Welcome to the new era of market revolution where sellers say: “Try it, but pay for it!” Yes, you read that right! At the Pančevo market, cherries are no longer given out for free tasting. The price? 20 dinars per piece! Why? Because customers have crossed every line of decency. “Everyone sees the beautiful, big cherries, grabs one, two, some a whole handful and just walk away,” complains Blažica Janačković, one of the first to introduce this practice. It’s not that Pančevo people are poor, but some have become so cheeky that sellers had to protect themselves. The idea started from a bakery in Vršac that last winter sold pork cracklings by the piece, and people complained about the 2 dinar price per piece. This gave birth to the practice of selling luxury goods by the piece, which has now spread to cherries. Domestic cherries are almost non-existent this year due to early frosts and heavy rains, so mostly Greek cherries are sold, with prices dropping as the fruit ripens. At the start of the season, the price per kilogram was up to 1,000 dinars, now it has dropped to around 200 dinars. Sellers say there is no more mercy for those who just want to taste — better bring some small change or go hungry. This new practice has sparked a storm of comments on social media, with people wondering if this is the end of free tastings at markets. Some support the sellers, others think it’s over the top. What do you think? Is it time for you to start paying for fruit tasting or is this a sign that markets are losing their community spirit? Share your thoughts, maybe new market rules are coming for all of us!
