food, travel, language, and give you my thoughts about what it's like living in France as an American in the Loire Valley. Thanks for being here and if you enjoy this sort of thing, please share with friends and subscribe!
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LOVE Bonne Maman jams. A bit expensive here, but worth it! I also have some of the Camargue salt that I had received in a gift basket. That's for special occasions!
No real Brie, Camembert,... The US is missing out on the real and good stuff.
When we travel, I LOVE dropping into a grocery store. I'm fascinated by the local brands of the country.
Many years ago, I would bring reusable bags back from my trips and give them as souvenir gifts to friends and family. They would always graciously accept them but never used them as it was common to get single use plastic bags from stores at no cost. Now that most cities have banned the use of disposable bags and started charging for reusable bags, they understand how useful those souvenirs are!
Exactly, so handy to have now even in the U.S.! I think some entire states have banned plastic bags as well so a nice reusable one is super practical.
They did ? Good news ! 👏
😅😅😅brilliant. A plan stolen, thank you
As a french I am always incredibly surprised by how appreciated and trendy monoprix is to people from abroad. In France I feel like it's often seen as the very expensive grocery store of the city centres. Now with this video i also understand why i once saw a group of american tourists in my city's Monoprix who bought 10 soaps and 10 reusable bags. Much better than the single use they give in the usa. Now living abroad i am starting to realize how much of a variety of products we have in France compared to other countries, even of the most random products like salt and mustard. Another shocking thing is how expensive french products are abroad (which explains why tourists buy a ton to store it at home when they are on a trip to France, might do the same now).
I back that 100%. I live in Germany and I really miss the diversity of french supermarkets.
If Monoprix had a branch in the US, the appeal would go down, like how in the 50s-60s you had to go to France to buy Chanel No. 5 or Dior dresses. Of course, people still like those things, but there is less of the "Wow!" reaction now compared then. Also like how the French used to stock up on British chocolate candy bars before they became more available in France (and also before they declined in quality).
I live in France and though the supermarket aisles are already familiar, I still enjoy watching this kind of content and it gives a new perspective on how we look at the things we see on a daily basis ! Great job Diane, all the best ! x
Thanks very much! Really happy to hear that. ;-)
Hello Dianne, I have a little story to tell, about the wine you can see at exactly 19:44 of your video. I was in the queue to pay, in a French supermarket - nothing unusual, I am French, and I live in France - I had picked up randomly a bottle of wine, and when I put it on the counter, the woman behind me cried « you have found some ? Where did you find this bottle ? » So I told her, and she immediately took off to go and get some. So when we opened that bottle, we paid extra attention : the wine was really good, the price was very good. That was twenty years ago, and, since then, I have remained faithful to the Médoc Merrain Rouge, it never disappointed me !
Most french story ever told. Love it.
My favorite French souvenir remains bar soap from the supermarket. All of my friends love it and have started requesting it in advance of a trip. Bonus: it makes your luggage smell good. Also, I recently picked up some Monoprix reusable thin nylon shopping bags. I loved that they had a stuff sack sewn into them so you can't lose it and they pack very small.
Oh wait, you covered that, I spoke too soon!
A reverse way of thinking is when I lived in Olean, I would ask my American friends to bring me "Jif " extra crunchy peanut butter the largest jar and as many as possible!
The Bon Maman tartes au citron have come home in our suitcases as have some of the lovely round sugar cubes, a Super-U bag (I used it at Monoprix so didn't buy theirs), some of the soaps from Le Petit Marseilles, some sea salt, a few aprons, some socks, and Nespresso pods that aren't available in the US. Also, in 2005, I broke my eyeliner pencil sharpener & had to buy a new one at Monoprix...I still have it & use it 18 years later!
Kinder is the german word for "children" , but the main brand is Ferrero and is Italian
While last in Parris I bought two tea towels with an unusual textile design. I framed one & hung it in my kitchen where I get a lot of complimentary comments about my "etching".
I love your grocery store tours! The prices in France always surprise me because I live in Canada. Many of the items you highlighted are available here but at double/triple/10X the cost.
I am a Frenchman living in France and I like watching your videos, if only because I understand everything you say without putting on the English subtitles.
I live in the uk and I pop over regularly and buy 95% these things each trip :)
Man, I think I need to get off the computer. I read your comment as "..and i poo over there regularly." Haha. Glad you make the trip often. Such good stuff!
I bring back the salted caramel spread to NZ and have it on my crêpes or waffles to remind me of France….for the short time it lasts 😁
Pas longtemps, j'imagine 😂
For French chocolate, I always go to the Grand Epicerie at Bon Marche. They have chocolate made in France.
First time I've been in India (2007) I was surprised to see "Bonne maman" jam in a little super market; it was the only French product available there. Just to say how world wide this product is. The thing you can also easily find is Nuttela but it's not French.
Bravo Diane, even if I'm French I enjoy all of your videos.
It’s a tradition of mine that the day before I go home from Paris, I go to the grocery store and LOAD UP on stuff. Honey, olive oil, truffle oil, madeleines, butter cookies, loose leaf tea, chocolate, preservatives, and cheese. Once I run out of my French goods, I know it’s time for a return trip!
You skipped over the miel d'acacia. Impossible to find in the US and unbelievably delicious.
Sorry about that!! I do my narration on the fly to keep it spontaneous and natural and totally didn't see it!
Acacia honey is lovely. I bought a jar on a whim in a bicycle shop in Auxerre.
I always bring back some herbes de Provence. The blends I find in the US contain lavender, which adds a discordant note.
Bonne Maman or LU cookies, canned pate, bar soaps & dish towels are my favorite Monoprix souvenirs. French baby foods are always appreciated too...they are definitely more "gourmet" compared to what we find in the US.
Bonne Maman and LU are readily available in US supermarkets from Acme to Whole Foods.
They have so many yummy Bonne Maman items you can't get in the US or at least not in all areas. I've never seen their cookies, madelines, etc, just the jams ❤️ We brought the citron tartes and little tendres coeur cakes. So delicious ❤️
Bon jour Diane. I love to receive practical gifts and I also give them. I'm a big gift giver of grocery store items, especially dish towels, scarves, and tote bags. Some practical tips- cookies in boxes travel better than bagged cookies. Since we have to check liquids, I don't recommend honey, mustard, etc. If they leak/break, everything in your luggage is ruined. If you do carry, remember to travel with zip lock bags. Last, I find groceries frequently have very nice pistachio products. As always, another wonderful and useful vlog. Merci.
J'ai souvent ramené du miel dans ma valise, de la confiture. J'emballe chaque pot dans un sac en plastique, je les entoure avec du linge et les mets au milieu de la valise. Jamais eu de problème !
So fun story about fountain pens. I worked at a before and after school care program. In the mornings I was at a different school and started showing some of the kids how to write in cursive when one showed an interest in it. One day I brought in a fountain pen and showed the difference in writing and they were so fascinated. A lot of schools these days don't teach cursive writing and at the time, the school wasn't either. But this was a way of keeping them busy and quiet so I didn't mind. I had one student who was homeless. He really took a shine to the fountain pen and cursive writing. After a while, he got pretty good so I bought him his own and you'd have thought I'd given him gold! Lol the other parents had to go get their kids their own pens after a while😁 they didn't seem to mind since it was educational and kept the kids busy!
I taught ESL in Prague and it is standard procedure for first graders to get a pen with ink drop-ins after the first semester!!! They are thrilled and do remarkably well to learn cursive. I thought they's get ink on their clothes or skin, but didn't.
@@ccmarcum that's so impressive!
Aww that’s so nice what a great story ❤️🇨🇦
The paper napkins at Monoprix are just great. Thicker and nice feeling than US brands. The cocktail size are a great gift/ souvenir.
Also the toothpicks! Much better than what we can get in the US.
As an American, I was so happy to see you zeroed in on the same items/brands I always focus on bringing back. The Claire Fonteine cahiers, fountain pens, and highlighters bring back so many memories of going to school in France in the 1970s! Before we could get them in the States, Maille mustard, Haribo, Nutella, and Héro syrups were high on my list of "imports." Instead of tea towels, I'd buy oil cloth in cool patterns to use to make bags and place mats for gifts. Today, I buy certain Nexus face cream and eye serum at the pharmacy because it's such an effective, nice smelling, yet inexpensive brand.
In Quebec French we say: chaque torchon a sa gueneille
"gueneille" ? Qu'est-ce donc ?
@@LizzieJaneBennet c'est un torchon usé
Moi je dirais même plus, faut pas mélanger les torchons avec les serviettes 😉
"Guenille « in metropolitan French
The most frequent request from my friends/family: gants de toilette and a bar of soap - especially if it's the brand "Le chat". So many cat lovers in my circle! LOL I love that it's cruelty-free AND smells so good!
It may depend on the flavor but some of the Maille mustards here in the US come from Canada. I've tried the chestnut spread, I assume it's just for baking. It's sweet but didn't have much chestnut flavor. If you like canned sardines, you can get sardines packed in butter. I've not seen this from other countries, it's pretty amazing if you happen to be a canned sardine eater.
Exactly! I think I mentioned that the Maille mustard we find in the US isn't actually imported from France so best to snatch up a few varieties when in France for sure! Are you a fan of sardines? I'm not but Tom loves them!
quebec is french 👏🏻
@@michael8590it’s not in Europe though😂
@@OuiInFrancethe thing is that Maille is not a French brand 1nymorz for a long time. But a brand of Unilever group. So no surprise you can find this almost everywhere. And take care about "Moutarde de Dijon", that is still not protected as AOP so everyone can do it's own mustard everywhere and called this "Moutarde de Dijon". It's just kind of "receipt" 😢
French canned seafood. Incredibly expensive globally outside of France.
Excellent choices! The Monoprix bags were always a huge hit for me. I'd also buy Heinz 3 Poivres sauce, a wide variety of Petit Marseillais products to put in the bags, the different types of salt, Lipton's Lady Grey tea or the ones in little tied balls and I'd also pick up washing mitts for the shower/bath. I think the strangest request I got was from a pregnant colleague - she had an incredible hankering for Harry's bread (the one with the chocolate chips). Try bringing two squishy loaves of that stuff onto the plane in the overhead compartment 🤣
My favourite French mustard is from Edmund Fallot.
When I go to Paris, I always haunt Monoprix. Last year I purchased a beautiful cashmere sweater, a gift for me! I also pick up the Monoprix reusable shopping bags and soaps as gifts.
Diane, your nail polish is a perfect match for the crème de marrons! Very chic :D
Yes, I did learn how to write with a fountain pen! And kids use navy blue, not black.
I noticed the nail enamel. It was a lovely shade.
Great idea! When heading to Italy or Turkey, I take gifts to my friends there and then have plenty of space in my luggage. The day before departure I head to the supermarket and load up on fabulous food and treats. They are always a hit with family and friends.
My mom used foutain pens in elementary school in Montreal
What a great idea to take edible treats like cookies as gifts/souvenirs from any country. It is harder to be original these days since globalisation, but still there are gems in any country that aren't available anywhere else. I don't live in France, but in UK we can get the Bonne Maman compote in jars and I'd definitely recommend those as gifts. Delicious. And any of the chestnut products. I've yet to find anyone who can make a decent Madeleine but the French. Another Bonne Maman idea. Dish towels? Yes! And if they have a few French words on I'd venture to say you could take one back as a gift for your boss! And every kid should have a book in French! Brilliant! Terrific video Diane, with so many lovely suggestions.
Perfect timing with this video! I'll be in France in two weeks and will be sure to pick up some of these items. Thanks so much!
I have to say I adore French products because of the excellent quality and the variety. I go to the supermarket for cookies, jam, paste, and honey, but I also visit marche for cheeses to stock up.
As always, a super high quality video that I suggest to anyone going to France. Monoprix is a one stop souvenir shop for so many small, French items that are easy to pack etc. I especially like the fact that you were in Angers because I studied at the Catho for several summers. Merci encore une fois et j'ai hâte de voir votre prochaine vidéo!
Thank you so much. I really enjoyed this video. I shopped at Monopris when in Paris. So much fun. I found so many items we don't have here. The best part is that it stocks made in France items. Thanks again.😊
There are all kinds of food I wanted to bring home and didn't have room for. I can't wait for our next trip ❤
Thanks for that good report. I agree that Monoprix is a cut above the other supermarket chain. I hope that it lasts because I have just read about how it is being caught up in the financial maelstrom of the Casino group. Apparently here are lay offs and resupply problems affecting some stores more than others. So far our local Monoprix at Lisieux seems to have maintained its standards. I would urge people to keep buying there so as to contribute to solving their problems.
Enjoyable video.... Makes me feel like I want to buy all the products... 😉
A guest brought us something years ago that we still use constantly and love: tapered, handle-less espresso cups. There are six, each color showing a different favorite French destination. Great gift.
"Sablés" are named "Sablés" because when you prepare them the dough must have the consistency of sand. And when you eat them, they tend to break into sandy little pieces. For notebook, lined ones exist but not for children: the squares with the little lines inside are made for children to learn how to write each character correctly in terms of height.
Yup, 100% true!
I love French stationery. I was delighted to learn that French people write with fountain pens.
I always return home from France with salt and soap from the supermarkets as gifts.
Thank you for the video!
My pleasure!
Thanks, this is so helpful. We will be in France next spring and are looking forward to bringing back some gifts for friends.
Such a fun video! Merci!!!
Glad you enjoyed it!
black cherry jam, madeleines with jam filling, cheese, LU Petite Ecolier, Michel & Augestin Apero crackers, individual wrapped Valier (Swiss) chocolates, sea salt, mustard, and advent calendars. you hit all the good gifts
We have a lot of favourite things in common! 😊
I love your grocery store videos. Last year from your videos I went into every Monoprix I came across. I bought scarves, candy and loads of the little bags to give as gifts. I can't wait to go back. Also, thanks for the U.S store link, I've ordered from them as well.
Very nice vlog, please make more of these kinds,❤
This is so helpful! Thank you Diane for this video. I am looking for no-print white socks, and now I know where I can buy them haha
You are so welcome!
Thanks for the great vlog. Its so slow and clear, everything is clear
Great to hear!
When my daughter was recently in Nouméa, I got her to drop into the Géant Casino to pick up a couple of cans of Cassoulet.
I loved this video. I want to go back to France soon and will visit this market. It was so informative. Love all things French!
You've got to do more of these. After all, the whole idea about learning French is - well, honestly - about the food and wine!
Check out the playlist I linked in the description with a bunch more grocery store content I've done!
I loooooove French grocery stores!
I agree great job
Thank you for the great video! I too like to give useful gifts and buy useful souvenirs. We have a trip to France planed next year, and this was a very helpful video.
My favorite video so far
So glad you enjoyed it!
How familiar you're with the french very yummy food😅you really know what is tasty 👏👏
Thank you 😋
thanks for the video! one thing i really liked was the carre four almond shampoo. i brought back a small bottle and lost it but then my french friends came and stayed with me here in ny so i asked them to get that carre four almond shampoo for me. the smell is wonderful i dont know what they use in that. i brought back the chocolate cookies from the brand you mentioned for everyone here french baked goods are the best in the world! ive never had such good baked goods anywhere in the world and they are so affordable. i was able to safely bring back an albino armani bottle of wine from near the dolomites but when i was on trenitalia the wine bag broke and i lost the second bottle i had 😅
fabulous
Great video! I just went to Bordeaux for 9 days. I probably should have went to grocery store. Next time.
best store ever!
You can tell a Canadian in a French supermarket, we are the ones turning the products around looking for the English side.
I still miss pains au chocolat and candy mark Boobliezz from my university excange period from last spring semester from France.😞 You can find Boobliezz candies from the bulk candy shelves (irtomakeishyllyt in Finnish) or from the cruising ships between Tallinn and Stockholm here from Finland.😞 Salutations de la Finlande! Greetings from Finland! Terveisiä Suomesta!
Something about stationary that's worth noting too is that the standard paper sheet size is not the same in France and North America.
I live in Canada now and I didn't know before moving that they are not 21cm x 29.7cm here (they are shorter and wider). So if you have any folder storage or anything to put papers in, the standard A4 won't fit.
Also, I feel like the clothes at Monoprix are not that bad. I've seen pretty expensive things like cashmere sweater and everything. I've never bought anything from Monoprix but I feel like it's maybe even better than an H&M. I'd love to have anyone's feedback on it you've ever tried their clothing section.
Monoprix aux Halles! I really miss living in Angers. I'd recommend Maille Cornichons à la Russe (huge, giant gherkins). I'd also recommend the revamped U in nearby Beaucouzé, which had loads of products I've not seen in other large supermarkets.
Excellent video. Nougats travel particularly well . The genuine ones are a tradition from the town of Montelimar. An amusing anecdote : did you know that "les nougats" are a slang word for the toes ? Another recommandation : Bonne Maman's quince jelly ; very hard to find , so far I know. Not only is it delicious, but also useful in case of a minor diarrhea, you can even give some to your kids.
I went to Angers Monoprix as well today 😂
Bravo🌟you're an expert...
You have great taste!
Oh thank you!
If you like spicy mustard, try Amora……It’s piquante & makes an amazing vinaigrette salad dressing. It is also available in a plastic bottle which is great for packing/travel.
The black tea , a la vanille . Definitely a must take back in usa
I live next to Angers and my daughter's name is Diane ;-). Love watching your videos !
Hello when you get the chance. Please do a video of organic stores. Thanks! ❤
Absolutely will if that's of interest. :-) The main one by me is Biocoop, so thumbs up my reply here if you want to see an organic store!
Michel et Augustin existe aussi aux Etats Unis
Such a great brand! You'll definitely find a more complete product line in France though. So many yummy things to discover. Thank you for watching!
Chocolate and potato chips! They would never make it to the airport. There are two yummy for the tummy.
Mon Cheris are the best thing there. We can’t buy anything like them in the US, though I’ve found some of the other things in import aisles. I need to go back to France just to get more of those.
Bonjour Diane. I so enjoy your tours of French stores especially Le Monoprix. I enjoyed shopping in the Monoprix at Les Halles Angers. It was perfectly stocked with everything I could want. I purchased some excellent blanc de blanc brut for 9€ and an very good demi bottle of cote du rhone for 5€. I assembled my choices for Le charcuterie and veggies and enjoy my supper in my beautiful and well equipped flat. Baguettes came from Le boulangerie comeillé.
Great seeing you on your UA-cam channel. Happy Halloween.
I love Monoprix❤ thanks
Tinned foie gras is good present, biscoff spread is good while technically not French, raclette cheese, tapenade, fish soup pot but risky to take in suitcase, saucisson sec
Okay, but the Carrefour brand raspberry jam filled, chocolate covered cookies were my go to when I was in France.
The difference between Carrefour and Monoprix is that the first is a chain of very large supermarket, often on the outskirts of towns and often only accessible by car. Conversely, Monoprix is a city center supermarket chain, more accessible for pedestrians.
Often, Monoprix is considered more upscale, with higher prices than large supermarkets on the outskirts.
Conversely, you have the Super U supermarket chain which rather targets medium-sized towns (less than 50,000 inhabitants) in the countryside and is absent from large cities.
For your information, Angers is a city of 152,000 inhabitants, which is considered a relatively large city for France (16th most populous city in France).
I love this vlog!!!! What about butters? Salut!
I agree with you for the brand bonne maman and the chesnut spread😊 butvI never buy my honey in supermarkets... I'm not confident about where it comes from...
What's your favorite honey producer?
@@OuiInFrance I buy my honey from market stalls, directly to the producers
They don’t seem to have the high inflated rates there that we do here which is great to see!
Just curious, I noticed when you walked into the market that there were several stairs down into the market. Is there a way to get in for folks that have trouble getting around? When visiting several years ago, we noticed that there are few accessibility options for public places. (metro, museums, hotels, stores)
There's an elevator in this particular store
I'll settle for a can of Monoprix cassoulet.
Pretty much anything Michel et Augustin is my go-to. Their savory petits beurre/sablés biscuits in a variety of AOP flavors you'll never find stateside (sadly) are INSANE for cheese/cracker lovers (Beaufort, Ossau Iraty avec piment d'Espelette current favorites).
I was pretty sad when I finished off my stash I managed to stuff my carry-on with within a few weeks after our trip this summer.
Fortunately my brother-in-law surprised me with a few fresh bags when he came over from Paris for our wedding.
Those didn't last long either...
I got a ltitle bit confused when I saw that they sell some Carrefour products even here in Finland at hypermarket stores called Prisma.😄 For example they sell some Carrefour tea flavours and Carrefour hair products at Prismas.
Rien d'étonnant Carrefour et Wallmart sont les deux plus grands groupes industriels du groupe alimentaire sur la planète
@@helmutvonshneil589 Mais pas en Finlande au moins.
Before Brexit, Prisma had a deal with Tesco for their higher end products, after Brexit, Tesco was not able to export anymore, and Carrefour won the bid for this deal. Pretty happy with that since their brand products are of good quality and affordable, even in Finland where prices have skyrocketted.
I don't know if you know this, but we can get the Bonne Maman baked goods in the US. I have not seen all of these varieties but I live in a mid sized city that really does not have a lot of international items. I imagine in the bigger cities, getting these wouldn't be an issue. We also have the jams. Bonne Maman is a popular brand here.
Yup, I've seen the jam and some other things stateside but the full product line is only available in France I believe.
@@OuiInFrance I like how they keep bringing more and more of their products to the US. My husband really likes their strawberry jam.
Yes bringing back BM to the US is ridiculous at this point unless you live in a cave. More flavors are available at different times of the year. The BM version of Nutella is great and I can get it at my local acme….
Bonne Maman is the BEST!!!
Also, the stuff you buy in the EU is different. It's better. There are ingredients allowed in the US that aren't permitted in the EU.
I always buy sel de guerand when there. So much cheaper than imported.
I m a French expat, first thing I do when I come back , is to go to Monoprix of Carrefour and take with me all these "delicatesses" I can get where I live now.
Thanks ...........
Could you cross over to Spain and review a Mercadona store? It doesn’t have as many options but I found the selection of products to be just “Goldilocks right” for regular grocery shopping.
I don't live on the border or anything so that would be quite a road trip. Will check it out if I'm ever in Spain!
Je me souviens de MonoPrix. The clothing you showed seemed to be a better quality than what used to be the case. It's interesting how much things have changed. Halloween didn't exist when I was in France. It was a national religious holiday (Day of the Dead). There wasn't any kind of tradition as I recall--neither the American costumes, spooky events & enormous amounts of candy nor the Mexican sugar skulls or traditional picnics at the cemetery. I do remember that the hard lesson I learned was that it was a very bad idea to take a trip on that holiday. At least not on the train. Unless you enjoy standing in the corridor by the restroom for several hours.
My husband said when he was a kid, it wasn't really a thing either. And it's become more popular (on and off) over the past 20 years or so. Still very low key compared to US celebrations.
A small precision ; “Jour des morts” (November 2) is not a public holiday in France. It is "Toussaint" which is a public holiday (November 1st). In fact, the two celebrations are linked, "Toussaint" is the "feast of all Saints" but is above all the "martyrs' day" in the Catholic church and its association with the " Jour des morts" (day of the dead) is a reminiscence of the ancient pagan celtic festival of Samhain which continued under the name of Halloween in Ireland.
Traditionally, this period at the beginning of November was dedicated by french families to go and decorate the graves of their deceased with Chrysanthemums, but this tradition is being lost in favor of the recent commercial tradition of Halloween (and also because the French are making more and more cremated instead of being buried in cemeteries).
Thank you. I recall that it was Toussaint now that you have graciously corrected my confusion. I still stand by what a bad idea it was to take advantage of a day off to travel by train @@mfcq4987 😬
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