Sometimes taking statements literally can be quite healthy. If someone tells you at the beginning of a relationship that they’re terrible at being in relationships, then maybe you should believe them.
However, if you’re preparing food, taking the name of a dish literally can be a bad idea, as one Kroger shopper recently discovered. TikTok user April (@aprilnotmay_9) spotted a worker’s silly mistake while shopping at the popular grocery retailer.
Other users on the app seemed just as shocked by the fact that the store would sell what they thought was a strange pairing of two incongruous ingredients for $9.
Kroger’s “orange chicken”
“Kroger… count your days,” a text overlay in the video reads as April records herself standing in front of an “orange chicken bowl” at the popular grocery store.
Inside of the packaging isn’t what one would typically think of when they hear the words “orange chicken”—which is a popular American Chinese food dish. While there are different takes on the dish, most variants you’ll find online follow the same basic premise: you take pieces of chicken, whether it’s grilled or breaded, and you cook that chicken in an orange-based sauce.
Sometimes the breading is missing, sometimes certain types of spices are swapped out for others. Sometimes folks will stir-fry or saute a blend of both dark and white meats, or do just all white.
But rarely is the sauce part ever exchanged for just… fruit.
When April zooms into the Kroger bowl of orange chicken, it’s clear to see that the name of the dish, while technically correct, isn’t something you’d see at Panda Express or your local Great Wall II eatery.
“i mean.. i guess,” she writes in a caption for the video, hitting on the sentiment that while the dish’s name is technically correct, it’s still definitely not what anyone would expect to have placed in front of them if they were asked if they wanted a bowl of orange chicken.
There have been several TikTok users who’ve gone viral by sharing the fast food “dupes” they’ve spotted at grocery stores, urging folks to ditch the high cost of these national chains as they can get better wares with the same level of convenience for much less money…and purchase themselves some items for their own cupboards at home.
Many commenters on April’s video seemed just as confused by the $9 assortment of chicken nuggets and orange slices as she was.
“Amelia Bedelia must work at this location,” one person remarked, referencing the children’s book character who always takes things quite literally.
Someone else replied: “If it wasn’t recorded i wouldnt have believed it.”
One individual thought that this was an employee’s error—they probably saw that they were supposed to make bowls of orange chicken and a light bulb went on over their head: “The employee was confused af.”
@aprilnotmay_9 i mean.. i guess #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp #fy ♬ Oh You Cant Find This In The Store – TheTumblerAmbassador
“Imagine your mom calls you asking you if you’d like an orange chicken bowl and she brings this,” another joked.
Other people imagined just how unappetizing this dish must be. “Lawd warm oranges,” one said.
Another took issue with the price: “Then it’s damn near $10.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Kroger and April via Instagram direct message for further comment.
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