mama mia, papa paya!

I could swear back home there were some fruits which had a sticker, indicating some fruit was ripe when it yielded to a slight push of the thumb. I know my memory isn't the best but still...

Here is a sticker on a papaya I bought the other day. I did not read it carefully - it says to eat the papaya when the skin turns about the same color as the color of the sticker. Oops...instead I pressed that spot every day until it yielded to my push. In case you are wondering, the papaya was delectably sweet and juicy!

In Japan it is highly frowned upon to 'molest' the fruits before a purchase. Logic being, it is rude and unsanitary...I think? In any case, most veggies and fruits here are of identical size, shape, colour, smell...it is absurd! If a cucumber has the slightest crook to it, it is sold at maybe 30% of the asking price of flawless cucumbers. Come see the creepy supermarket uniformity when you visit Japan!