Most shoppers have a story of travel angst -- a trinket they didn't buy, thought about, then ran back to get, almost missing a flight. The last time it happened to me, I was in New York. And it wasn't, as one might expect, for a great pair of shoes.
On the way to La Guardia airport from Zabar's deli at 80th and Broadway, I decided to take a detour downtown for a Sabatier bread knife. It was a wood-handled number at Dean & DeLuca that I had hesitated over (who goes to New York for a bread knife?). Alas, when I got there, it had just sold. Later, as I raced through security with my souvenirs -- a tub of goose fat and a jar of deli mustard, I thought: What is the world coming to?
There was once a time when grocery tourism meant a trip to Harrods' famous food hall in London. That's still worth doing, but if you want to one-up a foodie, mention KaDeWe (Tauentzienstrasse 21-24, Berlin; 49 (30) 2121; http://www.kadewe-berlin.de). Short for Kaufhaus des Westens, the 100-year-old store is Berlin's answer to Harrods. KaDeWe carries an exhaustive selection of ingredients from around the globe on a sixth floor food hall that overlooks a Berlin cityscape -- the difference is that it's usually filled not with gawking tourists but with people who plan to actually cook.
In the era of the Food Network, a food shop can make a glamour destination of even the most unlikely spot. In Halifax, Pete's Frootique (1515 Dresden Row; 902-425-5700; http://www.petesfrootique.com) is seen by some industry professionals as an indicator of where shopping is going. Owned by Pete Luckett, TV's The Food Hunter, the store was one of the world's first grocers to have an in-store dietitian. It also offers parents a drop-in play centre -- kids can learn about vegetables while you shop in peace.
Shopping for food also allows a window into local culture. In tourist trap Cancun, bus drivers have become accustomed to calling out the stop for Wal-Mart (Avenida Coba No. Lote 2; 52-998-884-1383; http://www.walmart.com.mx). The store stocks regional items that elsewhere would be specialties in Iron Chefs' hands (mole paste, dulce de leche) but in this context are just, well, Wal-Mart staples. That includes an aisle of tequila, which is worth a visit for its vistas if nothing else (and, of course, the prices are rock-bottom).
Another store full of eye candy, albeit on a more high-end scale, is in the shopping capital Hong Kong. ThreeSixty (3/F and 4/F, The Landmark, Central; 852-2111-4480; http://www.threesixtyhk.com) is so new it's not in guidebooks. It is an organic store and high-end food court whose cosmopolitan tastes encompass a burrito bar, a trattoria and a rotary sushi bar, all beautifully appointed. Superficially, what makes it unique is that its furnishings are made from sustainable materials, such as cork. But it also shows how much the organic food movement is worth. ThreeSixty is in the designer shopping centre The Landmark -- an edible counterpart to Dior, Gucci, Fendi and the like.
French epicure Brillat-Savarin famously wrote that what we eat tells us who we are. It might be said, that these days, as more worldly travellers, food tells us who we might be. In Milan, Peck (Via Spaderi no. 9; 39-2-802-3161; http://www.peck.it) may be the world's most serious gourmet store -- elegant, expensive and authoritative. It has the classics of Italian cooking, such as fine pasta, artisanal cheeses and all forms of confectionery -- all exquisitely presented (and wrapped) as if they were fine jewels. (Peck's website is also a window into a foodie community. It has a guide to regional cuisine, online shopping for gifts and an all-encompassing form called, simply, "Ask Peck.")
And sometimes, food shopping is about memory. Nowhere is that felt more strongly than in a store like Jim's Market (Espace de l'Allondon, St. Genis, France; 33-4-504-20418; http://www.jims-british-market.com), on the border between France and Switzerland. Run by a former UN security officer, Jim Anderson, the store carries things for expats who are homesick for British standbys, from Bath Oliver biscuits to Cadbury chocolate.
After 11 years, the store has tripled in size. While the patrons are mostly homesick diplomats from nearby Geneva, "I do have a lot of French customers who come in for marmalade and tea," says Anderson. It all goes to show that when people want to remember a place, they'll do anything to eat what reminds them of being there.
My souvenir
Sporting a tote bag from Zabar's deli in New York is one way to subtly show you know where to pick up just the right kind of mustard, among other deli delicacies.
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