Beat The Chef: Ultimate Potato Battle | Sorted Food

[@chasingtheclouds]

Been missing the Ultimate Battle with all three normals lately. Would love to see you bring this format back, it’s so much fun to watch, especially when the boys keep sabotaging each other!

[@SortedFood]

Don't worry... they'll be back!

[@jwinkies3011]

I wholeheartedly agree! That and Pass it on!

[@smungahh]

I know it is probably never coming back, but I would love to see step up to the plate make an appearance. It's still my favourite format they've ever done.

[@rueebliortak]

f.e. hiding the scale even though nobody needs it anymore :D

[@chasingtheclouds]

elpresidente bob or hiding an egg in a whole chicken 😂

[@AnnikaOakinnA]

Ben is like the exact opposite of a sore loser; he's just so delighted by his friends' success. It warms my heart every time. To be fair, he taught them practically everything they know, so really he's just proving he's an amazing teacher and winning by proxy.

[@Exayevie]

Oh man between “we take the supermarket for granted” and “how can we cook better from cans” you guys really had some well-timed quarantine coincidences, didn’t you? 😂

[@athousandlives7231]

I feel a new conspiracy theory forming 🤔

[@Freakmaster480]

Realistically they probably knew the quarantine was coming and planned accordingly.

[@MildredCady]

+Freak any pandemic or natural disaster…

[@kohlinoor]

@halcyoncmdr It was being covered up in China at the end of the year. It only became a big deal publicly at the start of the new decade. But your point still stands.

[@AJSZodiac]

It's all a conspiracy to spot Jamie takint part in pass it ons.

[@redsands1001]

Mike's face when james complimented the texture of the pomme puree was great

[@Y0G0FU]

he somehow managed to not Ruin it even after mashing it for what.. 4 times? :D

[@Mysterios1989]

there is a fun story about the introduction of the potato in Germany. Back in the day, Germany was regularly hit with famines, and the Prussian King Friedrich II., generally called old Fritz, saw the potential to stop these famines by introducing the potato. The problem was, as mentioned in the video, that people were really suspiciouse of that new vegtable, and didn't accept it even when gifted. Old Fritz than thought up of a ploy and started to farm these potatos on royal frams all over the place, and he set up guards to patroul these fields to prevent theft. But he made the patroles so patehtic that basically everyone could go and steal potato plants. That worked very well, that they were cultivated on royal fields and even protected by patroles meant these potatos had to be valuable, and people started to steal them from the fields to cultivate them as well.

[@SortedFood]

Love stories like this! Proper interesting podcast material! Thanks for sharing! 🤓

[@richardstefanou3796]

A very similar trick was used by Kapodistrias to introduce potatoes in Greece.

[@tamarakaddatz9955]

Like a parent telling the child, oh you won't like that, it's only for adults. Kid then eats the vegetable.

[@raeperonneau4941]

Thank you for sharing that! What a great story.

[@ILessThanThreeGames]

In Sweden we also have a funny story about the introduction of the potato. It was first introduced in the 1600s but never reached popularity until scientist Eva de la Gardie found a way to make brännvin(a type of liqour) from potatoes, a process that normally required large amounts of grain that could instead be used to make flour. This(among other things) led to her being the first woman elected to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

[@leogrey1207]

Potatoes are the best crop Breakfast: hasbrowns Lunch: fries (chips) Snack: chips (crisps) Dinner: mashed Party: vodka

[@lancelindlelee7256]

Being a Filipino Breakfast: Garlic Fried Rice Lunch: Rice Snack: Rice cake Dinner: Rice Dessert: A different rice cake Party: Sake (OK, not Filipino but only thing I can think of)

[@jordandlugosch3995]

Menu - done! And for desert... potato candy. Yup! That is a thing

[@kahunaru]

Hotel:Trivago

[@leogrey1207]

@@jordandlugosch3995 i was think sweet potato pie

[@alexsis1778]

Don't forget potato skins! Works for... all of those really depending on what you put on it!

[@chasingtheclouds]

I can’t believe Ben actually used a kitchen gadget and it was actually useful for his dish - what is happening??

[@Uncle_Smidge]

Mike also used the silicone measure/pour jug for his gravy. They keep the useful ones! The SuPoon has made several appearances, too!

[@mohammedhussain6749]

They’re not against kitchen gadgets but some are overpriced, overrated or unnecessary

[@runarandersen878]

But he lost...

[@anniee6616]

Ben loved that gadge in an older video and asked for a 'girthy carrot'

[@alexsis1778]

Some gadgets are actually really clever and useful. The problem is that most of them aren't and even when there is a good one they're often very cheaply made

[@Jboy2000000]

There is an aspect about the Blight that was overlooked in the segment about it, though since it goes beyond being about just the root itself, that should be expected. The famine itself was a completely manmade disaster. It is thought Ireland could still produce enough potatoes to feed the Irish, but Irish farmers were legally bound to give a tithe of their crop to their landlords. The English even made it hard for outside sources to help relieve the Irish during the famine, like when the Ottoman Sultan of the time tried to give 10,000 Pounds to the Irish, but was blocked because it was more than the Queen gave. For something less disappointing, the Choctaw Nation gave 170 Dollars to the Irish, only 16 years after up toward 6,000 of them were lost during the Trail of Tears, just under half of their entire tribe.

[@comradealexie]

Another contributing factor was the monoculture of the variety of potatoes being planted. Had there been more genetic variation, the potatoes would have been more resistant to blight and other diseases. Bananas are another example of monocultures leading to problems. Unfortunately, farmers still utilize genetically identical crops, requiring higher quantities of pesticides and fertilizer.

[@Alan_Mac]

Jesus, the South Irish are the greatest blame-avoiders in history. EVERYTHING was down to the English.

[@jacquelineph978]

@@Alan_Mac cause everything was the English lmao

[@chilldude30]

@@Alan_Mac No Alan, you just don't understand history:) Instead of getting emotional about it, how about you learn the history? I'm English, but I know the English have much responsibility for the potato famine. It's not a nice feeling, but it's the truth. Denying things because they make you uncomfortable isn't a good way of doing things

[@frenchfrench4514]

And the Irish are still bitter about it haha

[@MxTHRTN]

James (friendly): Did you run out of time? Mike (bluntly): Na I was flapping like mofo thats why. 😂😂

[@mrdelirious8706]

Mike is frequently really hard on himself and his performance, which is a whole mood.

[@-A-09]

Hahaha LOVE Mike!

[@Dream146]

Not to be too much of a stickler but while the blight was bad, the reason it was so bad was absentee English landlords forbidding the residents from planting crops other than potatoes on "their" land, dragging their feet about relief efforts and just generally screwing Ireland over.

[@heathers8565]

I was wondering how quickly that tidbit was going to be called out

[@placebo141]

Yea she also didn't mention that the British exported most of the good crops back to England, leaving the Irish to starve

[@AllHailSp00nRiver]

Brits tend to tell that story in interesting and creative ways.

[@laura4905]

and the Spaniards that introduced potatoes in Europe were colonizers...

[@Dream146]

@@laura4905 yeah I did notice that Ben came dangerously close to praising the Spaniards in Central America.

[@limaman7262]

The quality of this video is mindblowing. The interviews, camera shots, background music, and with an ultimate battle to boot. You guys deserve more recognition.

[@SmillerO]

legend says, that mike is still mashing his potatoes

[@EnycmaPie]

He's gone into construction business specialising in wallpaper paste.

[@jennv.s.o.p1603]

LOL, but he must have done something right because James did say the mash had great texture.

[@DiannikaAlyse]

that look on his face when he heard that his potatos had a great texture tho lol

[@chuckfarlie6133]

When I read this comment, I laughed for about two minutes straight. Legend.

[@benob15]

Several production reports say Ireland would have actually been able to feed themselves with all the live stock, fish and other vegetables. But British rule took all of that unfortunately, starving the Irish to death.

[@annabelsummer2643]

Genocide of my people chalked down to a 'famine'

[@mermaidatlantica]

Ireland has a fantastic variety of indigenous crops which yes, were exported to the UK by the English leaving our ancestors to die of starvation. Pity the potato lady couldn't have given us that ounce of credit when she told them about how awful the famine was.

[@bcaye]

I thought that was general knowledge. Does England not teach that in schools?

[@ChrisSDParker]

@@bcaye ANY period of time that's remotely critical of the establishment just doesn't get taught flat out. It's just Romans, Vikings & The Tudors.

[@TapDancerDood]

+Chris Parker Just like the lies of Evolution are forced on Schoolchildren, instead of the truth that we were created by the Living God in the very beginning.

[@burgerpattie]

Mike: Neither of us have got kids... Tyrone: *Am I a joke to you?*

[@yaranieuwenhuis9462]

Lmfao never forget Tyrone

[@angeecelinova7760]

It seems like to Ben's delight Mike finally forgot about him

[@Perceptious37]

i thought mike and janice had a baby.

[@SortedFood]

😂poor Tyrone

[@shanayazaveri2620]

@@Perceptious37 I didn't know Mike was a hermaphrodite

[@tommyvereker370]

I'm disappointed that this isn't fully grown men pelting potatoes at each other

[@SortedFood]

LOLLLL

[@T_1.5]

Nah, that’s for the Ultimate Shallot battle. SHALLOTS FIRED

[@MercenaryPen]

Yeah, they just don't film the bits where they throw food at each other (most of the time)

[@chaosnightravngaming88]

@@T_1.5 liquor water fight. SHOTZ FIRED

[@Hopeitsagood1]

Oh "Beat the Chef" huh?

[@maxco3412]

Dont really want to be a downer but she forgot to mention the reason the famine was so bad in ireland was because all the food was being shipped out by the UK Great vid otherwise :)

[@JuiceBoxScott]

Not really relevant, but wasn't the famine also responsible for a huge influx of Irish people into America? Just interesting how some mold on potatoes can shape the world.

[@Dream146]

@@JuiceBoxScott yeah that's one of the contributing factors to the huge population drop, not only the enormous death toll but mass emigration.

[@mrinalini9112]

She didn't forgot. That's English whitewashing for you

[@maxco3412]

@@JuiceBoxScott yeah it was since there was no food available millions left to lots of places America being one of the big ones

[@Nogu3]

Sad that native american nations, the Ottoman Empire and even the Russian Tsar were more help then "Her majesty"

[@niethierbos]

as a dutch person trying to figure out if i knew the dish were Ben was talking about and had no idea until i read the screen and was like STAMPOT yes that's great.

[@rosafreke7329]

What was that pronunciation tho

[@ST-vt4nu]

@@rosafreke7329 He said stamp because that's what we call it in Brabant (Eindhoven) where they were to learn about potatoes

[@SortedFood]

@@ST-vt4nu That's how I remember Jacob pronouncing it... but then I'm always pretty terrible at these things! ^Ben

[@DatCreepyUnicorn]

God stampot with boerenkool and rookworst was my favourite comfortmeal made by my host-mom when I lived in the Netherlands - perfect for those windy autumn nights :D

[@ST-vt4nu]

@@SortedFood Stamp is the word for stamppot in the dialect of the region you were in. 😅 As someone that is from there I was happy to hear you use stamp! Haha

[@jokegrisez6621]

All of the sudden I hear 'Eindhoven' and i'm like: huh, wait a minute that's in my country?! Puzzled by the fact you guys were in The Netherlands XD ('stamppot in an English accent sounds really funny by the way hahaha)

[@sjagoeffy]

Joke Grisez even “Eindhoven” sounded weird. Hahaha and when he said “stamppot” I wasn’t even sure what it was until I saw it written on the screen.

[@jan-willemlammers5806]

Dutchies unite, they met an average size dutch potato farmer and he dwarfed both Mike and Ben

[@StuffLikeJuda]

@@jan-willemlammers5806 yeah, now I kinda wanna make the 10min trip to Eindhoven and see how tall he really is, because he really could be average height...

[@StuffLikeJuda]

@@sjagoeffy Ben slaughtered the word 'stamppot'. had he literally pronounced it 'stemppot', I would've been less disappointed. and I don't even like potatoes!

[@awntoeni]

G E K O L O N I S E E R D

[@samskordi6079]

7:18 Ben was so concentrated on pronouncing chorizo correct that he said "Marith Piper"

[@K1893]

I was like, this is Ben trying to pronounce chorizo for 11 minutes

[@JuiceBoxScott]

Yeah, that was funny. I'm so used to the Mexican accent and way of speaking Spanish, when I heard real Spanish I hated it.

[@jenahmarie6867]

This was easily Ben's best plating, it looked absolutely INCREDIBLE!!

[@elisagalliker2730]

I'm amazed how good your pre-recorded videos fit the current times and difficulties, because you could not have planned this better... Well done! And really entertaining, which is also useful right now :)

[@dh1380]

Funny old thing ;)

[@SortedFood]

Thank you so much! Tbh, its always been something that we wanted to cover! Did you find it useful?

[@smungahh]

I was thinking the exact same thing, I know they record travel videos quite a bit ahead of time but this was just perfect. Vive la spud!

[@Coentjemons]

Yeah agreed. I love cooking and have cooked dinner for my wife almost every evening for the last 7 years and with your videos during the quarantine, I am able to put something new on the table. Thanks you from the Netherlands!!!

[@elisagalliker2730]

@@SortedFood Oh my god I can't believe you answered, this is so cool! Yes, I did find it useful, all of your recent videos are. I think Potatoes are an amazing thing to use in this time, because they are so versatile. My favorite recent video of you guys was the canned food one, that gave me tons of ideas of things to cook in quarantine :D

[@Wannabe_Baby]

Nobody: Absolutely nobody: Mike: [mashes potato again]

[@GlittzGlam7]

8:18 I've never seen Jamie with a more focused look on his face, but what did I expect? Potato skins were involved. 😂

[@SortedFood]

Exactly!

[@BeautybyKristy11]

As someone who works in crop production and precision farming; thank you for this video. It is so important for people to have a better understanding of where their food comes from and all of the work that goes in to producing it 🤗❤️

[@PhilBoswell]

You visited a "tall Dutch potato farmer"…so, a "Dutch potato farmer" then ;-)

[@Uncle_Smidge]

But was he taller than James? And why did no one give Ben his six cutting boards to stand on?

[@oon-huing1729]

@@Uncle_Smidge Because his cutting boards are all silicon and wouldn't have helped.

[@davecorbett0507]

He was super tall though! Like a giant!

[@annemagee1182]

I've never met a Dutchman who wasn't tall. Is it the potatoes?

[@shanayazaveri2620]

@@annemagee1182 it is the potatoes

[@PyroSparton117]

Love to see Ben’s sportsmanship. He was the first to clap when James said who won. GG Ben. Much respect. Great dishes by both guys!! Proud of you Mike! Great job!!

[@stephabeep2511]

Bens looked phenomenal, and I’d love to make it to try myself but mike’s creativity in using all of the parts and making a full dish from ONE type of potato is amazing, and truly speaks to what “celebrating” an ingredient can mean

[@hmaz7637]

Mike’s face when James announced the winner! 💙 So sweet. Really, really happy for you, Mike!

[@isiholliday3051]

Bens really upped his game, like his dishes look amazing! I know he’s a trained chef but these dishes looked fancy AF 😍 Well done mike for winning 😄

[@linannsingh6165]

I love it when he shows off his skill.

[@dishadharmraj6986]

I think he cooked for the queen so his plating will definitely be good

[@nate806]

I really appreciate that you guys hold food in such high regard, even if its just a potato. Most people don't realize what it takes to get food onto their plate. I really hope to see more videos like this with experts and field study.

[@r.a.3640]

Yeah I hope so! I grew up with agricultural background and most people don't see how much work, passion and time goes into their food. Life on a farm is filled by work 24/7 - for the whole family. Both in conventional and sustainable agricultural.

[@brodiemarshall5275]

The perfect episode for Jamie to make potato skins wasted

[@SortedFood]

Oh, he tried!! But they were all being used!

[@sclohessy4759]

I know the food history segment was just a short one, but it wasn't just the potatoes going bad in Ireland that caused the famine in Ireland. We relied on potatoes because that's all we could grow on the small amount of land leased out by British landlords (who were absent). It was a primary food source, but also a source of income too. When tenants found that their crops had failed, and couldn't pay their rent anymore, landlords evicted them and those people died of starvation out on "famine roads". They could also be evicted if the landlord wanted to - nothing stopped them as they had all the power at the time. Not to mention corn and grain taxes that were ridiculously expensive, and most of that crop got exported out of Ireland to Britain anyway. So it wasn't just a primary crop going bad; a lot of other factors go into it too. But again, I know that it wasn't the sole focus of the video so they breezed over it. Otherwise, a good video boys - always waiting for these videos to perk up my quarantine :P

[@musicbyella3769]

I’m kind of disappointed that despite several similar comments, they haven’t replied to one that I’ve seen or pinned it or anything. I think (as an English person) that we need to take some responsibility for all the awful stuff the English did as colonisers and take an active role in educating people about it, rather than glossing over the fact and leaving people to find out from their own research :((

[@sclohessy4759]

@@musicbyella3769 And everyone from my neck of the woods would appreciate it (I know I do x). An episode of Victoria covered the Famine, and all I saw on Twitter that day were English people shocked that they either knew a little bit about it, but thought it wasn't that bad, or they didn't know about it at all. I have a history degree with a focus on Irish history, and even watching all of the study abroad students from the UK (and sometimes from the US) come over and see how much Britain affected our own history was something else to see...

[@SortedFood]

@@musicbyella3769 Not deliberately glossing over, but trying to focus on what Sorted is here for. It goes without saying that none of our generation, our parents or even our great grandparents were involved. So, whilst we understand how tragic the situation was, our task at Sorted is to concentrate on the now and the future when it comes to food. Blight remains an issue, especially when potatoes are grown on scale in low laying lands like the Netherlands. So, it was fascinating to hear how farmers like Jacob are using precision farming to protect the crop to avoid repetition. Apologies for any disappointment.

[@LinSama0717]

@@SortedFood With all due respect, "none of our generation or grandparents were involved" is a deflection. The events happened historically, yes, but if mentioned, they need to be represented with accuracy. Many nations still suffer the negative effects of colonization, and that should be acknowledged. There is still a lot of history that is presented with certain facts omitted, that often works to paint colonizing nations in a kinder light. Discussing these events without at least mentioning that England was the primary cause of the Irish famine, or that the Spanish conquistadors brought potatoes to Europe by stealing them from the Indigenous peoples of South America, is irresponsible and inaccurate. That is what many people are taking issue with in this video. We understand that your focus is on the potatoes themselves, as you are a food channel! We're just trying to give some constructive feedback on how you can improve in future videos or podcasts when discussing history.

[@sclohessy4759]

@@SortedFood I knew that you guys were focusing on the current issue of blight and how producers of crops are fighting against it. It was incredibly interesting to see people like Jacob bringing in the types of technology he has to deal with a problem like blight; his analogy for sunscreen explained all the science completely to someone not very scientifically-inclined like myself. I understand completely what you guys were doing, and I'm actually pleased that the Famine was even mentioned at all. But for anyone who is unfamiliar with the Famine, who may be skimming through comments here or looking into it a bit more, it's important to highlight how much of a disaster the whole thing was from all angles. For years people outside of Ireland just say that the Famine was "some potatoes that went bad"; and as an Irish person and a historian, it's annoying and beyond insulting. But I understand that you're a food channel, not a history one, and the focus was on the production of food. I really did like the video.

[@evex7047]

Mike looks like he's gonna cry when he finds out he won😂 he couldn't quite believe it

[@IzabelaSSilva]

it was soooo heartbreaking seeing him almost cry! i usually root for ben on these (idk why too) but mike winning was a blessing. i've followed them for years, mike has come such a long way, him beating ben was a given at this point... even though he couldn't believe it

[@DavidHollywood]

Usually a big fan but you should maybe pick up a history book that wasn't written by an English person. There was plenty of food in Ireland, the English took everything else & shipped it to feed British soldiers. There was no famine. It was intentional genocide.

[@madmooster72]

Can't tell you guys how useful this is at combatting boredom at the moment - your content is just so damn good! Absolute power to your production quality, guys! 😁

[@rosejustice]

I love how when Ben delivers the punchline he does so in a very Fozzy Bear way. Always figured Ebbers was part Muppet.

[@cathyfrankland9158]

And there was me imagining a Sorted Battle over the kitchen counters with spud-guns. Who would win - Chefs or Normals?!! 😉🥔🥔🥔

[@SortedFood]

Maybe this could be a future episode? 😂

[@derschwartzadder]

Given the terror exhibited over the coconut shaver, I'd expect a lot of cowering under tables.

[@nemtudom5074]

I really like that Mike's dish is like 90% potato. Potato this, potato that, everything is made from potatoes and for a battle where they were supposed to showcase it as an ingredient, he nailed it. It really shows many sides of what potatoes can be, and how versatile they are

[@KirankiRasoi]

Who is enjoying every video uploaded by this channel? 👇👇👇

[@conormegarry6638]

Aye because blight was the reason a million irish people died, and not the English taking all the food. Classic English history lesson there 👏

[@annabelsummer2643]

Famine is easier to pronounce than genocide

[@kendon81]

Beat me to the comment................

[@alexsis1778]

I mean to be fair it was initiated by the blight. There was 'just' enough for them to survive on in a normal year. The problem is the blight made it not a normal year and the landlords refused to reduce their taxes

[@amorky8391]

Yeah, I was coming down to the comments to bring this up lol

[@sarahnevra241]

Yep, exactly. The blight didn't HELP, for sure, but the actual starvation was the fault of the English.

[@xorinzor]

Most of us probably think of farmers as not the brightest people, but if you actually dive into their world, and see what things happen in their work and the technology that comes with it. It's absolutely stunning.

[@SortedFood]

And we thought we knew a little bit... but Jacob's knowledge and passion blew us away!

[@robeleco1]

I do not know in other countries, but in the Netherlands many farmers are more entrepreneurs than old fashioned farmers, the kind you are thinking of. In the Netherlands they use very high end technology (as you saw in this episode). That is why the Netherlands is the 2nd largest agriculture exporter in the world, after the US. Not bad for a country the size of a stamp :)

[@shadowkeizer2878]

“All this geeky tech and you’re distracted by the ass in the corner”. Sounds like me and my friend

[@LuminousCorruption]

Back in the History Times. Brilliant.

[@evilvick284]

As someone whose been living in Idaho for 7 years, I'm. Telling. You. The BEST potato for a great mash is the Yukon Gold potato. All you need is butter and salt. It's delicious.

[@kenthanson]

Nice work Mike! Looked like he was about to get real emotional when James picked him!

[@mehr14]

Moral of the story: plate your dish really horribly so the taste seems extra amazing?

[@SortedFood]

Haha - I mean, there's a logic there!

[@mehr14]

@@SortedFood 😂 the logic is: underestimating someone is destructive and how to use it to your advantage hahah

[@runarandersen878]

That is a way to impress people: Give them a bad first impression and then surprise them.

[@alexsis1778]

As the great and powerful Morbo once said, "this food has taught me that even ugly things can be beautiful on the inside."

[@Kyzrath]

Just started watching it, Barry is not really in the video, and yet I'm sure he still left a hob on. Edit: Not in the competition part!

[@SortedFood]

Somewhere right now, there is probably a hob left on by Barry. 🤦‍♂️

[@CyberKirby]

I mean, Barry HAS admitted he leaves hobs on at home...

[@linannsingh6165]

I know its funny on camera, but I cringe every time I see one left on.

[@xenra4483]

I love the fact that the English historian failed to mention the Irish plantation system that forced the Irish to export what few crops they had after the blight leading to majority of the deaths do to starvation. Simply beautiful that is.

[@annabelsummer2643]

genocide

[@psrdirector]

Yea, English historians always like to leave out why the Irish relied on, but guess mentioning that the English forced the Irish off all the good land and that every year during the famine Ireland exported increasing amounts of food to England.

[@gratitudegaming4992]

In addition, they only allowed them to cultivate one variety of potato. It's thought that the blight might not have caused famine if they'd been even able to cultivate more kinds of potato. The famine was the fault of a blight called the English.

[@Schemilix]

Indeed - the blight affected all of Europe. There was famine in quite a few countries, but in Ireland, it was made much worse than it needed to be by the English.

[@THENAMEISQUICKMAN]

Well it's hard to feel guilt over something that none of us were alive to do something about, so.

[@BArro390]

"Neither of us have got kids" Tyrone 2020!

[@smileitscoolsome]

Talking about the famine in Ireland and trying to say the thousands of deaths are on the blight and not the resistance from the British Parliament who refused to help one of the many countries they had invaded hahahaha.

[@stephanie28]

Just listening to the boys describe their dishes is making my mouth water. I want Mike's potato steak so badly!

[@gracenelson2705]

I am LIVING for the shots of the lads beside the tall dutchman! They are so short!

[@AliceQuinnRose]

Just ignore the English's part in the potato famine sure.

[@Hopeitsagood1]

What absentee landlords? I don't *see any*

[@tomlaptain646]

They're not ignoring it so much as they never had the information in the first place. This isn't something that gets taught in schools in England, and seeing as they're a cooking channel and not a history channel you can't really expect them to do historical research on it when they already talked to a potato expert about it (who, I am in total agreement, really should have known about it and not just blamed it on the blight).

[@LiamMazeika]

Blight is a funny way of pronouncing Englishmen but hey fair enough

[@cricketcalin]

Reminds me of someone mentioning how a teacher asked "what parasite caused the Irish famine" and they thought "don't say the English, don't say the English. I mean it was the English but you can't say the English."

[@xfrozn]

I don't understand lol could you help to explain

[@TheKarenb87]

@@xfrozn blight caused the potatoes to fail. What happened all our other crops and animals and fish etc? The English had great feasts while millions of Irish starved to death

[@drew9003]

@@TheKarenb87 sounds like something England would do

[@bcaye]

Racist.

[@VialkaDMRVNG]

Hope you guys are safe! Thanks for keeping me sane during this quarantine period. 😍

[@jo2011b]

All us Irish in the comments are going to find it hilarious that Brits are learning about the famine in Ireland!!! 😂😂 There was an article in a British newspaper about how much China "owes" Britain for the Corona Virus & everyone else who Britain "took over" is like, if thats the case expect a very long line for how much you guys "owe" us 😂 Thats given me a good laugh for the day!

[@mrinalini9112]

Britain already owes china as well for opium wars. Also we Indians are totally going to support the dragging. Britain owes $43trillion, and at the very least should return all the stolen and looted artefacts. However like a shameless serial killer, they've made it into a display.

[@ohanlon86]

🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬 800 years of a bill 🤣

[@texasgal07]

I love these cook offs/ challenges/battles. They’re all great!

[@alek4ever646]

I was both surprised and impressed when Mike won. Good job Mike from 2 years ago. Man, to be enjoying my spuds in the form of crisps as I watched this just felt... Appropriate. Now off to the next video KZbin will offer me.

[@emmaminsinger68]

More of these long format videos would be great! A nice combination of food and education on a whole range of different topics. I would love to see you team up with Adam Ragusea!! :)

[@rulitossimplyrulitos1088]

I’m 99% sure chuño is still being used in the South American Andes. Let me congratulate Mike on a dish that appealed to every single beat of my potato loving heart. Well done, mate!

[@zhoomad1522]

How about a cooking battle with very limited ingredients, only the most staple of ingredients and bonus points for the one with lesser ingredients.

[@artypyrec4186]

Its a decent idea, but wouldnt butter on toast win, or a grill cheese?

[@lindsey.m.stargaze]

I really enjoyed the discussion about the history of potatoes and talking with modern farmers about food sustainability. Please do this with more food please.

[@kellylaliberte548]

Mike looked so miserable and horrified at winning 😂

[@mjan1635]

MIKE Realised that he is not normal anymore

[@DiannikaAlyse]

@@mjan1635 oh no, are they becoming self aware? will the other 2 realize they arent normals either?!

[@sshishegar]

Just wanted to thank @sortedfood for continuing to upload videos during this time. I hope you boys already know how much this means to all of your fans!! THANK YOU

[@duncssmith]

Sorted food: we’ll do a nice piece about potatoes, take a trip to Holland, do some educational bits before the battle.... Mention Irish potato famine briefly... Oh shit it’s another paella wrap scenario ‘duck and cover people!!!!!!’

[@psrdirector]

gloss over their countries attempt at genocide

[@loena1077]

Wait, in all those years... This was the first ''dutch ''kinda'' dish''? Maybe it's time for a Dutch battle? ;)

[@stipetje]

I'm just gonna be honest, there isn't much to the Dutch cuisine really 😂 So I can't even imagine a battle that isn't gonna end in stamppot

[@ulrichs.3228]

And even then, looking at the texture, I'd say it's more caldo verde than stamppot?

[@hcjkruse]

@@stipetje Dutch colonial cuisine like Indonesian rice table or the rendition of that served in traditional Dutch Chinese-Indonesian restaurants. Nr 42 with kroepoek and sambal bij? Yes please. See my comment above on the marine Kookboek.

[@annieprins3625]

Definitely! I want to see all the bitterballen and oliebol- my favourites😊

[@deadso]

Is this a promotional video for Pesticides?

[@briannabahlmann8488]

Remember the days when James was more behind the scenes? How did they keep him hidden for so long? I’m so glad he stepped in front of the camera.

[@desireeochoa1354]

The recognition to the Spaniards for colonizing, enslaving, murdering countless natives with "Choritho"

[@smith0987654321a]

Mike looked like he was going to cry at the end when they gave the results. Really putting in the effort.

[@nadkudo1798]

I mean, I know a couple people that would be salty with Ben's spanish inspiration... Even more by not doing something south american lol and even more since, I don't know if you heard this but, Ben went to Perú!

[@OttScott]

Was Mike gonna CRY there at the end? Wow! Great looking dishes, boys. Good job!

[@polinabellmondo934]

James: did you run out of time? Mike: no, I was flapping like a mofo. Most of us in the kitchen: don't we all Mike?

[@TeddGCM]

I absolutely love potatoes prepared just about any way. Fried, baked, mashed, whatever. One of my earliest memories is watching my mother peel potatoes. I would grab some of the peels, put a little salt on them and chow down.

[@videogame1291]

"but what would happen if the fruit and veg were taken away?" *corona panic ensues* "well this is helpful now"

[@heysaucemikehere1804]

I used to think of farmers like they were decades ago, no new technology, just picking up some potatoes. Seeing the farmer use so much technology, drones, cameras, scanning fields for yield potential, etc. was really interesting. I never gave much thought to how much technology can actually help farmers. It really changed the way I see where my food comes from.

[@NeutralConfusion]

Gotta trust James to be shady even while bestowing a win.

[@brandysheahan2788]

I think this was one of my favorite battles. I love potatoes. I think Mike, Jamie and Barry can hardly be called 'normals' anymore! Good job guys. Thank you for continuing to post videos during this difficult time. I am not in lock down but I can imagine that those who are genuinely appreciate a bit of joy in their day.

[@T_1.5]

How tall is Jacob? Because I know Ben is not that tall

[@qLeila]

He's dutch, so probably over 2 meters xD

[@rulitossimplyrulitos1088]

They should have put Ed as reference.

[@blondebimbowannabe]

@@qLeila funnily enough i have a durch friend and he is actually over 2 meters. There has to be something in the air that makes Dutch people taller than everyone else lol

[@heyitsrae4085]

Loved the video, your uploads are one of the things getting me through all of this lockdown stuff and also a lovely distraction when trying to finish college work! Also, I loved reading all the comments I've seen so far from other Irish people talking about the famine, we will forever try to explain the truth of how it wasn't just the blight that caused the deaths :/

[@laurenc.590]

14:48 The subtlety and timing of Mike's reaction while James isn't looking could not have been better executed if it was in a movie! Love it! You can tell that up until that point he wasn't satisfied with his efforts, and is surprised by the praise, but he so deserved it!

[@ThyRenaissance]

Just wanna point out how I always loved the visuals and the editing when Mike or someone else is explaining something about food or processes that it makes it so interesting to watch and honestly, people need to start looking for you guys to make advertisements. I was hooked on the screen and could follow the explanation so well from the visuals. Good job editing team!

[@bonehead4733]

I love when mike drops dem facts

[@marylong17]

Great episode! I love Battles so much! Fun Spud Fact: in the 18th century in France, while the potatoes were seen as dangerous, Mr Antoine Parmentier studied them and realized potatoes were absolutely safe and would help a lot to feed people. Still nobody wanted to eat them, so he planted them secretly, and had the crops kept by guards, so people would think the crop was hiding a very rare, luxurious food. He would intentionally leave the crops unguarded by night, so people could come and steal potatoes to see what that exceptional food that had to be kept by guards was. Thats how people started to actually eat them. And we now all know the recipe later made in honor of Antoine Parmentier: the Hachis Parmentier (A kind of French Shepperd's Pie)

[@AnarchoLoserist]

I appreciate what Ben is getting at, but I don't know that the Spanish people who brought potatoes to Europe are really deserving of celebration lol

[@celimendez7620]

You can't blame an English man for glorifying colonization. It's in their DNA.

[@mrinalini9112]

They literally just overlooked English contribution in all the famines and millions of deaths. It's not going to bother them.

[@annabelsummer2643]

@@mrinalini9112 Yep, I noticed how they didn't explain the role of the english in the death of over 1mill irish people, genocide.

[@sarahj6795]

I know! It was like "In a nod to history, let's celebrate the people who invaded and murdered the original cultivators of the potato." I like Sorted but Ben sounded kinda oblivious with that. I was hoping one of them would incorporate an ancient Central American potato dish, that would have been really cool.

[@mrinalini9112]

@@sarahj6795 I doubt they're unintentional. Ben, for first is normally not that oblivious. And despite his 'geekiness' he's actually that idiot, he just needs to be dragged more. It literally included genocide

[@born2burn1]

I am really happy Mike won! He really only used potato for all elements of his dish, fats were only there to give taste. Ben, as gorgeous as his dish looked, used blood sausage and chorizo for flavour. Mike's got skill!

[@ShaunRL]

> British people misrepresenting the cause of the Irish famine. It was a famine caused by a forced* over reliance on potatoes. Native Irish people were not allowed to own land and had to rent tiny plots of land from the absentee British landlords. They spent most of their time working the British landownders farms to pay the rent and had to rely on the only crop that could support them on their own tiny plots. All the rest of the food produced on the farmland was exported to support the British empire. The British increased food exports out of Ireland during the famine. You can debate whether it was intentional or inaction but the famine in Ireland happened due to British actions.

[@musicbyella3769]

It was absolutely intentional. Colonisers generally are not great but the English just have been consistently awful.

[@Hopeitsagood1]

I've to say the video showed omission of facts rather than overt misrepresentation. Everything else you said s bout right.

[@annabelsummer2643]

@@Hopeitsagood1 the omission of facts was an overt misrepresentation of a genocide though

[@osmia]

Really enjoyed this one. In the humor in the filming was spot on

[@MsAnubisia]

It seems a little in poor taste to have British folks talk about the history of the Irish potato famine without mentioning that it was man-made by the colonizer at the time, the British. (Not the blight itself, but the famine and hunger.)

[@annabelsummer2643]

A million of my people died :( we mourn still, genocide, they had enough crop to feed Ireland four times over but the english land owners (thieves) sent everything to England, all about the $$

[@AshleySmith-go7bk]

I paused at 3:14 just to come to the comments to see if anyone else twigged on to that

[@oskarelysee9076]

English rather than british, I don't think the Scots or welsh had much say in it.

[@pendarricrolynd7444]

There’s no pleasing you Irish. No one alive did that, and no one alive suffered it. We don’t mention it, you complain, we do, you still complain. What you really want is eternal sympathy and apologies from people who had no hand in the bloody event!

[@ArmadilloGodzilla]

Pendarric Rolynd Sort of like the eternal guilt and reparations after WW2.

[@xleXithx]

This video encouraged me to attempt to donate to my local farmers. I thank you all for helping remind me where my donations could be going.

[@streaky81]

"What would happen if our fruit and veg disappeared from shelves" Oof.

[@anufoalan]

I like that Ben went what are some potato dishes and made a few that would go well together, where as Mike just went full blown Parmentier.

[@chilldude30]

I hate to be that guy, but... I know some Irish people who would be quite upset that the discussion of the potato famine didn't mention any English influence on the matter - and i would see where they're coming from. I don't think you should endeavour to throw some education into the vids unless you're gonna commit to doing justice to the issues you cover (especially for something as sore as the potato famine!). Three English southerners completely glossing over the fact that the famine had much to do with England's political hegemony over Ireland is not a good look! the segment made it seem like it was all down to blight. I'm not having a go at you guys though! The episode was really great and I've been really enjoying your videos during quarentine :) just wanted to point this out because I think it might give the wrong impression, especially to many of the foreign people here who naturally won't know as much about the famine.

[@seanspenser]

And the fact that she said a million deaths when the Irish population at the time went from 8 million to 4 million in those 5 or so years. Of course not all were deaths, but the number is generally agreed upon around 2 million deaths. Obviously it's not a history channel but as you said if they're going to mention it get it right... I am a big fan and this was still a great video, but needs to be said...

[@joshuabickerdike7838]

Thank you for your comment 💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚

[@artypyrec4186]

I agree with you, but the segment was about potato history. Mentioning the great famines would of taken over the segment instead of quick notes. But quickly glossing over a subject does change personal information because im sure 99.99% arent going to google, read up, or watch a documentary about the famines.

[@Y0G0FU]

I dont blame the guys from Sorted for that. Its common for the British Historians to... well let some Details fall under the Table if it made the British look bad. We had the Potato Famine as a topic in our History Class in Germany (it was a 30 Minute Lecture) and my Teacher back then said that the British Version isn't quite how it really happened.

[@annabelsummer2643]

They responded to someone else comment by saying they wanted to focus on the future and that they weren't responsible for the deaths that occurred before they were born, callous, disgusting attitude. No one blamed them for the genocide of over one million of my people, but we are going to hold them accountable for ignoring it.

[@kristib7121]

I really enjoyed this video format. It was very educational and I think that is missing from so many videos about food and our food supply--please continue mixing this into your videos! Thank you! :)

[@jordanmcdonnell4338]

Any other Irish people giggle at the "famine killing all the Irish"??

[@linannsingh6165]

I'm America, and I know there's a lot missing from this story. History is written by the winner.

[@mrinalini9112]

Indian here. But I know enough about their 'famines' to roll eyes. Should have just skipped the 'history' part.

[@annabelsummer2643]

I mean I didn't giggle, but I wasn't surprised they edited their history like always either, mass genocide doesn't sound quite so good as 'famine' now does it

[@kirstenpaff8946]

Mike's dish reminded of the mock/ration foods from WWII. Since meat was very hard to come by, people would make all sorts of mock meat dishes out of potatoes.

[@lauraholliday9343]

not gonna lie, when i first saw mike making a steak out of a potato I thought 'that's going to be the worst thing ever made on this channel since barrys cloud egg' so I'm very pleased my expectations were exceeded

[@ScootinJackMcCue]

I just have to say Thank You! This video is so reassuring. Now days Farmers get so much hate for doing a thankless job and their only goal is to feed the world! I grew up in a farming community it is so sad to see how many people actually don’t understand where the food actually comes from. Thank You! I loved the Video and I Love your guy’s channel!

[@qez6969]

Shocking the Brits ignored the British involvement in the Irish potato famine.

[@MarieHP]

Yeah, the "food historian" kind of dropped the ball there.

[@Y0G0FU]

I as a German learned about this in School and was like "yo lady... the Brits are actually kinda maybe a little bit responsible for a lot of Deaths during that Potato Famine time.. you know blocking the Help of other Countries for example wasn't such a nice Move"

[@annabelsummer2643]

Also all the vegetable crops grown were sent to England,we produced 4x more food than we needed to feed all of Ireland but it was all sent to England for $$, a profit motivated genocide of one mill of my people by English colonisers.

[@unteriun]

@AlmightyStarfire yeah the difference there is the Germans learn about their history on full, they don't hide what they have done and have instead decided to learn from it, the UK on the other hand haven't and even tried to threaten us with withholding imports to get us to agree to brexit (super illegal btw)

[@ilajoie3]

I just can't help but to smirk whenever James says "Ben it's not worth it" with the coconut shredder in the intro.

[@steven6918]

Missed out the bit where the English took the best part of the food from Ireland in the middle of the famine which caused more deaths and then refused food supplies to there workers in Ireland and caused more deaths

[@annabelsummer2643]

*genocide*