Got milk?

Sera! That's a time-saving way to say buona sera, and since grocery shopping today took ten times longer than at home, every second counts.  Ten times? Y E S and here's why. (one example)

I ran out of milk that I had purchased with my Italian friends - with them it was a breeze! So off I trotted to the supermercato, naively imagining I'd pick up another quart, nothing to it. 

First, I underestimate the time it takes to locate "fresh" milk. Once I finally do, I face the daunting package recognition factor. Nothing is in a package I recognize nor has words I understand. 


I begin to examine a few of a shocking number of cartons indicating (I suppose) various milk types. Latte Fresco Partzialmente Scremato is one type. Oh sure, once you know the words because you looked them up on Google Translate, it's in-your-face obvious. 

From what I can determine there are 15 milk types, each with at least two words which require translation. One look-up takes one minute, because I cancel the previous lookup, re-typing each new word carefully, starting over if I make one tiny mistake. 

So! 30 minutes later, I proudly place one quart of 2% milk in my small, red rolling cart. And then, with dread, remember that I'm also out of cream, agh! Happily, cream selection goes much faster as there are only three brands, mainly differing in price, Hallelujah!!! What appears to be cream is something called "Panna Fresca." Now too late to look that up, I go on blind faith. 

My favorite carton displays a cow for easy I.D. and bears the words 100% latte Italiano. Who knew!? Some cows brazenly wander across the border into Switzerland, so they are not 100% Italian.

There was no 50% Italiano cream, not surprisingly... I just know it's cheaper and must have sold out.