Remember this? The mystery box featured in a December post?
The floor was opened to guesses. They were: slippers, a mouse (for a computer I presume?) and a blanket. Thanks to those who played and phooey to those who didn’t!
The answer can now be revealed {drum roll} …
Ah! But wait!
I’m at the mall. I’m exiting See’s candy empty-handed when I’m stopped by a young skinny dude with a ponytail, clipboard and query: “Would you like to participate in a survey?”
“Why yes, yes I would!”
Yada yada yada, forms are filled out, I’m escorted into the office and a small room fairly filled by a computer station and two chairs.
Someone enters bearing a plain white plastic sack.
My mission that I’ve chosen to accept entails the contents: two white unmarked boxes identical in every way save the back label:
Also in the bag is a three-page participant instruction letter and diary:
I return home with the sterile-white boxes containing top-secret specimens (secret to you the reader, that is) from the lab and follow the instructions to the T.
Prepare and eat the contents of the first box within four days. Record the time and date and what you liked and did not like and any additional comments in the diary.
Do not eat other products of this kind during the course of the one-week study.
You will be called on X-day for your feedback.
Please do not eat the second product labeled “Use Second” until you have completed your first telephone interview and the telephone instructor instructs you.
I share the contents with a galpal. Her opinions are moot to the folks at the lab. It’s mine they’re after. And they’re paying nothing for them. Or was it three bucks? Either way, they’ve paid for two meals and that’s plenty enough for me!
Galpal and I dissect the product with the contemplation and discerning palates of sommeliers on the Oregon Wine Board. Our opinions happen to be identical and are recorded.
Four days and one phone interview later, we break into the second box as instructed. Our ardent conclusion: Product 2 is superior to product 1.
Only NOW it can be revealed, the contents of the mystery box:
Medium cheese. It’s not delivery. It’s DiGiorno. And they’re thinking of changing up the pizza sauce.
Barefoot Blogger 
Jan 09, 2011 @ 21:58:35
So much mystery, I wouldn’t be able to control my curiousity.
Jan 09, 2011 @ 23:46:35
@FD – lol, the mystery was for the readers! I knew signing up that it was a pizza survey so the only “mystery” was which of the two pizzas I’d find more flavorful. Unfortunately, I never did learn whether the one I preferred is the current recipe or the revised so that mystery continues!
Jan 14, 2011 @ 11:18:48
Mmm,I love Digorno.Wonder what they were planing to do with the sauce.
My parents’ favorite pizza place has the BEST red sauce..it’s got a hint of pepper flake in it and is delicious.Goes really well with their stromboli(also delicious!)
Jan 14, 2011 @ 15:50:41
@katie – “Wonder what they were planing to do with the sauce.” Well, hopefully improve it to sample pizza #2 ’cause it was near flavorless on pizza #1! I’m not a pizza person at all so it’s moot to me personally but I’ll happily do any food survey they’ve got, it’s so much fun!