Translations in Spanish Supermarkets

Spanish supermarkets can be confusing for people who don’t speak the language. We translate some of the most common words you’ll need.

 

Many new residents to Spain become easily confused when going to a Spanish supermarket or local grocer when the items they would normally buy back home don’t seem to be available, and in Ronda things are no better. Actually most items are readily available but their Spanish name may be so different that you never find the item.

Alternatively the item you need may not exist, requiring you to make it yourself, self-raising flour is just one of many examples where expats need to be creative. Herbs and spices tend to be one of the great frustrations that aren’t always available exactly as we’d like them. One obvious example that many expats complain about is not being able to buy paprika, regular pimentón isn’t a good substitute, but look out for “pimentón dulce” which is a good substitute even if not exactly the same.

In Ronda we have an abundance of supermarkets, two Mercadonas, two Supersol Hypermarkets, two Dia supermarkets, one Eroski City, two Spars and numerous small grocery stores such as Autoservicio Ortiz, so to help you find the items you’re looking for, here is a list of common items you’d expect to find in a supermarket in both English and Spanish. Our list includes fruits, vegetables, meats, seafoods, dairy, herbs and spices, and more.