Updated list: found!

A

Almond extract: arôme amande amère
Available at most grocery stores. Comes in a small glass bottle, usually near the vanilla and baking powder.

Artificial sweetener (saccharine): edulcorant
Available at most grocery stores. Comes in a large glass jar with red lid, usually near sugar and flour.

B

Bacon: poitrine fumée
I find what is labeled ‘bacon’ is more like what we call Canadian bacon. Poitrine fumée is like thick-cut country ham.

Baked beans
Heinz brand is available at most large grocery stores, usually in the import section. You can also doctor up a can of cheap Cassoulet beans (first take out the meat add-ons) with ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, bacon and liquid smoke.

Baking powder: levure chimique
Available in small packets (about 2 tsp) at any grocery store. Alsace brand is pink. Look for them near the vanilla-flavored sugar, ice cream toppings, and birthday candles.

Baking soda: bicarbonate de soude
Available in a blue and white box from Casino.
Update from K: also seen at Monoprix and Intermarché

Bagels
Now available in packs of 4 at Monoprix in the bread section. Frozen bagels are available from Raconte-moi la Terre or Picard. Bagel shops in town include Best Bagels at Terraux and the recently opened City Bagels in the 2nd.

Barley: orge
Available at a very reasonable price from Bahadourian.

BBQ sauce
Heinz BBQ sauce is available at most grocery stores. More Heinz products here.

Ben & Jerry’s ice cream
Select flavors available at Raconte-moi la Terre and City Bagels.
Update from C: Also available at Auchan, Champion and from Domino's Pizza.

Black beans: haricots noirs
Available at very reasonable prices from Bahadourian and the Asian grocery stores at the Guillotière.

Black mushrooms, dried
Available at very reasonable prices from theAsian grocery stores at the Guillotière.

Bratwurst sausages
Johnsonville's brand available at Carrefour and Ed.

Brown sugar: cassonade
This light brown sugar is available at most large grocery stores. (I actually cheat and bring maple flavoring from the US and add a drop or two per cup of sugar called for in a recipe. This way I only have to buy white sugar.)
Update from C: For brown sugar, you can actually get the soft brown sugar (light or dark) at the Hypermarches. it's called sucre viergoise- blond (light) or brun (dark).

Bread maker mixes
Available inexpensively from LIDL and also at most large grocery stores.

Buckwheat flour: farine de sarrasin
Available at most grocery stores.

Bugles
A good substitute is the 3D brand offered by PepsiCo. You can find sweet chili, cheese, plain, bacon, paprika, peanut, bacon and mozzarella, cheese and herbs, and other flavors at most grocery stores. More PepsiCo products here.

Bulgur
Available at a very reasonable price from Badhourian.

Buttermilk: Elben
I use fermented milk, called Elben. Works great in buttermilk pancakes and quick bread recipes. Available at most grocery stores in the refrigerated section.

Butternut squash
Seen at local market, called ‘Butternut’. Recipe idea here.


C

Campbell’s soups
See list of products here.
Update from C: Campbell's soup comes under 2-3 labels, including Liebig.

Cappuccino mix
Maxwell House brands available at Intermarche. Also vailable occasionally in bulk at LIDL.

Cheddar cheese
Available at Carrefour's cheese counter and recently spotted at Monoprix.

Cherry pie filling
Preserved cherries are available at Leader Price in glass jar, near applesauce. Need to add thickener and sweetener to make pie filling, but this is a good start.

Cinnamon sticks: canelle en baton
Available inexpensively at Bahadourian. Great for making wassail!

Cilantro: coriandre
Available inexpensively at the Asian grocery stores at the Guillotière, or from Arab men selling outside of Bahadourian.

Cloves: clous de girofles
Available inexpensively at Bahadourian. (I have not found ground cloves yet.)

Coca-Cola soft drinks
You can find classic Coke, cherry Coke, vanilla Coke, lemon Coke and caffeine-free Coke, as well as Coke Zero and Coke Blak (coffee-flavored), and Coca-Cola Light in regular, lime, orange, lemon and caffeine-free.

Cocoa: cacao non-sucre
Available in many places, but the least expensive by far is Leader Price.

Cookie dough
Prepared chocolate chip cookie dough has been spotted at Carrefour and Monoprix, near the pie crusts in the refrigerated section.

Cornmeal: semoule de mais
Available from Bahadourian and Africa Musso in large plastic bags, about 2 kilos each. Bahadourian has several choices of meal size, from rough to fine. The medium is excellent for making Southern Girl's cornbread.

Cottage cheese
Available occasionally at Monoprix. Look for a pack of two cottage cheese bowls in green packaging, near the yogurts.

Country ham
Added by W: Jambon fumé that you use for raclette tastes like Virginia Country Ham if you heat it in a frying pan.

Country sausage
See recipe here.

Cream cheese (Philadelphia brand)
Available at Monoprix, or on your bagel at City Bagels. You can also substitute Kiri cream cheese squares for carrot cake icing.

Cream of mushroom soup
Knorr brand in a liter box is available at most large grocery stores, or you can use packets of instant soup.

Crescent rolls in a can
Spotted at Carrefour and Monoprix, near the pie crusts in the refrigerated section. There is a brand made by Sara Lee that includes crescent rolls and pain au chocolat in a can. More Sara Lee products here.

Cumin
Available inexpensively at Bahadourian.

Curry powders and pastes
Available in the import aisles of most grocery stores, but a wider variety and cheaper prices can be found at Bahadourian and the Asian grocery stores at the Guillotière.


D

Dole fruits
The Dole France SAS product range includes bananas, pineapples, grapefruits, oranges, avocados, grapes, apples, plums, litchis, pears and clementines. Sourcing areas include Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Costa Rica, South Africa, Chile, Mexico, Ecuador, Kenya and France... Dole France distributes products to leading wholesalers, national retail chains (Carrefour, Auchan, Leclerc, Casino, Monoprix, Système U, …) and hard discounters.

Doritos
Available at most grocery stores. The Nacho Cheese and Dippas Nature (plain) flavors have been around a while, but PepsiCo recently brought out Sweet Barbecue and Sweet Chili flavors.

Dried beans
Large variety available inexpensively at Bahadourian.

Dried fruits
Large variety available inexpensively at Bahadourian.

Dr Pepper
Spotted once a few years ago at a store carrying US products near Best Bagels at Terraux. Or you can make friends with someone going to Geneva or England.


E

English muffins
Both white and wheat, available at Monoprix in the bread section


F

Flour: farine
For all-purpose flour, look for Type 65. French all-purpose flour is more like what we call cake flour in the US.

French onions
Added by C: The powdered "gratinee d'oignon" makes a very respectable French onion dip when made with creme fraiche epaisse. Crush the croutons or they swell and get soggy.

Fried onions: oignons frits
Commonly used for topping green bean casserole, these little guys can be found at Leader Price and Intermarche for about 1.50 Euro. Also spotted in the Asian grocery stores at the Guillotière.


G

Granola
Carrefour has the best granola we've ever had anywhere - hands down. It's their generic Muesli in the green box. Or, a recipe here.

Ginger: gingembre
Fresh ginger is available at Carrefour in the international produce section. Dried ginger powder is available at most grocery stores with the spices.

Graham crackers
Not yet found, but Petit Beurre cookies are a good substitute for making graham cracker crusts.
Update from C: You can substitute the small cookies labeled "Biscuits Thé" for making s'mores.

Grits
Added by W: Polenta is close if you're a homesick southerner.

H

Heinz
In most large grocery stores you will find not only the original ketchup, but also Worcestershire sauce, barbecue sauce, a wide range of mustards and mayos, tomato products, and a new line of purees, dips and a curry sauce (full list of products here).

Heath bar
Added by J: A great substitute is D'aim candy bars, which are available at IKEA in the grocery section. More details here.

I

Icing sugar: see powdered sugar


J



K

Kellogg's products
See list here.

Kettle Chips
Available at Monoprix.

Kraft products
See list here.

L

Lay's potato chips
Available in most grocery stores. You may not find your favorite flavors, but there are some yummy ones to discover! Lightly salted, barbecue, chicken and thyme, cheese, bolognaise, spicy, mustard and pickles, cheese and ham, caramelized grill, smoked ham, olive and rosemary, grilled onion...and the list goes on. More PepsiCo products here.

Lentils, dried
A wide variety is available inexpensively at Bahadourian.


M

Maple syrup: sirop d’érable
Available at most grocery stores, usually near sugar and baking ingredients.

Marshmallow cream
I never use it, but saw it once a few years ago at a store carrying US products near Best Bagels at Terraux. You can also buy cheap marshmallows, pick out the brightly colored ones that are flavored, and melt them down with butter to make caramel popcorn.

Maxwell House coffees
Added by J: Found instant coffees and capuccino mixes at Intermarche.
More information here.

Mint: menthe or nana
Available inexpensively at the Asian grocery stores at the Guillotière, or from Arab men selling outside of Bahadourian.

Minute Maid drinks
You can find canned orange, apple and red sensation 100% juice (without sugar added) or tropical nectar.

Mixed grain bread
You can find sliced bread all over, but Monoprix brand 7 céreales is really, really good.

Molasses: mélasse
Available in the bio sections or bio stores. Be careful though, it’s much stronger than molasses in the US. I use half mélasse and half honey for making molasses spice cookies.

Mounds candy bars
Added by J: Bounty bars are a great substitute! The blue packages are milkm chocolate and the red are dark chocolate.

Mozzarella
Available everywhere, but I find the kind sold in plastic-covered rectangles to be the most like American mozzarella. The brine-packed mozzarella balls are great for salads, but are too wet for using in pizza or lasagna.


N

Nestea drinks
Owned by Coca-Cola, white peach and light white peach are available in most large grocery stores.

Nutmeg: noix de muscade
Available both whole and ground inexpensively at Bahadourian.


O

Oats, rolled: flocons d’avoine
Available inexpensively from Bahadourian. They have both large and small rolled oats. You can also find Quaker Oats in most large grocery stores.

Oreos
Available in small packets at Monoprix and Carrefour.
Update from J: Found the “snack pack” wrapped oreo cookies in a box in her local 8 à 8.
Update from C: There is a Spanish market near metro Republique that carries white fudge covered oreos and oreo no-bake dessert. Directions in Spanish, but pretty easy to figure out.


P

Pancake syrup
Available at Bahadourian.
Update from W: Missippi Belle Pancake Syrup is available in the international section of Carrefour in the 6eme.

Peanuts: arachides
Available inexpensively at the Asian grocery stores at the Guillotière.

Peanut butter
Skippy crunchy is available at most grocery stores, but is pretty expensive. If you like natural peanut butter, it's available at Bahadourian and Africa Musso.
Update from C: The African/Asian market called Madras, near metro Saxe-Gambetta, has 3-4 different varieties of peanut butter for under 2 euros a jar. The cheapest is good.

Pecans: noix de pecan
Added by W: Shelled pecans are available near the baking supplies at Auchan, St. Priest.

Pepperidge Farm cookies
Select varieties available at Monoprix.

Pepsi
You can find Pepsi soft drinks in 33 cl cans, 50 cl bottles or 1.5 liter bottles. Choose from regular Pepsi, Pepsi Max (sweetened with aspartame), Pepsi Max Citron or Pepsi Max Capuccino. The pink bottled Pepsi Light (also sweetened with aspartame) is marketed for women, so back off, guys. For more products available from PepsiCo, see here.

Pesto
Available at most grocery stores, but I actually prefer Ed's cheap brand and find it to have more basil than filler. Here's a recipe to try.

Pita bread
Available at Bahadourian. Freezes well, by the way.

Plantains
Available at Africa Musso at the Guillotière or in the international produce section at Carrefour.

Popcorn
Available inexpensively and in bulk at Badhourian. Microwave popcorn is also available in a few stores, such as Leader Price.

Powerade drinks
Available in aqua plus, magma river, citrus, ice storm and orange dunk flavors.

Powdered sugar: sucre glace à saupoudrer
Brand name is 'Daddy' and it comes in a bright pink container, shaped like an hourglass. Available from most grocery stores.

Pringles
You can find original, sour cream & onion, paprika, hot & spicy at most large grocery stores. Some stores also carry barbecue, cheese & onion, salt & vinegar, bacon, jalapeno, Latin pepper, Mexican salsa, feta & onion, tomato & mozzarella and Thai sweet chili. In the light range, you have original, sour cream & onion, Greek cheese with avocado oil, spicy Thai with coconut oil and red pepper with oilve oil. Dipper chips include original and pinch of pepper and they go with Dipper sauces called salsa heaven, fiery salsa, sour cream & chive and sweet Thai.

Pudding mixes
Added by C: Various flavors (chocolate, vanilla, pistachio, etc...) are available at Super U grocery stores for 90 centimes a pack.

Pumpkin
For making pumpkin pies and quick breads I use courge, available in large wedges from grocery stores and markets. Here’s a recipe for pumpkin pie filling using courge.


Q

Quinoa
Available inexpensively at Bahadourian, both light and dark brown. I’ve found light brown in the bio section of large grocery stores.

Quaker Oats
The original Quaker Oats are available at most grocery stores. You can also find Quaker Oats brand crunchy cereals which are more like granola. Available with strawberries or chocolate, or plain. More PepsiCo products here.

R

Ricotta cheese
Available in most grocery stores, or you can substitute fromage en faiselle or chevre in some cases. Both work well in lasagne and ricotta cheesecake is a lighter dessert than its cream cheese counterpart.

Ritz crackers
Available in small boxes at Monoprix and Carrefour. But it should be noted that Tuc’s brand are very good as well.

Roasted chickens
I know these are available (and delicious) at the markets, but should be noted that Carrefour does a decent chicken too, and they cut the prices in half on Saturday evenings before closing!

Roasted red peppers: poivrons rouges grillés
Available for a reasonable price at most grocery stores in the import section. Check to see if they’re packed in water or oil as both are available. Also available frozen from Picard or at Intermarche. Or you can make your own!

Root beer
Spotted a few years ago at a store carrying US products near Best Bagels at Terraux. About 2 Euros a can, but hey – a craving can be serious business.


S

7up
Available in most grocery stores. You can find regular, light and tropical freeze flavors. See more PepsiCo products here.

Salsa
Doritos and Old El Paso brands available at most large grocery stores. Pringles makes Dippers called salsa heaven and fiery salsa. Generic and French brands are often sweet rather than spicy.

Sara Lee products
See list here.

Sesame seeds (toasted and plain)
Available inexpensively at Bahadourian.

Slim Fast
Available in the larger grocery stores.

Splenda
Available in individual packets at Carrefour, near the sugar.

Sour cream: crème fraiche
I actually use crème fraiche and think it works just fine. You can add a squirt of lemon to it if you prefer. Available at any grocery store.

Soy sauce: sauce soja
Available in bulk at the Asian grocery stores at the Guillotière.

Sun-dried tomatoes
Not yet found, but here's a recipe to make them at home.
Update from C: There are sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil at Carrefour on the "Apero" aisle with the olives in jars, along with artichokes and palm hearts. At Auchan (St. Priest) they are with the Plats du monde

Sweet potatoes: patates douces
Available at Africa Musso at the Guillotière, but check to be sure you’re getting the orange and not white variety. Also available (for a price!) in the international produce section at Carrefour.


T

Taco sauce
Old El Paso brand available at Carrefour.

Taco seasoning: see cumin

Tofu
Available at the Asian grocery stores at the Guillotière.

Tortillas
Available at most grocery stores. Cheapest at Ed.

Tropicana juices
Available at most grocery stores. The brand is owned by PepsiCo and you can find a wide variety of juices, including orange, pink grapefruit, mandarine, yellow grapefruit, apple, ruby red breakfast, orange-mango, mandarine-raspberry, apple-litchi, red berry breakfast, breakfast tonic, tropical wake-up, etc... More PepsiCo products here.

Turtle beans: see black beans


U



V

Vanilla extract: arôme de vanille
Vahiné brand available at most grocery stores, usually near sugar and baking ingredients.


W

Wheat bran: son de blé
Available inexpensively from Bahadourian.

Worcestershire sauce
Heinz brand is available inexpensively at most grocery stores.


X



Y

Yeast: levure
Available in individual use packets (Vahiné brand) from most grocery stores or in medium-bulk and mega-bulk at Badhourian in the back left wing. The brand name is SAF. Fresh yeast is available at Carrefour in the refrigerated section by the pastries.


Z