Chinese Grits!

Seems EVERYTHING is made (or can be found) in China!

Another reason we’re gonna love China – Chinese grits! We made our first trip to the Lotus, a large supermarket (akin to a Walmart superstore). The store is comprised of two large floors filled with everything imaginable and has an escalator to accommodate shopping carts. For many small reasons (and not just because we found grits), I will prefer to shop this store over the one located much more conveniently to our new apartment. I still can’t believe it - GRITS – a southerner’s quintessential comfort food! We were in the spices and dried fruits isle when my husband handed me the bag of golden milled corn. He mumbled half-jokingly, “Chinese grits…”, and once I took a good look at the bag, I assured him they were INDEED grits! I had to do a bit of convincing, but because they were less than $2, my husband consented to give them a try. They are a bit larger ground, and they are yellow (like the fancy stone ground type), but I cooked them this morning and they were GREAT!! Never, ever would we have imagined we’d ever run across them. However, because we’re venturing beyond the Laowai (foreigner) markets and shopping with the locals, we’re discovering there’s hardly anything that can’t be had here.

We packed so much food because we read post after post of folks whining about not finding this or that, and yes, if English brands are to be purchased, they may or may not be found and they will come at a premium cost. For instance, Skippy peanut butter can be had in the Chinese packaging just about anywhere and for a reasonable price. So, for those exploring a move here – just come on and don’t freak about provisions, almost everything can be found here in Shanghai and I’ll prove it to you by taking you to places that were shared with us.

We also packed baking pans, muffin pans, a wine opener, etc. which ends up being a waste of space and time. All the items can be had at the Restaurant supply market – a huge market for buying dishes, utensils, pots and pans, etc. We visited the market yesterday, I have chosen some fun “China” for our new apartment and the dishes are incredibly priced. The restaurant supply place is yet another treasure resource shared by my new friends. Next Saturday we’re returning to the restaurant supply with a list in hand, and some memorized Mandarin phrases ready to bargain. We’ve negotiated our way around Pudong for the past two weeks without speaking a word of Mandarin beyond “Ni Hao” (hello) and “Xiexie” (thank you). Pictured - restaurant supply market on corner of YangGao Lu (near Thumb Plaza) next to the Lotus supermarket.

My friends have also shared the address to a huge textile warehouse where I’m promised an overwhelming selection of fabrics and services. I am to take my bed measurements, and upon selection of my favorite fabrics our custom bed linens (or custom slipcovers, draperies, etc) will be made and delivered to us within the week. This beats the fake market HANDS DOWN!! If it weren’t for our friends, and if we were pansies and weren’t willing to venture out beyond our comfort levels, our selections would be truly limited. But by our newbie experiences in our whole 2+ weeks in Shanghai, seems everything can be found in China if you're willing to do some adventure shopping.