NPR

In London, The American Food Aisle Is Filled With Nostalgia And Preservatives

To Americans abroad, comfort food so often looks like junk food. Shops in London are filled with items from Hershey's, Aunt Jemima and Betty Crocker. But Kellogg's Pop-Tarts seem to rule them all.
Plenty of food shops in London have sections catering to American immigrants. The busiest times converge around three American holidays: Independence Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

I hadn't been living in London long when I attended my first 4th of July party. The hosts, members of the U.S. embassy staff, made their guests envious by revealing that they could request any American products they wanted through the embassy. Minds boggled with the possibilities. Dried chiles? Aged bourbon? Fancypants cereal?

Nope. These were globetrotting sophisticates living in the tony Maida Vale neighborhood, and topping their wish lists were ... Bud Light and Cheetos.

To Americans abroad, comfort food so often looks like, for instance, has scenes featuring Nilla wafers and Eggo waffles, which make overseas audiences curious.

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