Well, it wasn’t really international shopping; actually the store was nearly five miles from an international border, the border with Mexico.
It just seemed like we were in another country.
The main grocery chain in Texas is H.E.B. I often refer to them as “the Hy-Vee of Texas.” That’s pretty accurate.
They’re fast: the shelf-stockers move rapidly to line all the boxes neatly on the shelves and fill empty slots with cans, boxes, or bags. The checkers are speedy—noticeably more efficient than typical checkers at another popular chain which sells groceries.
And they offer what their customers want.
Of course there are tortillas of various sizes. But here, you can also get them “hot” from a little oven-sort of display. They also offer fresh sweet corn and several varieties of squash, not to mention the many types of peppers they offer. Down here, peppers are usually called “chilies.”
The big difference in product offerings comes in the meat department. There are packages of “front pig feet.” And huge briskets, very popular for BBQing down here. And it’s good!
And packages of “hog hide.” I asked a staff person what it was used for. He said some use it to make a sort of stew. Did I mention “pig ears” or “pig fat?” All are readily available at our neighborhood H.E.B.
“Hog head” is the one that really caught my eye. At 59-cents-per-pound, you can get an entire hog’s head for just a few bucks. (I didn’t have my camera; sorry.)
These are some of the things which make life and shopping interesting here in Mission but that we don’t see back in Iowa.
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