in spasda recently
The Guy was checking through my goods whilst I bagged them. Then he got to some of the exotic fruit and vegetables that I was buying.

He picked something up to scan it, but looked confused. What was this rare and exotic item? Was it a dragon fruit, a physallis, a star fruit, a mooli?

No.

He asked me what it was.

"A leek," I told him.
(The Kwyjibo A big, dumb, balding North American ape., Sun 13 May 2012, 11:04, 6 replies)

I was once sent out to Tesco to get some turnips for my wife to pickle. (don't ask)

I couldn't locate them in the fruit and veg section so asked a gentleman there where they could be found. He refused to believe in the existence of these so called 'turnips' and suggested I ask at the bakery section as it 'sounded like a type of roll' to him.
(FartThroughAWalkieTalkie wished you were dead in ditch on, Sun 13 May 2012, 12:19, closed)

I had that once.
I was holding a customer's lemon whilst typing in the product code. She helpfully leaned over and said, slowly and clearly, 'It's a lemon.' I managed a small grimace that was meant to be a polite smile. Then she went 'It's. A. Lime.' when the next citrussy sphere came along. I tried not to sound sarcastic when going 'Yes. I know.'
( Bats, Mon 14 May 2012, 5:36, closed)

Maybe
She thought you would think they were unripe satsumas?
(The Kwyjibo A big, dumb, balding North American ape., Mon 14 May 2012, 10:23, closed)

Morrisons and their exotic veg
My local Morrisons has recently taken to having a section full of various types of exotic vegetables; plantain, mooli, cassava, eddoes - that kind of thing.

I was at the checkout behind a guy who had a strange looking root in his basket. The checkout girl was flipping through her identification chart but was making no headway, and looked at him in enquiry.

"I don't know what it is" says the chap.

Back to the chart, more flipping.

Since I'm waiting I thought I might help, and peered over at the thing being studied. No idea either. So now the three of us are hopelessly flipping through the chart.

Eventually a supervisor drifts by and identifies it as something I can't remember, but what struck me was this: Why on earth would you buy something from a supermarket when you have no idea what it is?
(richardm, Mon 14 May 2012, 12:31, closed)

Asda
used to class garlic as "exotic" FFS
(How soon is now?, Tue 15 May 2012, 11:02, closed)

Curiosity.
That's why I bought a sharan fruit one day.
(The Kwyjibo A big, dumb, balding North American ape., Wed 16 May 2012, 9:58, closed)