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| None of that this year |
Yesterday in the never ending quest for foodstuffs I went to Interspar at Simmering – which is not terrific but is a step up from my local Spar. I go there because it is easy to get to and easy to park and I needed to buy some bulky stuff so needed the car.
There to my amazement I discovered dessicated coconut. This was not easy because the dictionary in my iPhone says it is called Kokosraspel – but of course it is not and the shelf stacker – whose entire day I ruined by asking her a question – tried to send me first to the vegetable section (for coconuts) and then to the Asian section (for coconut milk).
She had no idea what I was talking about and I left her to do what she was doing – which was changing the prices on shelves. I think what she really wanted to be doing was tearing the heads off rabbits.
But I knew that Merisi was right and that there simply must be dessicated coconut in any decent sized supermarket in Vienna so I commenced a forensic examination of the shelves – commencing with the cake mixes – and there it was – it is called – Kokos Flocken. Why not?
(I have never found anything that is called what it is supposed to be called in accordance with my German dictionary).
Next door to it were Pine Nuts which I also needed.
I was then on a roll so went looking for the Austrian equivalent of Copha and found Ceres brand Kokosfett.
But I still could not find passionfruit. No sign of that anywhere. But Gwenyth is bringing some of that so there is no need for panic.
So I think we have everything we need for the Australian delicacies.
What we will not be having here is a white Christmas because so far there has been no sign of winter – let alone snow. Today it is a balmy 6° and is raining.
But I am sure we will be able to find some snow Norway – and I suppose it is good for the Viennese – most of whom hate snow with a passion.
It is only the crazies like us and Sissi who love it.
Sounding out the word "Kokosraspel" really hurts my ears! "Raspel" means "grated matter" - something along that line. How unimaginative, how bland, how ... grating! No wonder Viennese avail themselves of a way more melodious vocabulary (after all, over the centuries, they have been extensively exposed to many more languages than German - French, Italian, Spanish, all have been spoken at the Imperial Court in Wien, and then all the languages of the Crownlands, they themselves a treasure trove of ingenious, poetic expressions).
ReplyDeleteNow, take the word "Kokosflocken" - coconut flakes: we all know what a flake is, don't we? Nothing grating, but soft and white and fluffy. Visions of snowflakes slowly descending from the skies, just what Australians dream of, isn't it?
Now, guess what Austrians use those Kokosflocken for? They bake Kokosbusserl with it! Now, where's that Austrian - English dictionary when you need it?
Kokos flocken! Yes i remember having to find it to - but in the US it's also in the baking section. And not only did you ruin that supermarket worker's day, probably the remainder of the year too ha ha!
ReplyDeleteI am going to name my next child "Koko Sflocken".
ReplyDeleteDissected... LOL. I had no idea what you were going on about until this morning's post. Images of whole coconut hammered and pounded until it gives up chunks of itself filled my head. Now I know you meant what we here in America call shredded coconut. And it's always kept in the baking aisle.
ReplyDeleteBut I too like kokosflocken.
You may have snow in Norway but you won't find any butter apparently. That's almost headline news here anyway, some chef over there started urging people to use butter and it's supposedly a black market item now. Take some with you.
ReplyDeleteSorry about the lack of snow in Austria, I have friends who've just left to spend Christmas in those parts so they'll be disappointed.
Happy cheffing.
Glad you managed to find all the Australian goodies that you needed.
ReplyDeleteLOL at a balmy 6deg - anything under 20 and I am pulling out my winter woollies !!!!!
Sounds like we shouldn't go to Vienna next year to see snow for Christmas - we need somewhere that will almost g'tee it !!!
Have a great weekend !
I would love to witness the reverse of an Austrian or German going into an Australian supermarket and asking for kokosflocken.
ReplyDeleteNo snow in Germany either, Badger. We've been in Berlin for the week and now ensconced in the tiny town of Bad Karlshafen for J's mother's birthday. It's come close to snowing, but quickly turns to rain.
I met an Australian family from Townsville in the Berlin Aquarium, and then by chance, a couple of days later I met them again in the Tecknikmuseum. The little girl was so excited because it had just briefly snowed and it was the first time that they had seen it.
I saw me in her because, although I'm a lot older than she, I still love it when it snows. A sense of Antipodean bonding!
Badger and his cats wish for snow,
ReplyDeleteViennese get blue skies and sunshine.
Thank you, gods! :-)
Merisi: Sure sounds better than "dessicated coconut"
ReplyDeleteTNDW: Possibly her life! Yes it is obvious now about the cake section.
esb: Steady. Aree you filled with the Christmas spirit already?
SK Waller: I had no even thought of shredded!
Sandy: Gwenyth is an expert at taking contraband across borders. We will load her up with butter.
Me: You can forget about snow here. We are stripping down to our knickers.
nzm: We still get really excited when it snows. The Austrians get grumpy.
Merisi: Yes but we don't mind that much - it is lovely to see the sun.
The weather report says we are likely to get as much as a foot of snow on Tuesday, a little more than that just north of us, so maybe we'll have a bit of a white Christmas, at least in the shadows of the buildings. At least my son and d-i-law and puppy should make it in before the weather gets too bad to fly, later today. I am just cleaning today and keeping the truck plugged in, toasty diesel motors start easier. Off to get my vac cleaner in a little bit. Hope you were able to find all your ingredients in the eXotic journeys of Wien.
ReplyDeleteKokos Flocken would be my stripper name.
ReplyDelete