There’s no denying that L.A. is a strange place–juice bars everywhere, Scientology–but sometimes the strangeness manifests itself in grapes.
This wasn’t something I knew about, but the other day I found myself at Gelson’s (my favorite supermarket here) and a man in the produce department said, “Would you like to try a grape?” Now my mom always warned me not to take candy from strangers, but she never said anything about grapes–even grapes that, according to the man, “taste like Cotton Candy.”
“How can a grape taste like Cotton Candy?” I asked.
“Go ahead,” he urged. “Try.”
I took a bite and at first it tasted like a grape, but a split second later my mouth tasted like it does when you eat Cotton Candy.
“Whoah,” I said. “That’s weird!”
What I didn’t say was: “That’s good.” Because, frankly, I didn’t think it was good. I don’t want my grapes to taste like Cotton Candy, I want them to taste like grapes.
“Try one of these,” he said, pointing to a different bag. “They look like fingers!”
Indeed, they did. They’re called “Witch Finger” grapes and I totally get why they’re called that.
I took a bite and was glad that this grape, unlike the last grape, tasted like a grape. However, I didn’t find the shape particularly compelling.
So I thanked the man and slowly tip-toed backwards, towards the onions and garlic. He kept smiling and I kept smiling and when I was far away enough, I ran like hell.
L.A. can be a creepy place.
“He kept smiling and I kept smiling and when I was far away enough, I ran like hell.” LOL. This would be a great line to end a short story.
I just received a full bag of the cotton candy grapes as a sample from the awesome Sprouts market here in CO. Pretty cool, since I’m sure it was at least $6 worth of grapes, if not more. I kinda like them; not too sweet and not an overpowering cotton candy taste. My daughter loves them. And heck…they were free!
What’s the store called. I need to find out where to get them because I’m doing a science article on this and need the cotton candy grapes
I saw these Cotton Candy grapes at my local Sprouts! I was weirded out by them too, and didn’t try them or buy any. You’re braver than I.
This is hilarious. I love your writing!
Why cotton candy, which tastes like sugar and artificial coloring and is pretty gross to anyone who is not a)5 or b) on a nostalgia trip? Why not work on developing seedless muscat grapes, or make grapes taste chocolatey, or like Lillet?
You crack me up! Weren’t their apples a couple of years ago that tasted like grapes?
Grapples
I saw the finger grapes at my store the other day. weird.
I tried those this weekend at our local grocery store chain (the Cotton Candy ones). I thought they were good, but not enough to plunk down $8 on a small bag of them. Plus, do I really want some genetically modified fruit that is made to taste like something that isn’t even that great for you? Nah…
They are definitely not gmo..They are cross bred with other grapes. e.g. Take a purple grape and breed with a green grape. Most likely you will get a red grape..The Cotton Candy grapes are hand pollinated. Most likely the cause of the high prices. Cross breeding grapes and other vegetation has been going on for many many years now..So basically: They combined two grape species through hand pollination to create a seedless green grape which taste like the pink spun-sugar treat.
I bought my second bag of the cotton candy grapes now. I find that the first one tastes really like cotton candy, then as you eat subsequent ones, the cotton candy flavor goes away, and you get really sweet tasting grapes. A couple of my coworkers who grew up in the south find that the grapes remind them of muscadines, or scuppadines, but without the thick skins or seeds. The witch fingers, well it’s a novelty that works around halloween for the little kids.
I must get to a Gelson’s!
They have them in the store I work at. We have bags of both now. My kids are eating fruit, who knew it could work?
awesome
you sound bitchy lol
Don’t you dare say that about Scientology, Xenu forbid!
Hi, Yea, it seems a little weird…So, I thought I would break it down for you a little bit..Fruit Breeder Invents Cotton Candy Flavored Grapes/You can find out where to buy these grapes in your area by going to Grapery on Facebook. In Los Angeles Gelson’s and Sprouts has them.They are not GMO they are hand pollinated and cross bred.Selective breeding is a way for humans to nurture desirable traits in plants and animals, but it is much older and less scientific than genetic modification. In selective breeding, two members of the same species are paired as breeding partners in order to encourage desirable characteristics in the offspring. For example, cows that have been observed producing large volumes of milk may be bred to pass that trait on to ensuing generations. This process helps ensure an increase in the milk yield of future cows.
I’m willing to bet if Ferran Adria or Jose Andres had introduced you to Cotton Candy grapes you’d be raving about cool and clever they were…
there is plums that taste like peaches and peaches that taste like plums