Grocery Shopping Abroad: Understanding Grams

American travelers often struggle at European deli counters. In the US, you ask for "a quarter pound" of turkey. In Europe, you order by grams.

The Magic Number: 100g

The standard unit for pricing and ordering deli items is "100 grams" (un etto in Italy).

100 grams is roughly equal to a quarter pound (0.22 lbs).

Cheat Sheet for Ordering

• 100g: A generous sandwich worth of meat.
• 200g: Close to half a pound (good for a few sandwiches).
• 500g: Just over 1 pound (a family pack).
• 1 Kilo (1000g): 2.2 pounds (a massive amount).