Most fruit was hard to get back in those days, for Czechs, except some extra available around Christmas and New Years. It was especially hard for those who lived in cities without any link to the countryside. What might have been available was quickly sold out. Often people had to bribe the "Fruits & Vegetables" salespeople for things. When something really good was available, there would long lines of people for them.

Back then, there was obviously not the supply of out of season fruit that there is now. There wasn't in the US, either, but surely not in communist countries. Also, culturally, Czechs have always been "meat and potatoes (or dumplings)" people. Meat, starchy sides, cream sauces, plenty of butter or lard, and cabbage in the form of sauerkraut. My husband said there was never a shortage of the latter.

Things are obviously different now. Almost every fruit and vegetable can be found here. Maybe not okra. They do import most all of the citrus options, but the limes are just the regular types. No key limes can be found here.