How I Survived My First Grocery Shopping Trip in Cluj-Napoca

Moving to a new country means learning a lot of little things you’d never think twice about at home—like grocery shopping. My first trip to a Romanian supermarket was a crash course in adaptation, from puzzling over labels to discovering local specialties that I’d never seen before.

The Language Barrier Maze

Walking into the supermarket felt like stepping into a language exam I hadn’t studied for. Words like “lapte” (milk) and “pâine” (bread) filled the aisles, while brands I didn’t recognize were everywhere. Deciphering whether a product was salted or unsalted, full-fat or low-fat, was like solving a mini mystery. At one point, I accidentally grabbed sour cream (smântână) instead of yogurt—but hey, that’s how you learn!

The Joy of Discovery

What started as a chore turned into an adventure. I came across covrigi (soft pretzels), jars of zacuscă (a vegetable spread), and the ever-present borș (fermented wheat bran for sour soup). In the snack aisle, I found Romanian pufuleți, which are essentially airy, melt-in-your-mouth corn puffs, and chocolate-covered treats like Magura. And don’t get me started on the bakery section—it’s a carb lover’s paradise.

Lessons Learned

The biggest adjustment? Figuring out the system for weighing fruits and vegetables. Back home, it’s often done at the register, but here you weigh them yourself and print a label before checkout. Needless to say, my first attempt ended in a confused line of shoppers and a flustered explanation in English.

And the currency! Paying with Romanian Lei (RON) required some quick math. (Wait, how much is this in euros again?!) But with time, it started to feel normal—like a little piece of daily life I was slowly mastering.

Grocery Staples for a Dutch Erasmus Student

After a few trips, I discovered my essentials:

• Mămăligă (instant polenta) for quick dinners.
• Brânză de burduf (a salty cheese) that works surprisingly well in sandwiches.
• Local wines and țuică for nights with friends.
• And, of course, Pufuleti—now officially my guilty pleasure snack.