My Letter to North Americans....

Dear Canadian, American or wherever you are from:

You have no idea how lucky you are to have the following stores available to you:

• Dollarama (or any such kind of dollar store)
• Bulk Barn (or any kind of store that sells ingredients in bulk)
• Walmart
• Costco/Price Club (or any kind of ware-house sized ingredients for sale - really for huge families or families that consume a lot!)
• Big grocery stores nearby

Why am I telling you this?  Because things change and they always change here without any warning....

What am I referring to?

Don't laugh - but I am referring to....chocolate chips.

I know, it's wild eh?  You're thinking, "Chocolate chips are FOREIGN?! What?!  I'm snacking on some right now....they're on sale for 1$ this week!....My Grandma just makes the BEST chocolate chip cookies in the world!!!"

Well, I'm serious....chocolate chips are not part of the Finnish culture here.

My friend P is on vacation this week - so we rounded up her kids (2 boys) and left mine at home (one has the flu and the other wouldn't fit in her vehicle) and we went to EVERY big grocery store possible today.

We started at Prisma in Sepp�l� (?) area because my friend mistakenly thought the Asian Food Store was there...it's not.  It's at the City Market...so we went there.

They did not sell chocolate chips...and at the Asian Food Store - they only had 1 package of Chinese sausages....my husband nearly had a heart attack when I came home with only 1 package...

But I found wonton wrappers (frozen), BBQ pork buns and some other goodies...oh and when I asked for "Sesame oil" ("ses-ah-mee" is how I said it) - she told me she didn't have any.

BUT!  She had "ses-um" oil...I asked the difference and she said she didn't know.

So she took me to the aisle and up above, I see a row of SESAME OIL.  

(FYI in case you're looking for it too).

We move on to Prisma in Palokka area....no international section whatsoever (so the teenager guy working there said).

We then move to City Market (K Market chain) in Palokka....and here I am ecstatic.  Because I usually buy chocolate chips here about once a month....

Guess what?`

NO CHOCOLATE CHIPS.

The spot where the chocolate chips are usually in the "foreign section" (not joking - chocolate chips are part of the "Foreigners section" or "International foods") was filled with other kinds of chips....like potato chips....The price tag disappeared (by the way they are over 4�/bag) and it appeared as if they didn't sell them at all.

And no, the chocolate chips are NOT in the baking section...they never are and probably never will be - because they are considered "foreign".

There's whole chocolate baking bars...but not chocolate chips.

Chocolate chips are made of semi-sweet chocolate and not of the Finnish milk chocolate that Finland is known for.  (Finnish milk chocolate kicks butt and is way better than the garbage from North America...no funky after taste...no brown slime on your teeth....really a great chocolate!)

So if you know where I can buy "Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips" in Finland - PLEASE let me know.......as I would like to sell some baked goodies with chocolate chips in them!
And chocolate chips are totally different than chocolate chunks in a sense....because Finland doesn't sell "Semi-sweet chocolate"...and because - chocolate chips are chocolate chips!

I'd be soooooooooooooooooooooooo grateful!

Yours Truly,

A North American gal who just wants some freaking chocolate chips.

PS Sinelli has a great sale on their winter craft stuff...pretty much all of it for 50%!! (But then they won't stamp your "regular customer card" -discount card, points card, whatever, - because the stuff is so cheap...even if you spend more than 15�!...unless your other purchases aren't Christmas stuff and they add up to more than 15�...)

PPS I'll check out Behnford's again...but I don't think they have any in...