Nangle Natters: Pick’n’mix
A bit of rain has started to appear in our blue skies just in time for the summer blockbusters to hit the cinema screens. Handy, that. So in the last couple of weeks I found myself not only enjoying the battle armour and mad skillz of Wonder Woman, but also guy-liner of the latest Pirates Of The Caribbean installment – which my friends and I agreed was unfortunately a couple of screws short of an Ikea wardrobe.
The thing that the Pirates trip did benefit from was the bounty known as ‘snacks’. More specifically, a mini-trip before the cinema to a couple of the city’s colourful and sugar-infused shops known for their pick’n’mix.
“ My friend made a beeline for the licorice ”
I haven’t explored these treasure chests for a while. If I’m honest, I tend to stick to my trusty kids’ mixed box from the cinema – giving me a taste of salted popcorn, a tube of Smarties and a small bottle of water in case I get coughing fit from inhaling the previously mentioned treats. Strictly speaking, I thought I was only going into the shop to accompany my friend and coo at the treats in the same way I do when other friends go shoe-shopping. My feet are pretty big for a lady, so it becomes more an exercise in admiring the craftsmanship and creativity than any exchange of cash for goods. So there I was wandering and making the suitable appreciative noises as my friend made a bee-line for the licorice when my eye caught a chocolate-covered marshmallow with a twist of caramel inside. Here’s something new… Suffice to say, I quietly gathered up a paper bag and small trowel and started digging gems from sticky land.
Here’s the best bit, that I hadn’t even thought of – when it came to consume these delights I hadn’t a clue what taste sensations were coming next! Apart from a couple of jelly beans, I’d shunned my more traditional favourites, choosing to plump instead for the sweets with the best crazy descriptions combining my favourite flavours. The most I could guess was a chocolate-covered ‘thing’ as my sticky hand came out of the bag in the cinema darkness. And it was liberating not to be confined by a menu sheet of paper that would usually accompany such a literal mixed bag. To just experience the taste without the preconception as to what it might be.
So I’m choosing to take this as a metaphor as well as a delicious tip. Occasionally, throw away the treat map and just treat your senses to a few random delights. It certainly brightened up an average few hours with Johnny Depp.
