I have never enjoyed grocery shopping, and this distaste has only been exacerbated during my time in Hungary. Whether it's the grumpy checkout ladies who scold me when I forget to weigh my vegetables, the other customers who scowl at me when I have the temerity to pay by credit card or buy more than 10 items at a time, or worst of all - the sheer lack of healthy foods. The onlyfruits/vegetables I can count on being fresh and in stock are tomatoes, potatoes and the occasional mushroom. Spinach, crisp apples, lettuce - forget it. Vegetarians are not welcome here.
Another experience that can be daunting is meat shopping. Before I learned my words for sheep and cow, I often bought ground sheep rather than beef. Also, I get a little squeamish when my animal products actually retain traces of animal, like when my eggs have feathers stuck to them or there's blood on chicken breasts, etc. (And yes, I know I should be a vegetarian or spend ample time on a farm.) Anyhow, today, I had the worst experience at a meat counter to-date. I was waiting in line to order chicken breasts (this is the old-fashioned meat market where nothing is prepacked and the butcher fixes everything for you - usually with bare hands). The lady in front of me ordered pigs feet!!! I started to watch as the butcher grabbed from a tray of severed Babe limbs - separating hooves that got stuck together.
Exihibt A:
It was horrible. It looked like the pigs could have been alive yesterday, and all that was missing from the legs was blood. I started to gag and had to leave the meat counter. Needless to say, I didn't get my chicken. I know pickled pigs feet are eaten in the US too, and it is not a Hungarian specialty. But, I've never seen them in person. It's still gross, right?
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