Samples

I enter a store, Trader Joe’s, Peet’s Coffee, Bristol Farms. Maybe it’s after breakfast, or lunch, so I’m not hungry. And, if I was hungry the food I would probably choose isn’t necessarily what is being offered as a sample. And yet, if there are samples I make a beeline to them. Why is that?

When you ask anyone or almost anyone if they like food samples, most people will say yes. For some it’s a fortunate fluke when they come upon them; but others specifically go to stores that give them out. We all have heard of the Costco “buffet” even if we have not been there. I will line up for a two-inch piece of pizza, a chunk of cheese, a bit of cookie, a minuscule cup of coffee. I’ll line for foods I would not think of having at home or ordering in a restaurant. Knowing that doesn’t seem to make any difference. If it’s offered free, I will try it. The joke goes “broken cookies don’t have calories and neither do samples”.

Farmers markets have the sampling thing down to a science. As you walk down the center concourse of any farmers market, you will be accosted by people whose sole mission is to stand in front of their booth and thrust a slice of melon, or peach, or a grape at you. One walk through and you might find you’ve had more fruit in 100 feet than you normally would have in a whole day! And it’s not necessarily limited to fruit. One local market has freshly roasted peanuts and kettle corn to sample. Another has samples of Hawaiian style potato chips.

I just love those samples. I try to convince myself, and others who listen to me go on, that it’s only because I want to sample before I buy. And, frequently, legitimately, that exposure does lead to the purchase of something I might not have otherwise discovered.

But if I am honest, I have to admit that’s not what it’s all about. It’s really about the spontaneity, the surprise. So much of life is, necessarily, planned, scheduled, pre-thought. To have someone just offer me a little something, a piece of chocolate, a perfect raspberry, a tiny cup of mango smoothie. It’s a gift not anticipated or expected and for that reason has the power to brighten my day.

And the fact that it’s free is a bonus.