And in food news...

It’s Thursday. I’m procrastinating. Let’s talk about something really important. (Beware: high-level thinking ahead.)

Fruits and Vegetables that Are a Pain in the Ass to Eat but Totally Worth It

Grapefruit: Requires carefully cutting out tiny triangles along membranes. But oh so juicy and good!

Winter squash (spaghetti, acorn, et al.): Necessitates a buzz-saw to get into, and eons of cooking to make tender. But so tasty!

Mango: Even after my brother passed down to me from his girlfriend the correct way to slice open, dice, and delicately cut away the meat from the peel, it still takes me 10 minutes of careful concentration to complete this maneuver. But so slimy sweet!

Artichokes: I mean, come on. What human decided that any part of this plant was edible? And while I eschew my childhood dip-in-Miracle-Whip technique, I still think the heart is worth the hassle of steaming these pokey guys.

Peaches: I refuse to eat peaches whole. They are fuzzy! It’s like eating a small, furry animal! So they are only worth it when canned or when someone else has done the work of peeling. And baking into a cobbler. With cinnamon.

Avocado: Okay, not hard to get into, but hard to wait until they are ripe enough. Takes forever! And I have been known to injure myself when attempting to spear the pit with a knife for removal. Slippery bugger!

Pineapple: Again, very pokey. And heavy. And I think requires a machete to open appropriately.

So what’s the perfect fruit or vegetable? One that requires no power tools to open, no intricate slicing or peeling? Fruit roll-ups.

What are your favorite difficult-to-love treats from nature? (And don’t say “cows,” funny guy, unless you’ve butchered one yourself.)

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