On Capitol Hill, Florida Orange Juice is a hot commodity in a black market fueled by snacks, Politico reports. Offices of senators and representatives often stockpile home-state snacks, donated by food and beverage companies, to be shared with visitors. But, often, it’s the congressional staffers who are pilfering the goods in order to get things done.
The covert snack economy is not just a way for hungry staffers to seek out chocolate-covered macadamia nuts from Hawaii or Lay’s chips from Texas. It’s a system for aides, especially low on the totem pole, to make friends, forge informal alliances and, ultimately, help keep Capitol Hill functioning.
One of the best items for trading, according to Politico: Florida Orange Juice, which can garner as many as five bags of potato chips.
Republican Sen. Marco Rubio and Democrat Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz each feature Florida Orange Juice in their office lobbies.
Read more about the snack black market at Politico.com.
