CityBeat - Lost in the Supermarket

The Long, Complex Ride to Superfood Stardom -

Wed, 01 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT+5

One of the rising stars of U.S. supermarket aisles, particularly for the health conscious, is quinoa. If you browse the health food racks, you’ve certainly seen an increase in products that tout their quinoa content.

The Need for (Edible) Speed -

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT+5

Why would Ed Hardy make mints? Because these mints — King Dog Energy Mints — have a little extra party juice in them. They are “intensely caffeinated”; five mints equal (according to the packaging) a cup of coffee. (Having tried them, I can attest to those numbers.)

A Chippy Election Cycle -

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT+5

According to an AP report, for the first time in Lay’s history, the corporation is allowing “fans” the opportunity to choose its next chip flavor.

Yogurt Goes Greek -

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT+5

Here’s the big secret, for those who haven’t tasted “Greek yogurt” — while some claim it’s creamier (maybe, barely), less sweet and more sour, it really tastes practically exactly the same as regular supermarket yogurt.

Perdido en el Supermercado -

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT+5

Besides just out in the community, you can now see signs of the Latino growth in neighborhood supermarkets. Two decades ago, to find authentic Mexican and Latin American ingredients and other food products not made by Taco Bell in Greater Cincinnati, you had to really search.

Jerky? Sure! -

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT+5

I’ve always had some sense of “beef jerky” over my lifetime. It’s always been in gas stations and convenient stores. And I’m certain I’ve eaten jerky before. Not en masse, but a bit. And not on a dare, even.

Discount Stores Offer More (and Less) Than You Bargain For -

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT+5

To compare the experiences and products, I paid a visit to my neighborhood’s low-budget shopping trifecta — Save-a-Lot, Family Dollar and Dollar Tree — on a recent weeknight.

Edible Glow-in-the-Dark Technology Eludes Us (For Now) -

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT+5

Here we sit at the breakfast table, in the year 20-freakin’-12, and we can’t get a special edition of Cap’n Crunch’s Halloween Crunch that actually turns the milk glow-in-the-dark green!

Children of the (Candy) Corn -

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT+5

In the 1880s, George Renninger created one of the most known pieces of Halloween candy ever invented, one that has endured over a century — candy corn. Considering it’s also one of the most maligned candy treats ever invented, how has it remained a fixture of autumn so long?

Anti-Energy Drinks: Xanax in a Can -

Wed, 22 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT+5

Though not quite as booming as the energy drink market, similar chill-out, stress-reliever drinks have been slowly growing in popularity the past few years. These non-energy drinks recently caught my eye when I spotted the face of late Reggae superstar Bob Marley peeking out from the cold beverage fridge at a local convenience store.

Braunschweiger: The ’Wurst? -

Wed, 25 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT+5

“Lost in the Supermarket” has been on hiatus for a few months. For the column, I mostly play the “food rube,” searching the aisles of average neighborhood grocery stores for “everyday” items that strike me (and maybe you) as “weird” or “gross.” I investigate the food item and taste it so you don’t have to.

Knockin’ Off the Girl Scouts -

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT+5

A recent knock-off discovery angered up my blood so much that I began to wonder if there were any limits to what a chain decides to copy and sell at a cheaper rate. Taking on Chips Ahoy! is far from stunning. But a supermarket chain would never take on America’s most beloved cookie-sellers, The Girl Scouts of the United States of America. Or would they?

Sexism in the Soda Aisle -

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT+5

You’ve likely seen the TV commercials for the latest product by provocative soda brand Dr Pepper, Dr. Pepper Ten, and either flipped the channel instantly or watched in disbelief as a major advertising campaign appears very obviously to be stating that this soft drink is for men only. It is not subtly suggested with scenes of “manliness,” like bros playing a little touch football or, in the event of (any) weather, Madden NFL 12. In the excruciating commercial spots, a buff, cliché action hero type.

Taste This: Let's Review -

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT+5

In honor of my hectic schedule and MidPoint’s 10th fest, I’ve decided to celebrate the 21-month anniversary of Lost in the Supermarket with a round-up of some of the horrible things I’ve consumed so that you don’t have to. Taste test results have ranged from “Oh my God, how can people eat this?” to “Not too bad,” which is akin to five stars here.

Taste This: SPAM -

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT+5

In some ways, SPAM is the Paris Hilton of the supermarket. It’s always there, it’s a perpetual punchline, everybody knows its name and no one really knows why it’s so popular. SPAM’s moments in contemporary pop culture have been mocking — it’s the name given to all the “junk” in our email, while a silly musical, Spamalot, put SPAM’s name in lights on Broadway.

Taste This: Gummy Things -

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT+5

For this week’s exploration of the wacky and wild items found at most neighborhood supermarkets, I decided to go gummy. I’ve always been bewildered by the random shapes of gummy candy, which are often molded to resemble spiders, snakes, frogs and other creepy pests. In a short time span, I found around 15 different weird gummy items and also became a passable gummy expert.

Taste This: Pickled Eggs -

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT+5

I usually do my taste-test prior to researching or reading ingredient labels; it’s usually hard enough to swallow some of the things I have in the name of journalism. But I’ve been nursing a stomachache lately, so to procrastinate and hopefully discover something encouraging (like “Pickled eggs actually taste like Hostess Ding Dongs”), I decided to read up on these somehow-delicacies first.

Taste This: Pork Products -

Wed, 25 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT+5

I don’t think Muslim extremists “hate us for our freedom,” as George W. liked to say. I think the hatred is directly related to our eating habits, specifically our gratuitous, flamboyant consumption of pig meat and organs. While some might react to the thought of putting any filthy pig meat in their mouth with the dry-heaving disgust most people experience when seeing a dog mindlessly eating its own poo, the crack-like hold pork products has on American consumers emboldens food manufacturers to continue making endless variations of pig products.

The Lost Supermarket -

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT+5

At one time I successful careers as an Associate Desserts Technician and a Pre-Certified Delicatessenal Culinarian. At least, that’s what it says on my résumé. In layman/non-bullshit terms, I worked behind the counter at the deli/bakery combo station at the Kroger store on Harrison Avenue in Westwood. Kroger recently announced it would be closing the store.

Taste This: Pizza Combo -

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT+5

While many of the items taste-tested in this column each month are “weird” or “unusual” ethnic foods — uncommon perhaps in our general culture but the norm for many others — we’ve also examined products that showcase all-American gluttony at its finest, from KFC’s brazenly unhealthy Double Down to the daffy concoctions made for hard-to-please kids and lazy parents like the “Carnival Corn Dog” Kids Cuisine frozen dinners.