Recently, the Honourable Husband posted about what American food translates to in German supermarkets. At a Safeway in NE Portland, I found the German “section” (I was on a quest for sauerkraut, because my husband is sick and craving polish dogs with lots and lots of sauerkraut).

It was just a tiny section, but a fascinating study. While the Germans think Americans need a lot of baking soda, mustard, syrup, and cheez whiz, Americans apparently think Germans need a lot of herring in aspic, sauerkraut, pickled beets, Spätzle, pumpernickel (how long does that stuff last on the shelf?!), and stomach-calming teas.

Here’s what we found:

We passed on the $6 sauerkraut, but picked up some $8 rapeseed honey. Pea was delighted (she likes bees, in theory but not practice): “German honey! How do German bees make German honey?”

Me: “Very efficiently.”

Pea: “Do German bees sting?”

Me: “Yes. You have to watch out for them every few decades.”

(I know, I know, I played to stereotype. But I got laughs in the aisles, from strangers, in a grocery store. I was on a roll.)

The rapeseed honey was pretty good, actually. I hate clover honey and love orange bossom honey; it was somewhere in the middle of the two.