US grocery item expat shocked Aussies don’t stock

An American woman living in Sydney has taken to TikTok to reveal her ‘shock’ at how Aussies don’t stock a popular US item.

An American expat has revealed how “shocked” she was to discover local supermarkets don’t stock a popular US grocery item.

Bailey Brown, a nutritionist and fitness instructor, living in Sydney, took to TikTok on Thursday to share some of the “things she doesn’t understand living in Australia”.

This particular edition was about on Halloween and how she had been struggling to find ‘pumpkin spice’ – an American spice mix commonly used as an ingredient in pumpkin pie.

The dish is traditionally eaten at Halloween and thanksgiving with the spice similar to what we call ‘mixed spice’.

Bailey Brown, a nutritionist and fitness instructor, living in Sydney, shared a TikTok about the things she doesn’t understand living in Australia. Picture: TikTok/baileybrwn

It’s generally a blend of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and sometimes ‘allspice’.

“There is no pumpkin spice anywhere,” she began the clip.

“So I don’t want to shock you with this one, I know it’s pretty big, but the only pumpkin you will find is actually squash and it’s in a salad.”

While on the topic of pumpkins, Bailey, a well-known YouTuber with half a million subscribers, also pointed out how “shocked” she was that no one celebrates Halloween in Australia.

She said she was ‘shocked’ to discover ‘pumpkin spice’ doesn’t exist in Australia. Picture: TikTok/baileybrwn

It’s a popular US spice commonly used to make pumpkin pie, also a US dish. Picture: TikTok/baileybrwn

“You’re not going to find anyone trick or treating. There’s not many chocolate bars and there’s no sexy Power Puff Girls running around,” she said.

She explained that the only Halloween parties she’s been too while living in Australia are those that she had thrown herself.

“I have never seen trick or treating in my five years living here and your ‘pumpkins’ are squash. It isn’t the same,” she joked.

A fellow expat who lived in Perth said the tradition isn’t as big in Australia as it is in the US, but said she has still seen people dressed up for Halloween.

She also couldn’t believe that in the five years living in Sydney, she’s never seen anyone dressed up for Halloween. Picture: TikTok/baileybrwn

“I lived in Byron (from the UK) and always found it soo weird how there’s no spring/fall transitions!!” another former expat wrote.

Bailey said she too has lived in Byron and Bondi and could “never find a pumpkin” or “see anyone dressed up”.

“It makes me so sad,” she wrote.

An Aussie TikTok user jumped in the comments section explaining it’s something more common with young children – while, to Bailey’s excitement, also revealing a supermarket which stocks pumpkin spice.

“Kids do trick or treat and it’s a little more popular (now). We do have mini choc bars and you can find pumpkin spice at Gerwurz,” the user wrote.

And they would be correct – the German grocer based in NSW, VIC and SA, not only stocks the item, but they also have recipes on what you can make it with including the American pumpkin pie dish and also soup and porridge.