Rasinets

These were bought mostly because of their name, I am a sucker for anything that includes the suffix “ette” (towelette, Incinerette etc.) The combination of chocolate and raisins is not a particularly inspiring combination. Raisins are the wizened, bitter cousin of sultanas, the kind of food that is only eaten in desperation when pantry raiding. Some people, I guess, would prefer raisins to sultanas, and would be smug about it, using it as evidence of their more refined palate.
The Raisinet raisins were particularly tangy, however. Part of this came from the psychological trick of writing “California Raisins” on the packet, which led me to believe that there was something different and special about these particular raisins. The packaging also brags “Still 30% Less Fat”, which I only noticed after purchase. I had been distracted in the queue by the woman in front of me, who bought forty dollars worth of groceries. The American Candy is sourced from an upmarket convenience store; the packet of instant rice she was buying was $5.50, to my horror. She was also buying a packet of large waxing strips, and low fat crispbread, amongst other things.
I dislike buying things that advertise their low fat status, for the stupid reason that I don't want people to see me with it and think I am dieting. If I ever buy a Diet Coke, I feel like a cliché, it is Coca Cola for girls. The Raisinets are marketed, it seems, as a healthier chocolate treat, after all, they include fruit. I imagined dieting secretaries in Wisconsin allowing themselves one Raisinet every half hour.
The Raisinets are simple, but good for what they are. If I ever have a craving for raisins, I imagine they would satisfy quite nicely. I have my suspicions that they could be the butt of jokes, the kind of thing you'd offer to people only to have them laugh at you.