Pineapple proves the fruit of passion in Spanish dating craze

There are some simple rules to follow if you are looking for love in a Spanish supermarket.
Filling your trolley with perishables is a sign you want a fling, while the presence of an upturned pineapple hints at passions that may lurk far beyond the frozen veg aisle. But jam, preserves and tinned goods with a long shelf life indicate you are ready to settle down and are in it for the long haul.
There remains one problem, though: working out which other shoppers are also looking for love. For that, Spaniards head to the wine section — and crash their trolley into someone else’s.
In a sign that Spain is going off dating apps, men and women of all ages are said to be searching for partners in the supermarket chain Mercadona. The craze took off after a video shot by the actress Vivy Lin and her friend Carla Alarcón as they toured the aisles of a branch in Andalusia went viral.
Alarcón happened to mention to Lin that they were shopping at the perfect time: between 7pm and 8pm, which is when singles allegedly visit the supermarket to flirt and find a date. They began to film themselves as they searched for possible candidates among the rows of fresh veg and the freezer cabinets, even quizzing a cashier on whether she had heard of the rumour.
Although the worker was not familiar with the informal dating ruse, many Spaniards are, it seems. The resulting video quickly racked up more than 1.5 million views on TikTok, prompting press articles, features on TV shows and endless memes, not to mention supermarket visits from shoppers of all ages wanting to test the theory for themselves.
On the TV channel La Sexta, the reporter María Lamela delved further into the folklore, explaining that the secret pineapple signal shows you are in the market for more than just fruit and veg. According to cruise ship lore, placing an upturned pineapple outside your cabin has long been code for swinging.
As the craze gathered momentum this week, some pointed out that the best time to get a date varied between retailers, with 6pm to 7pm being optimum in Lidl.
And for any looking to meet their Mr or Mrs Right at lunchtime, the perfume section of the El Corte Inglés department store is said to be the place — although the pineapple should perhaps be best left at home.