Sure, I'll try it

I’m eating a bag of pretzels I just got from Ica Mercado. They’re the thin kind. After the disappointing first bite, I wonder, “Is this what they think pretzels are supposed to taste like?”

I find that when I eat some locally made (junk) foods like these pretzels, cookies, or even ketchup, I am often struck with this succession of thoughts:

Huh. Do they like that their (any food/condiment) tastes like this? It tastes off, am I right? Am I right?!

And yet I keep holding try-outs. Because it’s a beautiful occasion when you can add something to your food repertoire in a foreign country… It's as though, for the short time you're here, you want to form alliances.

You want a candy brand. Buying junk food in new countries is different, it's not like shopping at 7-11. What will these cookies taste like? Will they be better than the chocolatey thing from yesterday? It's sort of exciting!

And the best part is getting to choose who you buy these surprises from: an old woman from her corner cart, maybe a man manning his we've-got-everything-store, or else from the lady in the plaza selling items from the wooden box she has hanging around her neck? What is this dreamy number over here, next to the lollipops and bubble gum? I've never seen THAT before. What do you think THAT's going to be like? Will I like it? It's a gamble. It's worth knowing either way.