I shopped primarily at two places in Zehlendorf, Berlin for my groceries: Edeka and Lieber Asia (Asia Markt). I have always preferred supermarkets to grocery stores. Edeka, at least the bigger outlets, should be known as the former and not the latter. There are at least three Edeka outlets in Zehlendorf, Berlin. The one I frequented is on Sundgauer Straßer, which is a 3-minute walk from where I live. I restock skincare products at the outlet in Clayallee, which has a bigger assortment of both Western and Oriental fresh food, sauces, spices, and even toys and stationery.
(taken at the outlet on Sundgauer Str., Zehlndorf)
At Edeka I buy all the high-quality and affordable items that enable me to eat and live very well. Besides fresh meat and vegetables, I like their fresh flowers and pot plants which are highly affordable. The bigger outlet has a florist who takes special care of the plants. Many bouquets for sale contain well-arranged selections of different species. A small bouquet of pink daisies and white roses, for instance, costs only about 10 euros.
Receiving flowers as gifts is normally not a big deal. The beautiful bouquet I received at the new year ceremony at Potsdam Universitat in January 2023 nonetheless formed an integral part of my once-in-a-life-time experience. It consisted of big pink daisies, white roses, violet peonies, and white mini-daisies. I rushed to place the flowers in a vase once I returned home. I also found out that putting sugar cubes in the water to help the flowers last longer is not at all a myth: the nutrients indeed helped to prolong their lives! My desire to turn the event into an eternity was so intense that I turned some daisies and peonies into dry flowers and framed them.
This event has had a lasting impact on my life and can be expected to light up any dark moment of my life in the years to come. All people and things I encountered that night seemed to bask in a glow in my memory. Before this event I only ever loved roses and lilies. I did not find pink daisies–or any daisies–at all appealing. After it, I actively sought out daisies of all colors, especially pink daisies with pink centers. They are indeed everywhere: common but jolly and vibrant. I also became bolder in my flower arrangements: I now frequently put together species that I did not think would look great together.
Honesty is highly valued in Germany, at least in my experience. On one occasion, I left my debit card in a payment machine at an Edeka outlet found out after 3 days. I went back to the store in panic. It turned out that the cashier found the card in the machine and instantly reported to the manager, who took just a few minutes to check my identity and return the card to me.
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I obtained most food items I want at Edeka, including wild salmon and other organic meat products. Occasionally, I also shop at a little grocery store called Lieber Asia (Asia Markt) at Chayallee 333, run by a Korean family who speak Korean, German, and English and provide excellent and more personalized services.
Where are available at Asia Markt that are nowhere to be found in other places? Here I purchased my favorite Korean spicy ginger milk tea and Asian foods fish balls, squid balls and beef balls imported from Taiwan and Thailand. My western readers, if you haven’t never tried the “balls” before, you should! They are super-addictive. In case you wonder about how they are manufactured, they are not cut directly from the beef/squid/fish; instead, the meat (especially uneaten parts of the fish that is often disposed of) is instead grinded into a paste and poured into ball-shaped molds. As much as I love these Asian delicacies, and gummy squid balls in particular, I do not cook them that frequently, because (1) they are not cheap at all; (2) they come in frozen packs and, after all, are highly processed food with preservatives and contain a high amount of sodium. As such, they are not exactly the high-quality protein like fresh wild salmon and organic beef offer.
While in Hong Kong, I was addicted to Lipton 3-1 milk tea. I could not survive without at least one pack per day. Here, Lipton tea is not available in my neighborhood. I therefore turned to the Korean ginger milk tea, which quite often goes out of stock–a testimony to its popularity. While milk tea (or coffee) more generally is a mood enhancer, I would not consumer more than 1 cup per day, though, because of its sugar content. There was a former colleague who ended up calling the hospital when he found his heart racing after drinking several cups of coffee/milk tea on a regular–not especially stressful–work day. The doctor told him that the high sugar and caffeine content in the drinks led to a self-induced anxiety attack despite that he was otherwise healthy. You might have heard of otherwise healthy people suddenly dying of heart attacks. Good health is not a given: why risk that?
While I don’t shop hear for organic food, I appreciate its wide assortment of kimchi and tofu (pickled beancurd). Oh, there are high-quality ceramic containers too. I bought a white and blue china bowl — one with the most generic pattern commonly found in Asian countries. The pattern as well as the feel of the slightly rugged bowl surface on my fingers made me a little nostalgic.
This family-run grocery store is one where you can chat with the shopkeepers at leisure. I asked to take a good photo of the external of the store the other day, even though I would not have needed permission to do so as I photographed it from the street. Here you go:
