# Things in the grocery store that fascinate you for no real reason **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 3, 2002, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-in-the-grocery-store-that-fascinate-you-for-no-real-reason/130681 "2002-10-03T14:51:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-in-the-grocery-store-that-fascinate-you-for-no-real-reason/130681/1 "2002-10-03T14:51:45Z")
Having made my trip to the grocery store this morning, and having spent too much time there (though I did stick to my list and budget with what I bought), I realized there are certain items that I might never buy, but that I am always somewhat fascinated by. The most prominent of these is **Salt Pork**. I have never used this for anything, but I almost always pick it up and vaguely consider it. Today it actually went into the cart for consideration, but I put it back before I checked out, because I have no idea what I’d do with it. I think this fascination comes from the number of times I read the Little House on the Prairie books as a child - they were always eating salt pork, fried, in soups, whatever. The other item is \*_tripe_. Now, I have eaten tripe, and I know people who love it. I just have difficulty with knowing what it is - cook it up in something and don’t tell me that I’m eating it…fantastic, no problem. But I wouldn’t buy it, even though I always look at it when it’s in the store. Just for consideration. So, what item fascinates you in the grocery that you have no real reason to purchase? ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-in-the-grocery-store-that-fascinate-you-for-no-real-reason/130681/2 "2002-10-03T14:57:33Z")
kraut juice! ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-in-the-grocery-store-that-fascinate-you-for-no-real-reason/130681/3 "2002-10-03T14:59:17Z")
Beef, chicken, long-pig. I don’t know why. All I know for sure is that I have vague memories of eating beef liver when I was a lad and hating it. And eating chichen livers in bacon, and tolerating it only for the bacon. They’re just so weird and slimy looking. ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-in-the-grocery-store-that-fascinate-you-for-no-real-reason/130681/4 "2002-10-03T15:00:32Z")
Those tiny little cans of octopus. Why buy such a timy amount? ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-in-the-grocery-store-that-fascinate-you-for-no-real-reason/130681/5 "2002-10-03T15:19:10Z")
- Jars of pickled fish in some creamy concoction - Kraft singles (seriously, how can anyone stomach that crap) I’m sure there are more, but I’m facinated by these two items _every_ time I go to Giant. ---
**Author:** ![booklover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@booklover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/booklover)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-in-the-grocery-store-that-fascinate-you-for-no-real-reason/130681/6 "2002-10-03T15:50:58Z")
The new trend of strange-colored food (blue ketchup, etc.) is bizarre. I was mesmerized in Safeway two days ago when I saw a new product called “Funky Fries”. These are frozen French fries in two varieties: 1) dyed bright blue and 2) chocolate flavored (a brown color). Chocolate flavored French fries!!! How weird is that? ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-in-the-grocery-store-that-fascinate-you-for-no-real-reason/130681/7 "2002-10-03T15:52:31Z")
Pimento loaf. EEEEWWWW! Ethnic grocery stores are even more fun. I once saw a jar abled “Pickled Fish Guts” in a Vietnamese grocery. ---
**Author:** ![jk1245](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/49beb7/32.png) [@jk1245](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jk1245)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-in-the-grocery-store-that-fascinate-you-for-no-real-reason/130681/8 "2002-10-03T15:53:49Z")
Head Cheese - disgusting name to go along with a disgusting look. But I still have to examine it everytime I pass it by. ---
**Author:** ![Caricci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Caricci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caricci)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-in-the-grocery-store-that-fascinate-you-for-no-real-reason/130681/9 "2002-10-03T16:06:51Z")
Beef tongue. Sometimes they have pig faces too. I get very excited when there’s a pig face in the meat section. ---
**Author:** ![Judith\_Prietht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b19c9b/32.png) [@Judith\_Prietht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Judith_Prietht)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-in-the-grocery-store-that-fascinate-you-for-no-real-reason/130681/10 "2002-10-03T16:18:09Z")
It pisses me off that the clams at my local supermarket are inside the glass case. When I was a kid, it was the best thing to go to the fish department and flick the clams and see if they were still alive. Now I have to content myself with poking pigs feet and beef tongue. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-in-the-grocery-store-that-fascinate-you-for-no-real-reason/130681/11 "2002-10-03T16:39:48Z")
They have a really good fish counter at my Shop-Rite, but they scatter chopped-off fish heads around on the ice like it’s a decorating motif. Is seeing all those glassy-eyed fish staring at us supposed to make us _hungry?_ I also look at the live lobsters in the tank: one the one hand, I do feel sorry for the poor critters, but on the other, they really _do_ look like oversized cockroaches. ---
**Author:** ![Gundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Gundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gundy)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-in-the-grocery-store-that-fascinate-you-for-no-real-reason/130681/12 "2002-10-03T17:35:22Z")
Chicken feet. When I was eight or so, my mom chased after me down the aisle with a chicken foot from an opened package, cackling the whole way. ---
**Author:** ![Deadly\_Nightlight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Deadly\_Nightlight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deadly_Nightlight)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-in-the-grocery-store-that-fascinate-you-for-no-real-reason/130681/13 "2002-10-03T18:30:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lsura \* > \*\*Having made my trip to the grocery store this morning, and having spent too much time there (though I did stick to my list and budget with what I bought), I realized there are certain items that I might never buy, but that I am always somewhat fascinated by. > > The most prominent of these is **Salt Pork**. I have never used this for anything, but I almost always pick it up and vaguely consider it. Today it actually went into the cart for consideration, but I put it back before I checked out, because I have no idea what I’d do with it. I think this fascination comes from the number of times I read the Little House on the Prairie books as a child - they were always eating salt pork, fried, in soups, whatever. > > The other item is \*_tripe_. Now, I have eaten tripe, and I know people who love it. I just have difficulty with knowing what it is - cook it up in something and don’t tell me that I’m eating it…fantastic, no problem. But I wouldn’t buy it, even though I always look at it when it’s in the store. Just for consideration. > So, what item fascinates you in the grocery that you have no real reason to purchase? \*\* [hijack] I use salt pork for flavor in freens or bean soup, sometimes green beans. and tripe for Menudo! [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Godfrey\_Daniels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Godfrey\_Daniels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Godfrey_Daniels)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-in-the-grocery-store-that-fascinate-you-for-no-real-reason/130681/14 "2002-10-03T18:39:17Z")
Hot sauce. All the stores now have all the latest and greatest, and I just stand in the aisle and read all the bottles. Fascinating. Uh-huh. ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-in-the-grocery-store-that-fascinate-you-for-no-real-reason/130681/15 "2002-10-03T18:40:02Z")
Goat Heads around Easter time. Yes, you read that correctly - Goat Heads. Unfortunately, all the hair and skin has been stripped off, but they still look really cool/nasty, and I’ve always thought it would be fun to buy a couple of 'em, and put them on sticks in the front yard. ---
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-in-the-grocery-store-that-fascinate-you-for-no-real-reason/130681/16 "2002-10-03T18:46:01Z")
My IGA has all sorts of “exotic” meats. I will usually conisder for a moment buying some buffalo or ostrich but almost always pass… except last month. The Buffalo was actually on sale and cheaper than Beef, so I picked some up. I also like going to the ethnic food areas and looking at what people in other countries eat. At this time of year I also cruise the halloween candy aisle and look at all the new crap that the kids are going to eat this year. They’re usually a far cry from the molassess kisses, apples and little chocolate bars we had. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-in-the-grocery-store-that-fascinate-you-for-no-real-reason/130681/17 "2002-10-03T18:54:49Z")
I must confess I have a sneaking interest in the more bizarre “wellness” products at the co-op – So-and-So’s Magic Herbal Rejuvenation Formula, that sort of thing. BTW, salt pork is also good in just about any red-wine-based concoction that you have to simmer, such as coq au vin. ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-in-the-grocery-store-that-fascinate-you-for-no-real-reason/130681/18 "2002-10-03T18:58:50Z")
The local Harris Teeter supermarket always sells its green peppers – in season and out – for $1.49 each. In the summer, I often puzzle over them, trying to figure how they are able to get anyone to buy them, when the Winn-Dixie is selling the exact same peppers for 44 cents each. Do the Harris Teeter peppers have some kind of magical properties that I should know about? Its not like theirs are organically grown or anything – maybe there are prizes inside, or they think it would offend the green pepper gods if they ever lowered the price. ---
**Author:** ![GKW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d9b06d/32.png) [@GKW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GKW)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-in-the-grocery-store-that-fascinate-you-for-no-real-reason/130681/19 "2002-10-03T19:02:58Z")
Usually I am in and out at the grocery store but if I have time, I like to watch the lobsters. I think they should put some colored gravel in those tanks and maybe one of those ceramic castles with a mermaid peeking out the window. Baby corn in jars is cute. I don’t know how it tastes but if I was six I’d like to make my doll try to eat some. My grocery store has a new huge section for olives. I never knew there were so many different kinds of olives! They look very strange displayed out in the open like that. ---
**Author:** ![Ol\_Gaffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Ol\_Gaffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ol_Gaffer)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-in-the-grocery-store-that-fascinate-you-for-no-real-reason/130681/20 "2002-10-03T19:13:59Z")
**Potted Meat** and **Vienna Sausages** I was in the field last summer with a guy who would eat potted meat or vienna sausages everyday for lunch. I was not familiar with either of these pseudo-meat products but became quite fascinated them, although I could never bring myself to actually consume either. Now I find when I am grocery shopping I actively search for these shiny little tin cans of offal to see if they are still being sold. I can’t believe that people eat that crap. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-in-the-grocery-store-that-fascinate-you-for-no-real-reason/130681.md?page=2)