Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
cleaned potatoes and vegetables. You can also buy entire,
freshly cooked meals from a
traiteur
that advertises
vente
à emporter
(takeaway), or even high-quality frozen meals.
For times when even these easy options are not appealing,
you can order a meal by telephone for
livraison à domicile
(home delivery), from Japanese sushi to Italian pizza and
Indian curries.
The quality of fresh ingredients in Paris is extremely high,
as food for sale is regulated by law. Butter, cheese, poultry
and vegetables must conform to the standards set for the
region from which they come, and the label
appellation
d'origine contrôlée
monitors the quality of both food products
and alcoholic beverages. Thus, food at outdoor markets,
neighbourhood
traiteurs
and supermarkets conveniently
located in every
quartier
, are of a certain standard.
Agents
de conservation
(preservatives) are rare, so food will taste
better and be fresher but may spoil quickly. Look for the
date de péremption
(expiration date) on packaged foods,
indicated by '
vente jusqu'à
' or '
consommer avant
' followed
by the expiration date. (North Americans should remember
that the date is written in the order of day, month and year.)
If you have bought an expired product, take your receipt
and the product back to the shop, and it will be exchanged
in most cases.
Groceries are open from about 8:00 am until 7:30 pm,
although neighbourhood shops may take a lunch break.
Supermarkets stay open all day, some until 10:00 pm.
Traiteurs
and bakeries are open on Sunday mornings to
supply the traditional Sunday lunch, as are outdoor markets.
Most shops are closed on Monday, except supermarkets. In
the summer, small shops will post signs announcing their
fermeture annuelle
(annual closure) for the entire month of
July or August. Supermarkets stay open, but some outdoor
markets have a reduced number of stalls and some groceries
close altogether until
la
rentrée
(the return—to school and
work—after the long summer vacation) in September.
Europe is on the metric system (see Resource Guide in
Chapter 10 for a conversion guide). Thus, people used to
ounces and pounds will have to convert to grams and kilograms
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