Nancy2 wrote:
> Charlene Charette wrote:
> > On "The Biggest Loser" (yeah, I know...) this week, the two trainers
> > visited high schools to educate students in healthy eating and exercise.
> > They showed produce to students and asked them to identify it. I'm
> > sure they edited out anyone who knew the correct answers, but they still
> > found plenty of students who had no idea what the eggplant was. One
> > student thought the asparagus was radishes. Now, I don't care for
> > eggplant, but I can identify it.
> >
> > --Charlene
>
> I've noticed this for a long time - just watch the checkers at the
> supermarket. "What's this?" And then a couple of them will argue
> about what kind of chilies those are or what kind of tomato. It should
> be required knowledge if they're going to be running a register.
>
> Jamie Oliver did a "what is it" test in Italy (one of the recent
> programs) with young grade-school aged kids - they got nearly
> everything right. The same test in his home country with its horrible
> school meals (that's what he said) produced hardly a single child who
> could name any vegetable other than a carrot.

I'm not going to say I find that hard to believe because no way do I
believe that at all... you trying to convince me that average 6-7 year
olds with normal brains can't identify veggies like corn, peas, green
beans, potatoes, onions, celery, lettuce, cabbage, tomatoes, cukes,
beets, broccolli, cauliflower, and many, many other common veggies...
they may not know say which variety of potato but most kids will know
it's a potato.

And I don't know about your stupidmarket checkers but those I encounter
pretty much know all the veggies, they may not have the numbers
memorized but they do know which veggie it is... only occasionally one
may not know things like parsnip, endive, fennel bulbs, the difference
in parslsys, stuff like that, but they do know the vast majority.
Perhaps yoose live like in Texas, Oklahoma, or Kentucky, where the only
potatoes anyone knows is fries.

Sheldon