*Note: All information contained in this blog is comprised mostly of opinion and ignorant observation. Any facts or actual knowledge presented is purely accidental. In the (supposed) words of Socrates, “I neither know nor think I know.”
U.S. Woman Spotted Walking Around Užice, Serbia, Carrying Giant Bag of Spinach
Around 11:45 a.m. local time, a short, blond-haired woman in running shorts and a black tank top was spotted walking in and out of shops in downtown Užice carrying a large bag of spinach. Not particularly unusual, except for the fact that the woman had been seen carrying the same bag of spinach nearly an hour earlier while entering the Fitness Healthy Living gym on the outskirts of town. (Also, spinach is not yet in season in Užice.)
Questioned about the spinach, the woman explained that she had purchased it earlier that day from Lidl, a German grocery store chain that imports vegetables otherwise not seen on most local grocery store shelves.
When asked why she purchased such a large bag, the woman replied, “Because I like spinach. I mean, who doesn’t like spinach? In the U.S. you can find fresh spinach in literally every grocery store. But since I moved to Užice, I’ve had to hunt for fresh spinach. Whenever I find it, it feels like a real conquest.”
The woman went on to explain that while frozen spinach is readily available in most local grocery stores, it simply doesn’t taste the same as fresh. And blitva (i.e., Swiss chard), a fresh green that is readily available and highly beloved by Serbian domestic cooks, is chewier and more bitter than its tender-leafed cousin.
“I’m so tired of blitva,” the woman said. “Scrambled eggs with blitva and čvarci; blitva in cornbread; blitva-stuffed pita; schnitzel topped with sauteed blitva. It just gets to be too much, you know?”
The woman doesn’t yet know what she will do with her newly acquired spinach, but she is excited about the possibilities. “Check back with me next time you see me in town,” she said, winking.
Update: The article writer was able to catch up with the woman again later the same evening. It seems the spinach had saved her from another blitva-infused meal. After dinner plans were unexpectedly canceled, she had to throw together an impromptu meal of leftover pasta, green pesto, and–thankfully–handfuls of glorious fresh green spinach (rather than the blitva that was suggested).
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