A Soulful Question About Food Samples

Here’s my soulful question of the day: If the grocery store offers free samples of food items, how many samples is it acceptable to take?

I was under the impression that one sample per item per person is appropriate. I thought the store basically offers samples to customers so that they can try things they might then choose to purchase. For example, produce that tastes especially good may entice customers to purchase some knowing it is, in fact, good. Today, however, I began to question my assumption.

I had just walked into the grocery store around lunchtime and was checking the ads when I noticed a lady in front of me. She was standing by a display of cut up strawberries, helping herself to them. Generously helping herself. For a second, I thought she was stocking the display, since her arm kept reaching in and out so many times. Then I noticed the napkin in her hand, piled with strawberries, and the pile was increasing rather than decreasing. I was actually considering buying strawberries, so I moved toward the display for a sample, and had to stand and wait while she piled an additional ten pieces on her napkin. Then, she moved over to the cantaloupe display, and began piling pieces of cantaloupe on her napkin. It was a wonder how she managed to fit so much on one napkin and not drop any.

After she was done dishing out the cantaloupe, she turned around and proceeded out the door, just as if this was all normal behavior.

I couldn’t help it. I gawked.

And I didn’t even try to hide it.

Who knew that paying for fruit, cutting it up the night before, and bringing it to work in an old but trusty piece of Tupperware for lunch was unnecessary? Just head to your local grocery store during your lunch break and raid the food displays. They even provide free napkins and toothpicks, so you can clean up afterward.

Anyway, as I made my way through the store, I helped myself to a piece of strawberry, a piece of cantaloupe, and a piece of 9-Grain bread with a flavored cream cheese dip.

I had all but forgotten about the fruit lady.

Until I got to the hummus.

They had this tub of hummus to sample using pita chips. I took one without paying much attention at first, but after I took a bite, I did a double take. This hummus was quite creamy and slightly sweet, and the pita chips were very lightly coated with some sort of cinnamon sugar combination. I’m not normally huge on sweet flavors that don’t involve chocolate, but this, well, this was something. I looked around the display, and could only find non-sweet pita chips and regular hummus. Oh well, I thought, if I bought some I’d likely consume it all in one sitting anyway.

Then, I thought of the fruit lady.

She walked away with a boatload of fruit samples.

Maybe it could be done, this repetitive sampling. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt anything.

It would certainly help my taste buds.

I could take a dozen pieces from the display and still look way better than the fruit lady.

The serpent and I faced off.

For a moment, it looked grim.

But in the end, I emerged victorious. I walked away with a pound of strawberries and a loaf of the 9-Grain bread, both of which I paid for, but without the second hummus sample.

But I’m still thinking about that hummus.