Don’t Be a Jerk at the Farmers’ Market
Double-dipping, haggling… Do you ever wonder what’s done and what isn’t, somewhere between the Volendam fish stall and the sugar peanuts? With this market etiquette, you’ll always know how it’s done.
The farmers’ market (the kind with lots of vegetable and cheese stalls, no leftover batches of phone cases and body lotion) can be an oasis of peace and conviviality. Browsing among organic and non-organic peppers, nail cheeses, giant olives and locally dried sausages; occasionally tasting something and making conversation with the vendors of all that deliciousness while your mouth is full. Sounds delightful, doesn’t it? Especially that free tasting…
Don’t Be a Jerk at the Farmers’ Market
Ricardo from Rico’s Biokazen even lays out a real cheese board for people to taste, and helps customers appreciate the progression of flavors. “I like bringing people some awareness of the production process. And I don’t even mind if they buy nothing after tasting everything.” Still, there are people—you’re surely not one of them—who manage to incur the unfiltered irritation of market vendors and fellow shoppers through other behavior. How?
By pinching everything
It’s fine to gently test an avocado for ripeness in the palm of your hand, but sitting there fondling absolutely everything is just weird. Erik from the organic vegetable stall on Amsterdam’s Haarlemmerplein (Wednesdays) says you can simply ask him, too. And if you ever come home with an overripe tomato, just crush it onto a thick slice of toast rubbed with a halved garlic clove.
By double-dipping
A tasting bowl of tapenade with some pieces of baguette or grissini on the side? DIP ONCE! Don’t run the last crumb of bread through the tasting bowl a second time after the first bite, with strings of drool still attached. Okay, this disgust is actually personal to me—and these days it’s simply completely not done. Never. Ever.
By taking multiple samples (of the same thing)
Have lunch at home. Even after corona, okay?
By trying to haggle
This doesn’t happen often, and when it does, it’s usually tourists from a country where haggling is customary. But still, for us the rule at the market is: you’re not at a car dealership…
By walking through the market with your bicycle
Like, hello. So you can just hop on it at the end of the market?? La-zy. Not only the market vendors, but also your fellow browsers think this is stupid.
And the number-one worst behavior:
By standing in front of the stall while on the phone
Pointing vaguely toward the broccoli with a distracted look, meanwhile trading some shares over the phone or hoarsely discussing last night’s hookup with your BFF, only to then stand there waving your debit card or a tenner—Don’t. Do. It. Anywhere.
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