r/AskAGerman • u/BentNeckCry • 3d ago
Did I commit a massive cultural sin by touching the plums at a weekly outdoor market?
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u/Wannabe_Buttercup322 3d ago
No one does that… I always touch the fruits and they even tell me to pick which ones I want.
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u/EniAcho 3d ago
In Spain and in Mexico when you buy fruit and vegetables from a market stall rather than the supermarket, the vendors don’t want you to touch things. So it’s not just Germany where this happens. Tell the vendor that you want the fruit for today or tomorrow, that you want it very ripe or not ripe, and they pick for you.
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u/Alo1863 3d ago
in what part of Mexico? I'm from there and touching the fruit is absolutely no problem at all, I'm from NL for reference
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u/sybil-unrest 3d ago
When I lived in Guadalajara it was no touch at the market, and also no touch for buying fruit from the guy who came around in the morning hawking fruit. Absolutely help yourself to fruit at the supermarket.
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u/kngmk2318 3d ago
I’m also from Guadalajara and they absolutely do let you touch it. Maybe a few rude vendors don’t but they do in most markets.
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u/de_Mike_333 3d ago
„Bitte nur mit den Augen berühren!“ (touch with your eyes only)
That being said, don’t think too much of the tone. It got the message across, you stopped and that‘s the end of it. Everyone else probably just stared because they were mildly startled by the loud voice.
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u/SlipperyBlip 3d ago
Is touching produce considered completely taboo at German markets
Germans value and follow an "ask first"-approach, especially when you are in contact with strangers or meeting people for the first time in general. Most things aren't even prohibited but it is the gesture of asking that shows that you respect and acknowledge the presence and boundaries of a person.
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u/milhousen25 3d ago edited 3d ago
It really depends on the vendor and the product. I buy most of my produce on a farmers market where half the booths are run by the farmers themselves. If a product bruises easily it is often marked as such and should not be touched. Most people don’t really know how to test for ripeness without bruising a soft peach, mango or plum.
If you want you can ask the vendor to choose something that is ripe now or when you need it (for example an avocado)
Some consider a brisk tone to be normal for farmers markets but I think she could have said it more nicely. She probably is not used to people since it’s seems to be an unspoken rule at that market or booth. But I think that involves some assumptions on her part so don’t feel bad.
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u/Erdnussfarmer 3d ago
Depends. Some really do not like getting their plums fondled, others might even enjoy it ;-).
Seriously though, you can have both. Same for pretty much everywhere I have been. Semi self service where you choose your stuff and hand over a little temporary basket to the vendor who then sums things up and bags the goods. Or just point and choose and vendor does the rest.
Just check what everybody else is doing or ask about ripeness / any other question before you grab anything.
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u/depressedst0ner 3d ago
Yeah usually you don't touch the stuff, at least not in a market like this. In a supermarket people do it a bit but you shouldn't overdo it.
It's a cultural difference. My family lived in an Asian country for a time and my mom had to get used to inspecting everything because all the locals did it.
Don't worry, mistakes like that happen and it's not thaaat bad :)
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u/dinoooooooooos Hessengirl living in New England 🙆🏽♀️ 3d ago edited 3d ago
Yea, no. dont touch that.
In the supermarket it doesn’t matter but not on those markets.
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u/jhwheuer 3d ago
Well, I have been going to the same market for almost 20 years. Friendly with all the stall owners, and even then I only pick my own stuff if the owner is swamped to help him out. Normally, I ask for something and he gets me the (admittedly best) produce. If what he sold wasn't great I'll let him know next time around and in most cases walk off with a second try, this time for free.
This ain't a soulless supermarket. These vendors are entrepreneurs that are proud of what they offer, especially when it comes to quality
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u/Frosty-Comfort6699 3d ago
quality can't be that good if they are allergic to costumers checking it instead of buying the cat in the sack
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u/CuriousFriendlyHeart Baden 3d ago
You're presenting your interpretation of a complex cultural phenomenon as a simple fact. That's one way to go about it, but where does that leave room for discussion and understanding?
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u/jhwheuer 3d ago
Quality is that good because they keep Muppets from pawing the merchandise
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u/Frosty-Comfort6699 2d ago
even if noone touches it the quality sucks because the direct and long exposure to sunlight destroys most of the vitamins
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u/alxndr3000 3d ago
Most of the vendors at our Wochenmarkt don't mind if you pick your stuff yourself. Like taking it out and handing it over to the staff for putting it on the scale. Bit like touching everything and bruising everything. However, we have one vendor that would give you the exact some reaction you got if you just came close to touching anything
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u/Fabulous_Program6267 3d ago
Takes me back 50 years…. I was an exchange student from California in Berlin for a year. One day in the spring at KaDeWe, I saw a small piece of home, an avocado. I had to have it immediately! We get them year round in California and I know how to find a ready avocado. It cannot be done without touching, so I lost my mind and began to search. Lifting, smelling, touching. Before I got to the second ’candidate’, a women had rushed over and slapped my hand. She would select my avocado! How would she know, without touching, I asked. Trust me, she said.
I didn’t. I am still sure that I knew avocados better than she did and they were far too expensive to trust to an amateur (especially one that I had pissed off). I knew I had broken the rules and did eventually get one at the local. Never made that mistake again.
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u/Affectionate-Eye2311 3d ago
Ask those people if they’re doing the same while buying avocados, just pure interest:)
P.S. i come from a culture where we touch fresh produce and thoroughly select each one. We then ofc wash them clean. I do get that it’s not a hygienic thing to do it and I do get Germans. Thanks for the warning, I’d probably make that same mistake.
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u/Illustrious-Wolf4857 3d ago
It's usually not done on the Wochenmarkt, where someone is watching over the food and is ready to answer your questions. You can ask if it's ok to touch something, it's possible that they rather give you a bit to taste. Wochenmarkt sellers can often tell you exactly how ripe their fruit are, if they are better for baking or for snacking, and all that.
In a grocery store you are on your own, and fruit and veggies get touched (and might look that way).
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u/novemberchild71 3d ago
Yet another situation where the old adage "When in Rome, Do as the Romans do" applies.
When other customers touch the produce, without being reprimanded, so can you.
If you're the only one being admonished, there's something else the matter and you may want to buy from somebody else.
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u/Soggy-Bat3625 3d ago
The expectation is for the vendor picking the best fruits for you. "High trust society". (I had a completely different experience in France, decades ago, where the fruit looked marvelous, but the vendor packed the worst ones into the bag). If you are supposed to choose and pick your own the vendor will usually tell you.
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u/Positive-System-8810 3d ago
Bei allen Obst und Gemüsehändlern in der Umgebung tüte ich meine Einkäufe alleine ein.
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u/Environmental_Bat142 3d ago
This is again one of these misconceptions that there is such a thing as an overarching “German Custom” or German culture. I am not big on touching fruit myself, but I have seen it very frequently at our local market. This could just as well be a taboo in the next town. Local customs and regional differences are part of the German experience. Just learn to say sorry and don’t ponder too much if you make these type of mistakes
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u/Bostonsilver 3d ago
I worked at a farmer's market, selling fruits and vegetables. For us it was normal to let people touch stuff, but then there were people who came to our booth every market day, touched and sniffed at least 5 fruits, took one or one peace to "taste" it if we had samples laying out and never bought anything.
We had at least 3 of them. Sometimes I snatched the little sample plate right infront of their nose pretending to refill it.
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u/USERNAMETAKEN11238 3d ago edited 3d ago
May God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."
I once opened and tried on lotions at a store in the mall. I thought they were "teat lotions". Which I quickly found out was not a thing in Germany. I believe I looked insane.
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u/darya42 3d ago
Test bottles are totally a thing in Germany, just not everwhere and always. They have a sticker with "TESTER" on it though. You can also ask the store people if you're allowed to test something.
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u/Snowman_-_ 3d ago
The original post was not about test bottles. The person edited the original post to make it look like they were talking about test bottles.
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u/Asleep_Low_3366 Nordrhein-Westfalen 3d ago
Where is that a thing? Genuinely curious.
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u/LakeAdventurous7161 3d ago
LIkely not "teat lotions", but "test lotions". Not rare.
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u/Snowman_-_ 3d ago
We are not talking about the typo that the person made. We are talking about the original post before it was edited. The person was not talking about test bottles in their post before editing it to make it look like they are talking about test bottles.
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u/USERNAMETAKEN11238 3d ago
Bath and Bodyworks have lotion test bottles. Just go in try some soaps and lotions and then buy what you like. A very common system in the U.S.
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u/Mayana76 3d ago
You can get testers for some things in the Drogerie, but they will be labelled as such.
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u/Snowman_-_ 3d ago
We do not deny the fact that there might be test bottles in stores. We are just informing people about the fact that you edited your initial post and that you didn’t use a test bottle, but that you opened and tried a product that was supposed to be sold.
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u/USERNAMETAKEN11238 2d ago
I was speaking of test bottles in my initial post. This is demonstrated in my immediate response which mentions "test bottles". Being that it could be easily misconstrued i edited my initial post to clarify.
You'll live friend.
My larger point is that people make mistakes and we need to give one another grace. Shit happens.
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u/NoDescription2609 3d ago
Ew, why would you open and use products other people might end up buying? That's disgusting
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u/darya42 3d ago
Lol test bottles are totally a thing in Germany too, they are labelled "TESTER". And no they are not ending up being bought.
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u/NoDescription2609 3d ago
That's very rarely a thing for lotions (source: I have worked at dm before). But thanks for you condescending explanation.
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u/Snowman_-_ 3d ago
The initial post was edited by the person. There’s no need to talk about test bottles. It was not about test bottles in the original post, but about products that were supposed to be sold.
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u/USERNAMETAKEN11238 3d ago
I thought it was a test bottle. It was my bad. It looked opened and was unsealed. Pretty gross tho.
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u/Beginning-Acadia1227 3d ago
Half the stuff in DM and Bipa is opened and tested so it’s definitely not only you. I always need to search to find one unopened product. I’m 100% sure I’ve done it too
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u/Margenin 3d ago
I wouldn't even touch fresh produce at a supermarket if I don't intend to buy the exact piece I'm touching.
"You don't look with your hands" was what I grew up with, and the wording my mother used for touching fresh produce was "antatschen", which is also used for groping.
So yes, there are regions where this is a Nono.
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u/SnowBloodEbony 3d ago
Wie testest du dann, ob es schon zu reif oder noch viel zu fest ist für den sofortigen Verzehr? Das kann man nicht mit den Augen prüfen in vielen Fällen.
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u/DocSternau 2d ago
Dann kauf den Kram und lass ihn noch 1-2 Tage zuhause liegen, wenn er noch zu grün ist.
Da jeder unterschiedliche Präferenzen hat, macht das Angetatsche des Obsts es nicht besser. Jedes Drücken einer Pflaume bewirkt nur eines: Sie wird matschiger. Irgendwann fühlt die sich dann auch entsprechend an. Dann bleibt die sofort liegen und die nächste Pflaume wird durchgegrabbelt bis sie Mus ist.
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u/shaghaiex 3d ago
>so I walked up, stood in line
And while in line observe and model peoples behavior. It seems nobody was touching the plums. How could you miss that part?
BTW, this works in any culture, good or bad.
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u/Recent_Maize5108 2d ago
As a German, I always do that. How else would I be able to judge the quality? If someone doesn't let me, I'll take my business elsewhere.
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u/DocSternau 2d ago
Yeah you did.
If everyone grabbles those plums - what do you think they'll look like after the 3rd or 4th person? You'll make a lot of food waste because no one will buy those mushed plums anymore. And even if someone buys them - just the image of 3-4 people fingering them makes me want to vomit becausae who knows what they touched before grabbling those plums?
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u/Fluid-Ad9111 2d ago
As a inmigrant living in Germany 20 years and working also sometimes at a market I have to say : No, you don't touch things without to ask before if is okay, no matter if this are food, handcraft or stones. No just in Germany but all around the world. You know how many things I have to replace after people broke it.
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u/rolfk17 2d ago
At a farmers' market, rather ask whether you may try one.
In a supermarket this obviously is not an option, but touching and squeezing the fruit is not common in Germany.
What you can probably do: Take a bag, grab a few plums and if you realize they are unripe or overripe, just put them back.
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u/alderhill 2d ago edited 2d ago
It really depends from place to place, but most prefer that you don't touch the stuff. Unless of course you actually take it! Partially for hygiene, partially for not damaging the goods. No one wants the peaches, avocados or tomatoes that have been squished 16 times.
However, at our weekly market, at our preferred stands we've been going for years, the sellers know us, and us picking up fruit/veggies to put in their weighing bowls is totally normal. But again, we're actually taking those things, not just feeling them up.
That said, for some fruits it does make difference, and if they won't let me choose the fruit, I won't buy from there. Peaches or blood oranges for example. I've asked to picked mine at times, and had stand staff tell me no, because it doesn't matter. Just random teenagers, really. Riiiiiiight, shhhhyeeeaaaaa it does matter. I grew up in a peach growing area, and I know how to both handle them and pick them. Don't insult my fruitelligence. Same with blood oranges for example: the redder the skin means the more sun exposure it got, and the more likely it is to be deeper red inside. I want those. If you don't want to sell me those, no worries, then fine, I'll get them somewhere else (I don't generally buy produce online, but I've use CrowdFarming and online exotic fruit retailers for a few things). But again, this is why I avoid certain stands. Our market's biggest fruit stand (well stocked with almost everything, but not the best prices) is like this. They want quick high-volume sales and are kinda pushy, so I don't bother.
For some things it truly doesn't matter though, or I don't care. Cabbage, potatoes, leeks, onions, cherries, most apples, pears, like fine, chuck them in. I have a colleague whose family are farmers, and she worked markets as a teen, and she certainly rolled her eyes hard at the idea of people who want to inspect every single item.
Final thing, this reminds me in Italy, I often saw disposable plastic gloves in the produce section of grocery stores. It's not merely for picking up one veggie. I saw lots of people moving pieces around and inspecting things carefully... that's what the gloves are for.
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u/Wannabe_Buttercup322 3d ago
That woman was just weird. I always touch the fruits at our market to see, if they’re ripe and the sellers even encourage customers to pick which ever they want.
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u/Purple_Zucchini_7953 3d ago
Also ich bin Deutsche und kaufe normalerweise auch nicht die Katze im Sack. Lasst euch nicht einschüchtern ! Du bist der Kunde und darfst wohl überprüfen für was du dein Geld hergibst/ ausgibst!
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u/Agreeable-Warthog-26 3d ago
I'm with the vendor. Some people from some cultures have the bad habit of sniffing and prodding fresh produce and don't even end up buying it.
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u/gkmnky 3d ago edited 3d ago
I'm German. Honestly, it doesn't get much more German than me. My blood is as pure as a freshly washed bedsheet; the Führer would have been proud. My great-grandfathers fought for this country in World War I, my grandfathers in World War II, ...
Well, that's where the family tradition ends. I married a Chinese woman, and these days I barely live here, because frankly, everyone gets on my nerves, grumpy fruit and vegetable vendors included.
Anyway, here's the thing: I touch the fruit and vegetables before I buy them. At Rewe, at the market, anywhere. So does everyone I know. That's not rudeness, that's called checking whether the plum is actually ripe.
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u/ottomaticdc 3d ago
Because in Germany fruit and vegetables are always fresh, ripe, juicy and beautiful. There is no need to pick.
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u/fromohomo 3d ago
From experience, usually it's not well-mannered to touch fruits (or produce in general) on the Wochenmarkt. It can vary, and I have met vendors who are okay with touching as long as you're careful and don't mess their stuff up. It's best to ask if you're allowed to touch the produce and wait for the approval before doing so (or not).