Sheldon wrote:

> I can't remember the last time the check-out asked what kinda produce...
> these days it's either in marked plastic bags, tied with wires/elastics
> with the code printed, and all those miserable stickers what take the skin
> off with them... don't need to know what it is, most everything has the
> code number tattooed. Even grapes, cherries, berries and such are already
> in a marked container that just needs weighing at check out. Very, very
> few produce products are not already marked and those that aren't any five
> year old knows what it is, like ears of corn, heads of cabbage, loose
> onions/potatoes, and garlic. Small hot peppers are not marked, but they
> know they're hot peppers and stupidmarkets don't have more than a couple
> three kinds.

Sounds like you shop at a supermarket with a shitty produce department. My
local Safeway has bins with at least half-a-dozen different kinds of
chilies, tamarind pods, yuca roots, malanga roots, and horseradish roots,
none of which bear labels. There are usually at least five different kinds
of cabbage and three different kinds of bok choy. Only about half the
produce has tags or labels; the person working the cash register is expected
to recognize the produce when it shows up at his or her station.

You wouldn't last ten minutes without asking, "What is this?"

- You couldn't tell the difference between a cantaloupe and an ambrosia
melon.

- You couldn't tell the difference between Thai basil and spearmint.

- You couldn't tell the difference between a bitter melon and an Armenian
cucumber.

- You couldn't tell the difference between edamame and baby fava beans.

- You have no idea what perilla is. You'd probably ring it up as mint.


Bob