Adventures in Produce

I was at Horrock's this afternoon, picking over the mangoes, when a woman exclaimed over some odd-looking, spiny, 40-lb fruit on the shelf behind me.

"It's a jackfruit," the clerk explained to her, as he went into the bizarre fruit's countries of origin, flavor profile, and interior appearance. She was amazed, to say the least. Although I had previously known what Jackfruit looked like, I couldn't blame the lady for not recognizing them: they're huge in comparison to the more commonly seen fruits in our area, they look weird, and no other store in Lansing has them, so they're pretty obscure. The only reason I knew them was due mostly to a cool fruit book I'd had for years, and because I was a regular shopper at Horrock's.

The lady recovered from the jackfruit, and promptly turned to the mango display. "And what are these?" she asked me, as I held one in my hand.

"Mangoes?" I offered."You've never seen mangoes?" She'd never seen or heard of mangoes, much less taste one, and she left me absolutely dumbfounded.  I observed my own shopping basket, which held kiwis, bananas, red grapes, mangoes, avocados, shiitake and crimini mushrooms, fresh tamarind, lima beans, and blue corn chips. I supposed that some of these things might be a little off the beaten path, but mangoes?

So here is your homework: Go to Horrock's. Find something you don't recognize, then find a clerk and have them tell you about it. The clerks at Horrock's are exceptionally well-versed in the products of their respective departments, and quite friendly, so they won't mind helping you out, and they may even cut something open for you to try on the spot. Check out every nook of the store, observing all the cool, exotic options they offer, and perhaps take something home to try it out. The world is full of amazing, delicious food other than corn, potatoes, apples, and out-of-season strawberries.