Not the beans that make them crazy
We attribute certain characteristics to various foods; just think of fish and brains, or carrots and night vision. Whether or not the science supports the factoid. But what about when the label on the food is called into question.
In the Montreal area, a man with background in ethnic groceries has a rather successful firm that sells canned beans. Not the sugar shack coated in molasses sort, but rather those associated with cooking in the Maghreb. The fun ones. Chick peas. Black ones. In fact, he markets dozens of varieties.
His labels are multi-language and there’s the rub; it seems that after 9/11 (why can’t the Americans learn to write their dates like the “rest of us”?), these products hit a wall called the border. The printing in Arabic and the obviously “not born in Wales” name of the owner were enough to stop access to his largest market. After all, when you can’t find your WMD, keep the beans at bay.
Even now, half a decade later, his sales are still far below what they were. Talk about your fear factor. I’ve eaten the products from this company, and the quality is top shelf. It makes me wonder, if it’s not the beans that make them crazy, then what could it be?
