Eco-Europe - Green Grocery Stores!

I remember watching the movie "Drive" at the movie theater in Busan, South Korea, not so much because of anything having to do with the quality of the movie (I seem to recall it being cool, yet forgettable) but because of one scene where Ryan Gosling enters a grocery store. I audibly gasped, and I think my husband Lee may have, too, at the huge selection of canned beans and other Western food items which can be difficult and/or impossible to find over here. I also once loudly cried out "Oh my god!" in the foreign food section of the Shinsegae Department Store, due to my first-ever pinto bean sighting in Korea. The woman shopping next to me looked over to see what I was gaping at, then, realizing that I was freaking out over canned goods, quickly backed away in fear.

Sorry, Ryan, I'm salivating over the food, not you... 

In my one trip home to America since coming here in September of 2009, I was similarly obsessed with the grocery stores both in my home state of Wisconsin, and especially in my adopted hometown and vegan mecca, Portland, Oregon. I love food, and as a (these days 95%) vegan, I love vegan, organic, fresh, healthy and environmentally sound food, whenever I can get it, which these days isn't as often as I'd like. European cities, however, are promising to be just as full of majestic grocery stores as they are of majestic art museums and cathedrals, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to visiting them almost as much. Put "The Mona Lisa" side by side with a good vegan cheese or some fresh asparagus and it'll be a steep competition. That said, here are just a few of the reasons I'm looking forward to visiting Europe's supermarkets.

1. Veganz - My husband Lee http://www.leegumienny.com/  was doing some research about eating in Germany when he came across an article describing  Veganz, billed as the first vegan supermarket chain in Europe. Though vegan supermarkets are not new to me - Long Live Food Fight! -  http://www.foodfightgrocery.com/, Veganz seems to be catching on in bigger cities across Europe, and has stores in Berlin, Munich and Vienna - all cities on the potential agenda. Here is a link to Veganz' web-site (in German) http://www.veganz.de/, and here is a pretty exciting article about the chain's founding and planned expansion in English. http://www.thelocal.de/20140605/jan-bredeck-boss-of-worlds-first-vegan-supermarket-veganz

2. Un Monde Vegan - France has its own vegan grocery, Un Monde Vegan, in Paris. http://www.unmondevegan.com/index.cfm Though it looks to be on less grand of a scale than its German cousin, I'm very excited to know that I'll be able to amp up my Parisian picnics with some vegan meats. I hope to stay in an airbnb apartment while in Paris, so going to this store early will probably also help Lee and I save on food costs during our trip. Here's a link to a video showing you around the store (albeit in French) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GeP4wrb2D4

3. Original Unverpackt - Another grocery store I'm eager to visit is Original Unverpackt - a packaging-free store which is opening this summer in  Berlin. I've often shopped at food co-ops in the Pacific Northwest which encouraged patrons to use the bulk bins, but this store is all package-free, all the time. As much as I like my packaged tofu meats and vegan cheeses, I also love this eco-friendly concept (and fresh produce). 

The founders of the store also look like pretty groovy girls.

4. Intermarche - Inglourious Fruits and Vegetables - Et finalement, a great initiative at a French supermarket chain, to reduce food waste by selling so-called "ugly" fruits and vegetables at a lower cost. Perfectly good produce for less money? Sign me up! 

I doubt this will be the last post I make about the food goodness and eco-friendliness I'm looking forward to in Europe, but here concludes my first report. Thankfully, Ryan Gosling seems to have gotten over my lack of proper appreciation for his movie.

For those of you already in Europe, Bon Appetit! And please leave comments if you've been to these stores yourself, or if there are any other European food wonders you think I should check out!