cewe suka jajan

he French gastronome Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin once famously said, “Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are.” When we travel, it’s easy to get to know a place through our mouths as much as through our eyes and ears. While most of us won’t ever have the opportunity to experience food on the same level as Brillat-Savarin, almost anyone can get more familiar with a destination by simply stopping into a grocery store.

Even the simplest supermarket can give you a glimpse into a culture and its people. In France, for example, eggs are not refrigerated (after all, most chickens don’t lay their eggs in refrigerator temperatures). And in the U.S., we often see signs for pork that call it “the other white meat,” while in Dubai, signs for pork on sale warn, “not for Muslims.”

Supermarkets can also be a treasure trove of inexpensive souvenirs. Candy and gum are obvious choices, but exotic spices, canned meats and dried mushrooms are all tasty – and lightweight — souvenirs to bring back home.

n a new photo gallery on Bing Travel, we visit 9 delicious supermarket destinations around the world. Shopping at high-end food halls like Harrod’s in London and the depachikas of Japan can cost a small fortune, but you can browse the aisles for free. In small specialty markets like the Oakville Grocery in Napa Valley, meanwhile, you can assemble a picnic feast of local cheeses, breads and other gourmet delights for a fraction of the price of dining in a high-end restaurant.

What supermarket discoveries have you made during your travels? Share your favorite places and products in the comments section.