Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK

FOOD AND DRINK

Flirting craze at Mercadona supermarkets takes over Spain

Mercadona's flirting craze appears to have gone a bit far in Spain as police have been called in to deal with crowds, stag dos have been held at supermarket branches and staff have been forced to remove pineapples during 'flirting hour'.

Published: 4 September 2024 10:25 CEST
Flirting craze at Mercadona supermarkets takes over Spain
Pineapples have had to be removed from Mercadona supermarkets during 'flirting hour'. Photo: LiangKai Huang/Unsplash

If you’ve popped into Mercadona to do some shopping recently, you might’ve received some funny looks… or smiles or prolonged eye contact, a wink, or even someone crashing their shopping trolley into yours.

That’s probably because you accidentally went during ‘flirting hour’.

What are we talking about? Well, for those not in the know, it all started with a TikTok video that’s gone viral and now everybody in Spain’s talking about it. 

The idea is that if you turn up at a Mercadona branch between 7pm and 8pm, that’s la hora de ligar (the time to flirt), and there’s a secret love language to follow as well.

Putting a pineapple upside down in your shopping trolley means that you’re ‘available’ and ‘interested’. 

There are different supermarket aisles where you have to go to ‘hang’ based on your age group (you can read in more detail about the rules of Spanish supermarket flirting here).

But what started as a bit of fun seems to have gone a bit too far and is getting a little out of control. 

Once the trend went viral, scores of people began going to Mercadona between 7-8pm in stores across the country.

In one Mercadona branch in the Basque city of Bilbao, the sheer number of people descending on the supermarket for la hora de ligar meant that the security were overwhelmed and had to call the local Ertzaintza police. The numbers, Basque media reported, “far exceeded the usual capacity of a normal day.”

Even Spain’s pensioners are heading to their Mercadona to flip pineapples and find a potential suitor. 

Staff in some Mercadona stores have also tried to pre-empt the flirting hour and started removing pineapples in anticipation of the rush of singletons looking for love. A video posted on social media shows a worker removing a trolley full of pineapples to prevent the pineapples from being misused in an attempt to find love.

In another viral video, a group of young men staged a stag party in the store in which they dressed the groom up as a giant pineapple and wheeled him around in a supermarket trolley.

There are also articles in Spain’s main newspapers telling readers the latest fashion trends that can be worn to ‘get lucky’ at their local Mercadona branch.

It’s safe to say this social media trend has snowballed. Perhaps this writer is overly cynical, but one has to wonder how much of this was cooked up by Mercadona’s marketing team in the first place.

This trend and the viral videos that have come from it do all seem very convenient for Mercadona, Spain’s largest supermarket chain that had a turnover over €32 billion in 2023 alone.

Its owner, Juan Roig has openly admitted that the company has taken advantage of inflation and raised its prices in recent years.

And for the romantics among our readership who think this is all a bit of fun, the fact that rival supermarkets Lidl and Carrefour have also got involved in the scheme and launched rival flirting hours suggests it’s working… whether intentional or not.

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

FOOD AND DRINK

Everything you need to know about foraging for wild fruit and mushrooms in Spain

Autumn is on its way and that means harvest time for many fruits and vegetables in Spain. But, it’s also one of the best times of year for foraging, including for wild mushrooms, chestnuts and wild berries.

Published: 13 September 2024 12:54 CEST
Everything you need to know about foraging for wild fruit and mushrooms in Spain

Foraging is particularly popular in northern Spain, in regions such as Catalonia, Galicia, Cantabria and the Basque Country, as well as other areas around the Pyrenees in Navarre and Aragón. But, there are certain products that can be found across the country.

If you do decide to go foraging in Spain, there are certain thing you need to keep in mind and local rules you’ll need to follow.

Not everything is available for the taking and you need to know how to properly distinguish between public and private land.

Before you begin, it’s imperative that you know what you’re doing. Lots of wild plants, berries and mushrooms can be poisonous, so you need to study local plant guides, download apps or go with an expert, so you know what is safe.

Of course if you’re just foraging for things that you know well such as blackberries and chestnuts, this may not be necessary.

READ ALSO: 14 unusual foods you won’t believe are eaten in Spain 

What can I legally forage for?

Items such as wild blackberries, pinecones from the ground, chestnuts and hazelnuts, for example are fair game in most regions, as long as they’re on public property.

Foraging for anything on private land is of course not allowed and you need to be sure that you’re not in an orchard or on farmland, even if it looks like you’re just on public property in the countryside.

Picking small bunch of wild flowers is permitted too, as long as you don’t take too many or pick them all the time.

Mushrooms are one of the most popular foods to forage in autumn, particularly in Catalonia. These too are game, but it’s important to remember that you cannot collect more than five kilos of them. Each city council can also set certain conditions for collecting them, so it’s a good idea to find out the rules in your local area first.

Certain fruit such as wild apples, pears, plums, figs and even carob is fine to forage too, as long as they’re not on private property.

Some wild herbs and edible wild plants grow in abundance too including rosemary, dandelions (whose leaves can be eaten in salads), nettles (used in soups and teas) and wild asparagus. 

Edible flowers can be collected too. The most commonly used petals are those of the marigold or borage flowers.

READ ALSO: Taste your way around Oviedo: Spain’s Capital of Gastronomy 2024 

What is prohibited?

There are some protected aromatic herb species you find in the mountains or within natural or national parks. These include chamomile, thyme and oregano, so check with the local authorities if these can be picked or not.

It is also forbidden to take certain items to decorate your house or gardens, including moss, yew and fir trees and mistletoe in winter, often used for Christmas decorations. 

You may be fined if you’re found to be collecting any of these. 

What to be aware of

Besides knowing if the plant is poisonous or not, you’ll want to make sure the produce you forage isn’t contaminated. Make sure it’s away from busy roads, land where fertilisers and pesticides are used.

If you see any plants right next to fields which are being sprayed for example, these are no-go as they may be contaminated and not safe to eat.

You also shouldn’t be collecting species that are rare or protected.

SHOW COMMENTS