Job Discussion Forums

[Sheikh N Bake]

Brian Wilson lyric of the day

I know that you'll feel better
When you send us in your letter
And tell us..the...name of your
Your favorite vege-table.
Uh-uh, table vege vege

[MrScaramanga]

I repeat:
Yes, you can find veggies in supermarkets, but "fresh"? noooo.... lettuce is already browning by the time it gets to the shelves; tomatoes are, well, ummm, hard, not yet ripe, and avocadoes... for some reason never manage to ripen!!! they just rot away.
The vegetable souk in Al Ain used to have pretty good local lettuce and other produce, in comparison to the crap that is at the supermarket.
Totally agree with SNB on this one!

MrS (off topic we go again )

[Sheikh N Bake]

Yes, I seriously doubt I am the only one to find the vegetable selection in the Gulf ME pathetic. Compare that to my description of what's available in one US city, Houston, and I think that speaks for itself.

[veiledsentiments]

For me it is relative... it was just so much better than the very pretty, completely tasteless crap sold in US supermarkets.

But, apparently it depends on where you are in the Gulf just as in the US.

VS

[johnslat]

Dear veiledsentiments,

In my experience, if one buys from the giant supermarkets in Saudi, pretty much the same "crap" is on offer there as in the States.
However, if one goes to the vegetable souks, there's quite a difference.

The rub is that one often has to buy "in quantity" from the souks.

Regards,
John

[veiledsentiments]

I did visit the veggie souks and they would laugh at my small purchases. Of course it is similar now in US supermarkets. In my town, it is impossible to buy say... 4 potatoes... unless it is a russet or a russet wrapped in plastic to put in the microwave where it costs $1 for each one. But, russets are only for baking... and I want a normal potato, not a baking potato. To get them I have to buy 5 or 10 lbs... and they sprout or go bad before I can eat them all. (remember when potatoes used to last for months?? not anymore...)

VS

[helenl]

but potatoes have more than nine lives!

I will buy good "mashing" potatoes, freeze scoopfuls (ice cream scoops also have more than one use) on cookie sheets and put the potatoes in a plastic bag in the freezer - do not use milk or butter in the mashing process! Put a scoop or two in the microwave Voila, mashed potatoes~

[celticbutterfly]

My problem is not knowing from where the produce came, and in/with what it was marinated/sprayed/fertilised/transported before it reaches the shelves. This goes for both souq and supermarket. It's such a process to wash and wash again that I prefer eating frozen veggies most of the time. The newer supermarkets tend to showcase their best and freshest wares for a month or two, then the quality just drops. Twas only after going to Jordan and having such incredibly fresh and tasty veggies there that I realised what a lousy deal the UAE shoppers get most of the time. Then again, considering this is a desert country and one can buy anything one wants, more or less - can't complain too much.

[Sheikh N Bake]

Go 50 mins. north of Dubai into RAK and you can't get %&$# at the Carrefour, and no polite, energetic Filipinos to serve you either--just the usual surly, lazy young louts.

Again, in Houston you've got huge Hong Kong and Vietnamese supermarkets...surely you don't think you can't get a decent veggie there, do you? There is nothing like them anywhere around the ME Gulf.

I knew somebody in Saudi who said they felt better after they stopped eating fresh supermarket veggies...they suspected some pretty nasty fertilizing, whatever it was. No, I've got to say, I could taste my Kroger vegetables in Houston...the supermarket right across the street.

On another tack, I can't seem to get my fave seafood, scallops, outside North America except at fancy hotel restaurants in Dubai. I'm sure they have them in Europe, but I haven't looked for them there.

[veiledsentiments]

Really SnB... if I have to travel to Houston to buy vegetable, I'd rather go without. To be honest, I totally avoid Texas. I traveled around there for a couple weeks a few years back and didn't see one reason to ever get near the place again. I find it about as appealing as Saudi.

VS
(helen1, I'll have to try your potato idea, but mashed is not my preferred usage)

[Sheikh N Bake]

You missed an opportunity to get the point, VS. If Houston can have that stuff, certainly better cities and states do!

[veiledsentiments]

My point was that your point didn't seem to be true... as I spend half of my year in a large urban area.

VS

[johnslat]

Dear Sheik,

Besides, as I'm sure you already know - Everything in Texas is BIGGER AND BETTER (as every Texan will tell you - again and again.)

Regards,
John

[Sheikh N Bake]

Yeah but I'm from Connecticut originally, and proud of it. Smaller is better! A real Yank. Actually east TX isn't bad, with lots of forest and lakes north of Houston, and I enjoyed living in West Houston--convenient, pleasant, some of it attractive.