As I walk into Giant, I scan the produce section for them.  I peek down aisles, eyes skimming for crowds and the tops of toothpicks.  Alas, I leave the store with no purchase and the heavy feeling of dejection. All I wanted was a free sample—just a square of cheese or maybe even a piece of sushi.  But, Giant couldn’t meet my small demand, so I make my way over to Trader Joes.

I head straight back to the free sample booth and peer in to see what’s cooking. Why yes, I will try a coconut chicken taquito; thanks for offering!

Trader Joes is superb, but they do have a limit on how many samples you can take. After two, the employees stare at you suspiciously, and after three, they slowly pull the samples away and make sure that you’re aware that “there are other people in the store, ma’am.”  Not that I know from experience or anything.

But if you’re looking for not just an afternoon snack but a three-course meal, Costco is the place for you.  Whether you’re in the mood for Chinese, Italian or basic American food, they’re probably sampling it.  Costco’s well worth the highway driving, as long as you show up with an empty stomach.

Whole Foods has always been a good option for trying delectable organic samples, but they appear to be cutting back in light of the current economy.  They don’t seem to understand that the more samples they have, the more products they’ll sell.  Most people (excluding myself) will not mooch the samples and then buy nothing. So come on Whole Foods, step it up.

Whole Foods and Costco may be out of the way, but there are plenty of other options available for people on the move—especially shoppers.  At the food court in Montgomery Mall, be sure to snag some teriyaki chicken from Sarku Japan (a personal fave) or Charley’s subs.

If you’re going to become an avid sampler, be sure to follow sampling etiquette.

1. No double dipping. This is the most crucial rule to follow.  You may just want a dab more red pepper hummus for your pita, but no one wants your germs contaminating their sample.

2. Don’t take more than you need; share the love! It’s people like this that ruin the fun for everyone else and get the samples pulled from the store. Stop at two samples. The employees will catch on and they’ll call you out. You’re just setting yourself up for humiliation.

3. Please and thank you are a must. The people handing out the samples might not be your best friends, but they’re people just like you and me and they deserve some respect. Try starting a conversation; you might find that you have more in common than you think.

4. No butting, back-butting, cutting line, etc. You’ll be at the front of the line in no time—save your line-cutting strategies for important places, like Disneyworld or the movie theater.