Fig Newtons: Neither fig, nor Newton.

September 4, 2012 11:25 AM

Are Fig Newtons sold in France?

I like fig Newtons on long runs instead of energy chews. I'll be in France in the fall through April and I'm interested in whether or not I'll be able to buy them there. I'm talking about regular grocery stores like Leclerc or Carrefour. I'm not interested in some expat shop in Paris.

Specifically, I know that I've bought knock off fig Newtons that look the same as the US version in France before, but the taste is NOTHING similar. (Actually everything was wrong, the pictures on packaging are quite deceptive.)

I'm talking about the plan old typical Newtons, not other flavors, or anything else different. I am also NOT interested in making my own.

posted by raccoon409 to food & drink (14 answers total)

Figolu de Lu! There are other brands but these are nommy.
posted by humph at 11:52 AM on September 4, 2012 [1 favorite]

Yes, definitely Figolu! They're not exactly the same thing, but they are very very close, and delicious!
posted by PardonMyFrench at 11:53 AM on September 4, 2012

Nope. Or, as the French Wikipedia article puts it, "Nabisco brands have never been sold in France, except for Oreo, marketed by Kraft since 2010."
posted by holgate at 11:53 AM on September 4, 2012

Dammit, #fail. Got so caught up in remembering those that I didn't read the question properly, sorry!
posted by humph at 11:53 AM on September 4, 2012

Not that I have ever seen. (Source: cookie fiend, lives in Paris, loves food shopping)
For whatever reason, Nabisco is not big in France although Oreos moved in within recent history and they have some presence for crackers (according to Wikipedia). The launch of Oreo prompted lots of free giveaways, and now you can find them in every grocery store and train station vending machine. But no, no Fig Newtons.
posted by whatzit at 11:54 AM on September 4, 2012

Dammit, that sort of puts a kink in my plan to delight my friend in France by sending her precious unavailable Oreos. Stupid marketing.
posted by maryr at 12:54 PM on September 4, 2012

Thanks for all the responses everyone! I'll try out Figolu de Lu, just to give it a shot when I get there.

Maryr, while they now have Oreos in France, they don't have double-stuf. (Any in my opinion, the only ones worth eating).
posted by raccoon409 at 1:23 PM on September 4, 2012

You can get them sent to your door. (Not an expat shop in Paris. ;)
posted by likeso at 1:58 PM on September 4, 2012

I was recently filled in on what is apparently one of the worst kept secrets of American expats in Europe by another mefite, USFoodz.nl, which will ship all of the amazingly awful American crap for free to anywhere in Europe.
posted by Blasdelb at 2:16 PM on September 4, 2012 [2 favorites]

My plan is to send the ridiculous Neapolitan Oreos I recently obtained at Target - picture it: one vanilla Oreo cookie, a layer of strawberry frosting, a second vanilla Oreo cookies, a second layer of (this time) chocolate frosting, and a third cookie to top it off. Far too sweet, far too silly, yet impossible to resist. Debating sending the regular Oreos with it or if I should send the football shaped ones I just found. Perhaps I'll go buy Double-Stuf instead.
posted by maryr at 2:27 PM on September 4, 2012

Guilty. (hiya Blasdelb! Shoot me a memail about the 28th. :)

And ooh, yes, preservatives! Emulsifiers! Pretty neon colors! Additives banned in the EU!
There are times when nothing but the synthetic will do.

Have to say though, the Fig Newtons were kinda dry and cardboardy. Lost to me, now.
posted by likeso at 2:33 PM on September 4, 2012 [1 favorite]

USFoodz has the double stuff.
posted by likeso at 2:34 PM on September 4, 2012

Were the "knockoffs" Jacob's Fig Rolls? 'Cos those are the best thing ever. Less gooshy and not blood-curdlingly sweet like Newtons. Give me a big enough pot of tea, and I'll polish off any sized box of Fig Rolls you care to bring.
posted by scruss at 5:05 PM on September 4, 2012 [1 favorite]

Nope, the knock off were a Carrefour store brand version that looked like Newtons on the packaging. I'm sad to say that the cookies were crunchy, and drastically different than that crumbly soft outside of Newtons. And the insides of the knock offs almost tasted like figs! Certainly not anything like Newtons.

(Side note: My brother and I had fresh figs for the first time in about 7 or so years. As we bit into them we both turned to each other and said "Wow, doesn't taste like Newtons!")
posted by raccoon409 at 8:34 PM on September 4, 2012