Taste Testing MORE Global Ingredients we never knew existed | Sorted Food

Today we look at more incredible global ingredients that our chef Ben had NEVER KNEW EXISTED until recently!! Have you heard of or cooked with any of them before?
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Here are the ingredients we reviewed:
Kokum: bit.ly/3isrKvI
Nopales: bit.ly/3ivQ9AQ
Shredded Jellyfish: bit.ly/3LacDmW
Kvass: bit.ly/3D5OZ8z
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#SortedFood
#TasteTest
#Foodie

[@ricardocalleja5106]

How did Ben not say “is this Tentacool or Tentacruel?” It was absolutely perfect for it!

[@ryder3112]

100% my thought. I was disappointed in Ben

[@speedreader2660]

Because he doesn’t know Pokémon. That’s why Jamie immediately said he didn’t get the reference

[@Zestric]

@@speedreader2660 I'm surprised he doesn't. Isn't Ben the exact age and nerdiness demographic for that sort of thing?

[@DevHawk]

Made for a better joke to not. xD Subverting expectations~

[@elkynethehorde5592]

Yes! Thats what I thought he was going to say hahaha

[@kjgomes]

As someone with parents from Goa, it was nice to see kokum being represented! However, a few points in execution. We do not soak and blend them in, but rather put them in whole into the curry, and then some people eat them in the cooked dish, but most discard it. Also, seafood curries would not have cilantro as a garnish and are best enjoyed with plain rice. Kokum is great with pork too - in a stirfry, or as a roast with onions, clove, cinnamon, and garlic.. Something else to try would be soaking it in water and then adding sugar to the liquid to make a syrup, which can be diluted with soda water or still water to make "brindade" - a kokum soft drink. Finally, there is a digestive drink called "sol kadi" which is made with the liquid extracted after soaking and mixing it with water and coconut milk, to which you add salt, chopped cilantro and chopped green chili. This can be eaten with rice or just drunk on its own after your meal.

[@usmanganilakhani4559]

Goan fish curry rules, nothing better than it

[@twinkle7389]

I love sol kadi! So good for digestion and tasty as well. I've never heard kokum being blended then added, rather just thrown in like you said. My mom adds it in coconut fish curry, the dish is incomplete without kokum. Brindade is sooo good in summers! Helps combat the sweltering heat which literally sucks the life out of me.

[@SortedFood]

That’s so interesting, thank you for taking the time to explain how it’s used authentically 😁

[@animalsmistakenformonsters1492]

You don't. Doesn't mean nobody else does.

[@melissalambert7615]

Thanks for the info. After they described the flavor I immediately thought it would make a nice cool drink.

[@NewSai21]

Jamie blew my mind when he described how he would eat nopales, and that's exactly a ver very common way we eat them. I'm really loving this Mexico representation in Sorted Food

[@jonathanbryant7884]

Love to see something familiar in a video that's supposed to be exotic foods! Makes me feel kinda special.

[@GrizzledBear7]

No Mexican representation will top that paella

[@taheera8849]

As someone who enjoys this channel as a comfort channel, I love how the various intros show the direction of Sorted over the years. I am absolutely loving this series, can we please, please, please do more, if nothing more than to see the food team blow our minds with amazing spreads of food. Maybe you could focus on a single continent, country, or culture, or try and get ingredients from each continent (or at least 6 of them, not sure how many ingredients can be found from Antarctica!)

[@lewismaddock1654]

Oh come on Ebbers really needs to cook with these without previously knowing. I wanna see how creative he is with these amazing ingredients vs chefs making something they already know. Ben would crush it, and break all the rules of fusion!

[@AzerockGaming]

So like, combine this segment with maybe the mystery ingredient episodes they used to do.

[@lewismaddock1654]

@@AzerockGaming I was thinking more like a Chef Vs Normals but yeah, it's a mystery box for the chef.

[@cpmc5400]

@@lewismaddock1654 or bring them into a pass it on and each has to use one of them

[@thatexoguy6721]

@@lewismaddock1654 Very interesting idea. The chefs could be in the dark about the ingredient and would have to improvise with it, meanwhile the normals get to do research and cook an authentic version. And at the end you could compare how close the chefs were with the use of the ingredient. That would be very entertaining to watch and also very informative.

[@jpdogtrainingscotland6998]

Well I love most about this channel is how varied each video is with a good cycle of the classic fun need to watch each month! It's not just cut and dry same old same old. Yesterday I rewatched the spicy poker face challenge and then I watched the big breakfast collaboration and some pass it ons and today another global ingredient video brilliant

[@SortedFood]

Thank you, comments like these really mean a lot to the whole team.

[@engineer_with_issues]

@@SortedFood I totally agree to the comment above. I also would be very interested in a mini how to series on planning weekly meals, grocery shop etc. Kind of like in the meal packs app but suitable for my own recipes and needs.

[@taheera8849]

@@engineer_with_issues Same!

[@robinlondrow9263]

@@engineer_with_issues yes

[@bellewestley6856]

I enjoy watching them when I'm eating my meals. I usually have a go to depending on what I'm eating, usually the breakfast themed ones in the morning, battles at lunch and dinner. Whenever I want to be entertained it's the food challenges then for inspiration it's videos like these. There's one for every occasion!

[@GigaBoost]

For my fellow Swedes who were confused about Kvass/Gira being common in Sweden - its quite similar to Svagdricka, they might have been confused for each other as the preparation method is pretty much the same.

[@nikolinaeriksson990]

Tack, undrade vad det var som vi hade som var liknande 🙏

[@Lotharnagrs]

From wikipedia about Kvass. "Kvass was also made in Sweden, where it was known as bröddricka (lit. 'bread drink'), although it was very likely limited only to areas where rye bread was the standard bread as opposed to crispbread, which was more common in Western Sweden and did not stale. Bröddricka was still being made in Öland farms up until 1935."

[@MikaelH1]

Jag älskar kvarts och köper det väldigt ofta i ryska butiker på sommaren. Men något svenskt alternativ hade jag aldrig hört talas om. Svagdricka smakar mer öl om jag inte minns fel men jag ska ta och köpa mig en flaska och jämföra igen. KBAC ftw

[@epynephrine]

Common in Russia and Armenia too! It's so cool how many cultures know and drink this ^^

[@TorIverWilhelmsen]

It also can remind a little of what we Norwegians call "vørterøl", but that is malt-based than bread-based.

[@urtebarauskas5610]

Fellow Lithuanian here! I’m so happy to see some Eastern European food and drinks! I was going to recommend gira but you beat me to it (the g is pronounced like the g in “get”). You all should look into cepelinai, kugelis, pig ears, and šaltibarščiai! Cheers!

[@mariapettersen7997]

omg god yes, really hope they do, best food in my opinion

[@joannaa0904]

My grandma (who was born in Lithuania, but moved to north-west Poland before WWII) used to make these for me when I was a kid. They are amazing (except for pig ears, I've never tried them).

[@Poweredsoft]

also "Tree Cake". Can't do Christmas without one!

[@urtebarauskas5610]

@@Poweredsoft That’s a good one!! Especially given the way it’s made.

[@clausaskholm6011]

We often hear the normies go "Oh, this blew my mind!". How about a few episodes where you revisit the ones that truly blew their mind, and ended up as items they used repeatedly (as opposed to once or twice for noveltys sake). They present it and cook a dish with it.

[@jagwolf8079]

This is NOT a market substitue...

[@alanmotter6613]

I live in Tucson very close to the Mexican border and there are a ton of things with cactus in it. It is a part of both Mexican and Native American cooking. There are a lot of edible succulents (agave for instance) that could be cooked up.

[@animalsmistakenformonsters1492]

@@jagwolf8079 What?

[@sup9441]

I always eat the jellyfish. I have that exact pack in my fridge. We usually just pour it out of the bag, add the seasoning, add a ton of sesame seeds for the extra crunch, and sesame oil too if there is not enough flavour, and just serve as a side dish with cucumber strips. Love from Hong Kong!

[@TheSongwritingCat]

Add a little chili, served with pork hock... it's an amazing appetizer.

[@alanholck7995]

Jellyfish are caught off east coast of US & shipped to China. Sustainable fishery & profitable for the fisherman.

[@greteukulele4561]

Even more interesting than the video are the comments below. I love how everyone from the respective regions comments about the use and variation of these ingredients. I am learning so much! Thank you for sparking these conversations, Sorted!

[@jenw6439]

Best community on YT!

[@whatthefizzsticks]

Finally one I've eaten! Cactus is used and sold in some supermarkets in the US, and it's super tasty. I've had it cooked with fajita steak and it's amazing!

[@TheBaldr]

You have to be really careful with cactus through. A lot of cactus contain toxins, irritants to some people, on top of Mexican produce containing pesticides that are banned in most of the world.

[@shuttsv]

My aunt used to steal it from the neighbour’s yard to make a quick meal for us in California. 😆

[@flii87]

Pickled cactus was also something I had as a child in the 90s. I totally forgot about it until this episode. I cannot wait to go back and see if I still like it.

[@rtd1791]

In western US nopales is a standard item in grocery stores. It’s usually in the Hispanic or Latin (Depending on what that grocery store calls it) section along with taco shells, enchilada sauce, a salsa, refried beans, etc.

[@fevre_dream8542]

AND prickly pear is an _incredible_ flavor in drinks, especially citrusy ones like lemonade.

[@YoungSoonGi]

As someone from Latvia I get kvass regularly, so it was so interesting to see this kind of reaction! Interesting to know - we have lighter and darker kvass, we also have a similar drink called 'health drink' in literal translation which is a bit sweeter. And each brand tastes slightly different too!

[@SortedFood]

That’s so interesting, thank you for sharing.

[@01dom]

@@SortedFood furthermore the kvass usually found in stores is non alcoholic. Theres also filtered and unfiltered selection. And thanks for showing our Lithuanian Kvass

[@ashrowan2143]

Had a classmate bring home made kvass to class one day, and the teacher had to say I understand that commercially it is considered non-alcoholic but because this is home made and you don't know it's exact content we can't let you bring it again

[@MatasVinikaitis]

@@ashrowan2143 i wasn't allowed to drink it in class when I went to school, they said it was beer even though it was store bought gira

[@ashrowan2143]

@@MatasVinikaitis we did a full google deep dive on it and discovered that in its countries of origin it's sold as a nonalcoholic beverage that children can drink so our teacher decided that if he could find some commercially sold version he could bring it but just not homemade (I went to an outreach school so our teacher had some pretty strong bend on what was and wasn't allowed) heck they brought in someone to teach a group of us how to do street art and set up some canvases in a nearby park and brought spray paint for us to make our own street art

[@arnoldganuza861]

That cactus is such a wonderful ingredient. When you get it fresh, you can grill it and slice it into a salad. Fresh cheese and veggies with tomatoes and that grilled cactus with olive oil and seasonings is my favorite way to enjoy it. Keep up the great work!

[@alisonpahlkotter3013]

Nopales takes on flavor so well. When I was in Mexico my favorite tacos were al pastor with nopal and mushrooms

[@LordDragox412]

Cactus juice! It's the quenchiest!

[@ItsHammer]

Yes. So good. My mind was blown at first that that didn’t know / were unfamiliar with it, then I had to remind myself that the UK doesn’t have easy access to multiple weekly trips to taco trucks.

[@rtek8318]

@@ItsHammer Yep, (as a Texan) I was also quite amused at how they seemed to find eating cactus so mind blowing!

[@lawnjart16]

I get the tacos a lot from a few places, and buy the cans. I need to learn how to prep it so i can use fresh. Maybe this will be my weekend learning project

[@teacherjaquecaires]

You guys should try "pinhão", it is literally a pine cone that we cook in the south of Brazil and eat during winter. We can also use it in dishes. And we also have "mate", which can be prepared as tea, chimarrão (in a hot kind of bowl), or terere (the iced kind).

[@violetskies14]

Oh I got my grandma mate and a gourd and straw for her birthday one year! She loves trying new foods and drink from different countries and she loved that tea. I'm fascinated to hear there's a kind of pinecone you can eat. The ones here are basically wood and wouldn't be good eating, are yours softer?

[@metalviking974]

To be fair, cold mate is very well-known in Germany and Switzerland, though it does have a reputation as a "hipster" beverage, typically associated with social science and teaching students. I personally love the stuff, especially home-brewed (and yes, I study English language and literature with teaching in mind. Stereotype confirmed).

[@ethancampbell215]

Visiting Brazil has always been something on my bucket list because I’d love to experience and embrace the traditions and culture of a country completely outside of Europe. What would be your biggest recommendations of traditional Brazilian ingredients I should try in England that would give me an insight into the brilliance of traditional Brazilian cuisine?

[@joseandnatashabetancor-leo7048]

Kvass comes from Russia. квасс

[@RvrStyxRasputin]

Being from the US, I've enjoyed these episodes but never really had that "oh they're noticing our cuisine" type moment because we don't *really* have anything. But I'm from southern California and seeing them enjoy cactus made me realize just what that feels like, and I'm so happy for the rest of the sorted community that has been able to feel that before. It really is wonderful

[@LtFoeHammer]

The US has tons of regional cuisines, the issue is mostly that we've done such a good job exporting our culture that it's not really "foreign" to people from other countries. Tex-mex, American Chinese, teriyaki chicken, Cajun, creole, several distinct barbecue styles, dozens of pizza and burger, clam chowder, biscuits and gravy. Not to mention new-world crops like corn and tomato.

[@mikekun155]

@@LtFoeHammer There are also fusion dishes. They should try some American casseroles from the mid to eastern America xD.

[@madmanwithaplan1826]

Im with the guy who mentioned we are great at exporting our cultural cuisines. And I wanted to add brisket which is amazing and delicious. Not to mention Hawaiian foods they're American foods

[@DimT670]

@@madmanwithaplan1826 I know several hawaians who would take great issue with calling traditional hawain foods "American"

[@DimT670]

@@LtFoeHammer I'd argue very few ppl actually know creole and cajun cuisine outside of the us

[@sayuramicontreras1912]

Nopalitos, is such a versatile ingredient, you can cook it, fry it, grill it, eat it raw, you can have them in stews, with scramble egg, with pork skin or chicharrón, and it's always delicious, so glad you guys tried it.

[@ZanguSwe]

I think Ben is just softening them up to bring back "Mystery Meats" again

[@SortedFood]

😂😂😂

[@halyj]

So happy to see jellyfish!! I'm Chinese, and jellyfish salad with cucumber and vinegar and chilli is sooo good :)

[@TheLycanStrain]

White American here, I always go to different Asian, Indian, etc. markets and if I see something weird, I'll pick it up and research how to use it. Basically it's like a science project for me, and I made a Singaporean version of that salad with a touch of fish sauce (they use it there more) and even added in siling labuyo (the Filipino pepper) and sort of made this Asian fusion dish. It was so good!

[@angelabarba4367]

Nopales are my favorite! The perfect taco for me is ensalada de nopal with queso fresco crumpled on top in a slightly charred corn tortilla. I have one slight critic: you have to warm up those tortillas on a gridle to get a little char on them; it's part of the flavor! That's what most non Mexicans get wrong about Mexican food.

[@timhyatt9185]

the cactus is called "prickly pear"....the "leaves" also grill well (once de-thorned) as a side serving with steaks and chicken on the barbeque. The fruit from the blossoms make a great jelly/jam sort of thing, with a flavor somewhat similar to black raspberry. even fresh, they can be peeled and sliced onto things much like a kiwi might be used...

[@tickledtoffee]

I love prickly pears! They’re a fairly commonly eaten fruit here in South Africa, most big grocery stores stock them in season. But I’ve never eaten the “leaf”, I only recently heard that it’s also edible and I’d love to try it. What does it taste like unpickled?

[@Cationna]

Yay kwas chlebowy! My mother's always been a fan and I would hate it as a kid, now as an adult I've come to appreciate it more, as i have almost everything else to her taste 😄

[@testing2488]

I actually researched kvass as part of my final year project to see if there were any potential health benefits from the lactobacillus used the fermentation process. Unfortunately, most of the store bought samples were pasteurised before sale, but had the lactobacillus been allowed to stay in the product, we concluded that it would have similar benefits to kombucha or cultured milk.

[@urosmarjanovic663]

Kvass fermentation is caused by yeast, not really your usual bacterium species, so it is alcoholic fermentation. In some Slavic languages we call yeast - "kvasac". Also in some Slavic languages certain type of vinegar is called "kvasina".

[@MyNamesIris]

I love how asian countries focus so massively on textures in their food like the jellyfish. Would definitely be interesting to have a whole video based around textures like that.

[@MrLadyMaroles]

Nopales are the best everrrrr! I don’t know if you already tried jícamas or not, but if you haven’t you should definitely consider them, they’re super juicy and versatile too. It’s really nice to see you try global ingredients, but oh my I felt so happy to see something so Mexican and so amazing (also, the fruit of the nopales, the tuna fruit is delicious too).

[@SortedFood]

Thanks so much for the suggestions, we will have to check those out.

[@MrLadyMaroles]

@@SortedFood just be careful if you have to peel the tuna fruit because like nopales they are prickly too 🫢

[@luersuve]

And Jaime smashed it with the suggestion of nopales on tacos! That is amazing.

[@MrLadyMaroles]

@@luersuve yes! I love how nopales on meat tacos make everything better 🫢

[@snezeire]

Love Jicama!

[@chibichecker]

I always have a packet or two of jellyfish at my house, and I love to eat it as a side dish to rice or congee. Most often congee, since the blandness need a bit of texture and some seasoning, and it's so nice! Good to see it featured here!

[@SortedFood]

That’s so interesting!

[@Wrendymion]

Oooh, I've never tried congee but that sounds like a good pair!

[@calrm00]

We’d usually toss it with some peanut and carrot/cucumber, poured the classic fish sauce + sugar + lime/chili combo on top. Amazing refreshing summer salad, and congee is definitely an interesting idea!

[@MaZEEZaM]

Is jellyfish decently healthy, like other fish? I can see many uses for it but I would probably only bother getting a hold of it, if its quite a healthy ingredient and depending on the price.

[@fireflieer2422]

ohh that sounds soooo good

[@melissagouge9704]

I’m so glad you guys liked the Nopales! I have very fond memories of my Abuelita making me it! Hers was so yummy!

[@kl6960]

Greetings from Poland! You've made me very happy with your representation of Polish and eastern European food ;) I must say though that I was slightly shocked you didn't know about using cactus as a regular food ingredient in Mexico... I mean, even here in Poland we have things like cactus juice or cactus flavoured green tea (which I happen to really like - granted I can't be certain of the flavour's authenticity as there's plenty of other ingredients but that aside, cactus is clearly considered a food item even here).

[@fungi5350]

Cactus flavored green tea?? As someone from Texas, I’m used to seeing cactus in stores but I’ve never seen it used in tea. Sounds interesting!

[@fabiankaisen5977]

Had jellyfish in HK in a sauce that could as well have worked with glass noodles… made me think that it could be a great substitute in certain dishes, and given that jellyfish is low calories and probably very sustainable, we should eat it more often!

[@Kenmanhl]

Jellyfish is indeed very sustainable. The edible kind can can actually multiply to plague proportions around Japan. Squid is another very sustainable seafood.

[@marymaryquitecontrary]

The appearance reminded me of konjac noodles, though the texture sounds more interesting.

[@doodchappin]

As a Texan, saw that said that's nopalitos...I love that I know something a chef didn't! Also, the ocean was the BEST answer that ever existed.

[@reneemelnyk1866]

I thought the same thing as someone from Southern California lol

[@Occanti]

So cool to see you guys try something so popular in Poland. I really do wish you'd make a Polish cuisine oriented episode one day. It's vast, let me tell you :D Sending all the love from Poland! Keep me entertained!

[@TheErador]

I really enjoy Żurek, i must try making it one day.

[@ziuziuxas]

As a lithuanian I can tell you that the G in the word "gira" is like in a word "good" and the stress is on the letter A (and it's short A, not prolonged). All the samples shown were lithuanian products.

[@dipit221b]

The ocean, the lake, the bath!! Joey Tribbiani of sortedfood ladies and gentlemen

[@DiMacky24]

As soon as I saw the glasses I immediately exclaimed "Kvass!" very glad y'all finally tried it. Here in the US you can get Kvass at most Russian, Polish, or Ukrainian shops but it is still unheard of by the general populace.

[@BoyHereWeGo]

It is as common as Apple Juice in Russia actualy. Never thought that it can be exotic xD But I Never her about edding berries in it

[@saint-cetacean]

@@BoyHereWeGo I have had kvass that had raisins added, which sort of counts, but definitely not like- currants or blackberries or the like.

[@yani9904]

I love homemade Kvas! It’s got a different kick to it than store brought.

[@beccabee4952]

Jamie’s answers to Ben about what else holds water reminded me of Joey on Pyramid “Paper! Snow! A ghost!”

[@mollsx8125]

I think an idea for a new series (that i'd defo love to see!) is maybe something to do with student meals and how to elevate the classic student ingredients like packet noodles and rice and stuff I for one get so stuck at uni trying to cook on a measly budget with no time and not being bothered to prep loads of stuff and only really having basics. Would love to see a student based series

[@marloweirvine6740]

It is interesting watching these episodes and thinking about how one's location affects one's food choices. I live on the west coast of Canada and can get fresh or pickled cactus paddles and dried jellyfish in my local grocery, but have never heard of kokum or kvass.

[@wojciechbieniek4029]

Polish community is pretty large in Canada, if you live in any larger agglomeration, there's a high chance you'll find polish grocer, try searching for "polski sklep"

[@liadhainsmith]

It's so interesting! I am in the UK, but as Sorted are in London they have the best access to this sorta stuff, differeny cuisines etc. I lived on one side of England and there was 2 huge East Asian supermarkets, East European delis etc. But now on the other side of the country (closer to London now) I have access to so much more, its a very foodie city too. For 3/4 years I had said to my partner that we needed a weekend away, or even a day/night trip to one of two cities under 2 hours drive away just for Korean restaurant. In Novemberish 2019 I saw a sign in the city for a new Korean restaurant behind his head 😅 But I know if I want Filipino food for instance, London will be where I can get that! I had the most amazing sushi in Vancouver 😍 a close friend moved there for her Masters Degree, and I visited. The East Asian malls and the Nanaimo bars :P and the sushi, "Samurai on Davey". Saying a location like that was so cool and new to me rather than idk like 24 Davey Street, so I have that recommendation stuck in my head forever.

[@marloweirvine6740]

@@liadhainsmith Samuri on Davie is still there and still great. I live a five minute walk away. My sister, who used to live in Bristol, seemed to have access to a great selection of South Asian foods. Now that she lives in Northern Alberta I have to mail her even the most basic ingredients for curries, etc.

[@kates7277]

Greetings from Victoria!

[@DimT670]

Kvass is a very bad example because anyone has bread and water so literally anyone can make it

[@XaurianQueen]

I grew up in southern Arizona and you could buy them in some supermarkets, de-thorned. Though i always checked again for thorns before cooking. If you can find it, prickly pear (what we would call the plant) jelly is also nice! Haven't had it in years but it's a lovely pink color. The way I learned to cook fresh nopalitos was to cut it and fry it up with salsa, then treat it as a vegetable side. It tastes like any green vegetable, similar to broccoli. Never tried the pickled kind but I might pick it up next time I see some!

[@lauren3173]

The part in the video when they lifted the cloche(?) off the kvass was so funny to me because I immediately thought “that looks like kvass but there’s no way they haven’t heard of kvass.” 😂

[@kinos6503]

Feeling sentimental today, but I remember the days when Sorted was just a bunch pals doing some recipes. Seeing the variety of challenges, adventures, battles, and learning moments this channel now has is amazing. Kudos to everyone there! P.S. when Ben went "What else holds a lot of water", I definitely had a knee jerk reaction of "A WITCH!... or a duck?"

[@benjaminstrudwick9626]

I love the idea of needing five places to use these products to devour them. Maybe an episode showing us different ways of using these crazy wonderful products

[@joeurbach9097]

I am in Texas, USA and I have the cactus (nopalitos) in scrambled eggs at least twice a month and in tacos or on a burger all the time. It is especially good on a chicken burger!

[@themagicknightress7132]

I tried to harvest my own prickly pears once and I didn’t realize they had hairlike spikes as well as the visible ones…

[@missjoy3780]

I love learning about new foods from around the world! These videos are so much fun! Cheers!

[@bcaye]

Whenever I eat nopales, it takes me back to when my oldest sister and I lived together in Albuquerque. We were poor and so were our neighbors. Most of them were Mexican. Prickly pear was abundant in the area and they would gather it to supplement their diet. A really nice lady who would babysit my nephew showed me how to burn off the thorns, peel it and cook it for a versatile vegetable that pairs with lots of dishes. Kind of tastes like green beans. Ironically, decades later when I bought my house in Missouri the previous owner had a large prickly pear in the front yard. It even produced tunas, the prickly pear fruit. Too much work for little yield and for some reason attracted box elder beetles, harmless but pesky. I eradicated it.

[@snezeire]

Burqueno here! Loved seeing cactus represented.

[@sarkzar]

Prickly pear sorbet is one of my favorites, I'm glad the guys got to learn about eating cactus!

[@GigaBoost]

Prickly pear is the cactus FRUIT though. They're talking about eating the cactus paddle, the flesh itself, and that's what confused the boys.

[@billyeveryteen7328]

@@GigaBoost The paddles, in English, are technically also called "Prickly pear," since the plant is commonly referred to as the "prickly pear cactus," to differentiate from the more "standard" trunk-like cactus that nearly everyone will picture. In Spanish, it's far less confusing, since the flat edible cactus is called a "nopal," and the trunk-like cactus is still a "cactus."

[@GigaBoost]

@@billyeveryteen7328 thanks for the clarification and info 🙌

[@TheFGSDude]

I literally just finished a big bottle of kvass yesterday. So fun when you recognise one of the unusual ingredients.

[@estherheyer2863]

I lived in Mexico for two years as a Missionary. I loved fresh cactus! It and a flower are 2 things I really miss!

[@auntlynnie]

Word of warning: In many countries, “chocha” is a vulgar term for a female body part. I’d never heard of it as a food item (and I’ve been speaking Spanish for almost 40 years - but am more familiar with Caribbean Spanish).

[@estherheyer2863]

@@auntlynnie thank you! We had several words in the area I lived that others from different parts of Mexico found vulgar. 🤦

[@dawaidbristol18]

Finally !!! :D Some of my food , i was waiting for polish food for so long . Thanks

[@gosuckalemon5247]

Honestly the best channel find I’ve found!

[@SortedFood]

Thank you!

[@JKG_Brandon]

Fresh Nopales are incredible. They have (the way they were made for me anyway) the texture of broccoli stalks, and similar flavor also. But most definitely one of the lesser talked about hidden gems in Mexican cuisine for sure

[@LilHelper5]

You need to invite Life of Boris to cook with you. Would be awesome! He also had a video on how to make Kvas at home.

[@DaleyKreations]

Yay! More Boris fans! When the sausage board came out we were like "AH! Butterbrod!"

[@OliTom]

Thank you for putting quality subtitles in every video!

[@NO-tk3rs]

You should try one of Russian traditional meals with kvas, it’s called okroshka. I would describe it as a mix between a cold soup and a salad. The best time to eat it is during a hot summer day.

[@loiscarlisle6035]

I really appreciate how Sorted tries foods from beyond the traditional UK diet without making them out to be gross or strange. It's refreshing to hear about the ingredients in context without "othering" them as exotic. Also, Sierra Nevada's Otra Vez is a very tasty cactus beer. 10/10 would recommend.

[@GTGTRIK]

Glad to see kvas being enjoyed! Favourite summer drink around here.

[@ploopploop]

I love these kind of episodes, I am discovering so many new things!

[@Shearper2]

that jellyfish one is rather tentacool, and I am saddened that the negative option wasn't tentacruel

[@Ashtari]

I get the feeling that Ben isn't much on video games. Jamie however has CLEARLY played pokemon.

[@KaosityTheory]

I would agree with you, except then we wouldn’t have the glory of Ebbers on video uttering the words, ‘Are you not ready for this jelly’

[@josel3227]

Same

[@kekkelpenneypeckeltoot5700]

The cactus is amazing. I’m in the pac NW of the US and we have it fresh and pickled and have used it for decades. It’s everywhere. Versatile and delicious!

[@KungFuMunkeyz]

Still blows my mind how different cultures can be. As someone whose lived in the south and southwest of America I immediately recognized nopales and was initially shocked that anyone could be confused. But then thinking well shredded jellyfish is something I’ve never ever heard where overseas it could be just common. Love this show is so diverse, it would be awesome to be able to experience that for work everyday

[@peterdashkoff1723]

OMG! I am so excited to see nopales on sorted. Its such a staple in my family. So good with scrambled eggs and corn tortillas, LOVE IT

[@dresden123456]

My great-grandma used to make kwas at home. It was so delicious, none of the store bought ones ever came close to that flavour. We never learned how to make it unfortunately.

[@Meg_A_Byte]

Did she add caraway seeds? I've had few kwass/gira, but in one restaurant they had their own and it was very different and tasted after caraway. Absolutely delicious!

[@nancylindsay4255]

@@Meg_A_Byte The bread with which it was made likely already had caraway in it. Kvass, beans, cabbage, carrots -- soup or stew.

[@jasnix]

Search for life of Boris on KZbin. I think he has a guide..

[@keeperofthegood]

@@jasnix He sure does and his Kvass is really good too :) There are a dozen or so folk that have videos on YT making Kvass but Boris is probably the most fun to watch and the video I like to share with friends who say "what is this?"

[@SortedFood]

What a lovely memory. It’s so sad when these techniques and recipes are not passed down through the family 😔

[@sneg__]

>not naming Russia when talking about Kvass come on boys

[@ulises1692]

if you loved nopales you guys should try another mexican product called tejocotes, which are fruits from hawthorns. they are often sold in jars cooked in syrup and we use it for christmas fruit punch, but i think a dessert made with the fruit would be great!

[@Liba_Elena]

I love cactus ice-cream in the summer!! One of my favourite. As you said it's kind of lime-y citrus-y but subtle. Very yummy.

[@karansinghswanni5510]

Just wanted to mention that one of the mostly consumed drinks in india in the summer season to cool our bodies is Kokum sharbat also known as kokum water Do try and please tell how would you give it your own twist

[@b_uppy]

Busted out laughing at Jaymes jellyfish dance. Recognized the Klass before it was identified. Nice fermented, probiotic drink.

[@adonisfoto8709]

Thank you for opening my eyes to so many global foods, ingredients, gadgets and other stuff

[@tt_tonic]

I adore learning all of these new foods!

[@ukebec1178]

I tried nopales a few years ago and really enjoyed it. It was served as a side with fajitas. I really enjoyed the mild citrus flavor that tempered the richness of the beef and sour cream. Very nice.

[@yrynoy]

I'm Romanian and I guarantee you Kvass was never popular around here, however if you want to try tuica (just fermented plums and a whole lotta alcohol), that would be really funny to watch :)

[@irkialafiga]

Tuica is interesting! Vișinată (alcool produced from sour cherries) would be cool too!

[@katezakrzevska4533]

So happy to see kvas! And am very grateful the way it was served

[@kerryanne28]

I still can help but to keep rewatching these ❤❤❤

[@katsumiis4699]

Jellyfish is one of my favourites! My family likes to have it with smashed cucumbers and its the perfect mix of chewy, crunchy, and refreshing.

[@zip91187]

Living in southwestern AZ in the states - right on the border - one of the ways our household used nopales was cut up with cut up beef in a bit of a red Chile sauce and eaten with rice n beans and tortillas

[@lemonZzzzs]

Fun episode, although the exclusion of Russia from the list of places where _kvass_ is popular was hella jarring. You should've called it gira and gone with the Lithuanian angle instead--as most of the bottles you displayed did. Gira is a superset of kvass anyway--I am pretty sure some people even make it from beetroot juice! Or get the barley + hops version and call it a Caribbean malta :D

[@MrJamesBond2011]

Or that they should just mention where Kvass is from (e.g. Russia) without being too politically correct about it.

[@gloriamontorsi2031]

It could also be just an attempt to avoid any risk of demonetisation, in case the algorithm ever decides to select all videos mentioning the word "Russia" as problematic... As in all the videos made during the pandemic they always carefully avoided "trigger words" like "covid", "virus", etc etc. I find it more likely than thinking of it as a political statement.

[@lemonZzzzs]

@@gloriamontorsi2031 that is possibly the case, yes. It is still very jarring. Hence me suggesting a less jarring approach here, like avoiding the Russian kvass altogether in favor or basically the same drinks from less controversial cultures :D Especially since the bottles they picked were marketed as gira anyway (they're pretty good too)

[@lemonZzzzs]

@@MrJamesBond2011 they could, but, sadly, there are now risks involved :(

[@DimT670]

I mean its not like they mentioned every single country that enjoys a food in the other cases and for kvass they also said the list wasn't exhaustive, and as you said they used Lithuanian kvass, so I think you've reading too much into this Not to mention no one actually cares if you just mention Russia so your whole points moot

[@michaelwilliamryan]

I'm so happy to see you include jellyfish. I actually had jellyfish a number of years ago as part of a Lunar New Year meal, and it's always stood out. Very cool.

[@MarijaEnchantix]

Kvass ( Kvas) originally comes from Russia/Russian Empire area. It is popular in the post-Soviet countries for that reason. It goes all the way back to year 989! Over here in Latvia, Kvass is " beer for children" because it tastes close enough :D

[@dexteritymaster]

It's from times of Kievan Rus' (Vladimir the Great) so a lot older than Russian Empire :)

[@MarijaEnchantix]

@@dexteritymaster My comment was mainly aimed at people who don't even know the difference between Russian Empire and USSR :D I myself know that. The point was that it comes from that part of the world.

[@dexteritymaster]

@@MarijaEnchantix Sorry it was me, my brain added politics to it, basically it was first mentioned describing the celebration of Vladimir the Great's baptism in 996 (in Kyiv, Ukraine)

[@MarijaEnchantix]

@@dexteritymaster And I'm well aware, I literally said it was year 989. But I don't thin kthat majority of people not from this part of the world would care about who was the ruler at that time or what specific part of what specific country it was. I'm from Latvia, I know all of that. But you have to also know your target audience or the meaning is lost on them.

[@dwiddick]

The food team don't get enough props for the dishes they create with this stuff.

[@lws08141]

Love you guy's. I have been watching for years and you always entertain and teach me.

[@karenclover4948]

Just started watching Sorted and love it but boy does it make me hungry when those delicious foods are served up

[@FrantasticFood]

I first had Mangosteen when I lived in the Philippines and later on I lived in Honduras for 6 years and Mangosteen was available during Lychee and Rambutan season. I’m a huge fan of these tropical fruits and although they are available in the US at Asian markets they are never as fresh or on point and are ridiculously priced since they are imported.

[@BernieTime1]

I had some roadside Pineapple in Hawaii and was shocked at the difference from what is exported stateside.

[@violetskies14]

I want to try them so badly but they're practically impossible to get in my part of the UK. I love fruit so much and love trying foreign fruits so it drives me nuts how limited my selection is in the UK. We grow berries, apples, and pears really well and that's about it. Everything else has to be imported because anything that needs heat and sun doesn't grow well in a country that's grey, damp, and fluctuates between cool and cold 90% of the year.

[@Maialeen]

I don't get why Americans who live in places like Arizona keep commenting that they find it so bizarre that sorted didn't think of cactus as something to eat. Why would they or anyone in Europe think of it as food primarily? Like... what's the reason? This is not a dry ass place with Mexico for a neighbor. Cactuses are nearly nowhere in our daily lives.

[@BoyProdigyX]

Here in Philly we have these stores called NetCost, who specialize in Eastern European foods. They, quite literally have an entire aisle dedicated to every type, flavor, brand of k'vas from every locality, in every language. It's truly impressive.

[@castso25]

I love this channel, I need more relay challenges and the 3 way battles between the normals!!!!

[@liamfisher917]

Nopalitos on fish tacos is a great combo, we can find it fresh here in Atlanta in the grocery when it is in season.

[@erinhowett3630]

Cooking Battle: International Ingredients We Never Knew Existed edition!

[@MusingsFromTheDen]

I wasn't expecting jellyfish to have a crunch... 🤔 I love these vidoes, watching Mike and Jamie live their best life, paying no attention whatsoever to Ben's carefully researched spiel. 🤣 You can just stick me in a corner with the Kvass and Pickled cactus...oh, and a nice brown roll with butter. 😊

[@Morgannin]

Was listening to a British streamer who lives in America talk about British foods he has trouble finding around here, namely Branston Pickle. Made me think it would be a neat idea for Sorted to "review" typical British products, and maybe even craft a battle around making the most creative use of them.

[@taylormademadness]

In Arizona we have cactus dishes everywhere and prickly pear fruit is AMAZING - specifically in a margarita 😉

[@MrGrimsmith]

I'm honestly surprised that you didn't know of kvass, it really is great stuff and readily available in many supermarkets.

[@b4ltic_]

Awesome! 😊I'm glad that you showed gira as well! Honestly one of my favourite drinks to have, especially in the summer! (Also, it's pronounced with a soft 'g' like in the words "grand" and "goal" and we'd also slightly roll the 'r')

[@ethancampbell215]

I love these style of videos mostly for the fact that I am exposed to some new ingredients from somewhere else on the planet, learn about them in detail and continually expand my education of food. Without these videos I would never have learned about these global ingredients and therefore never use them unless I followed a recipe so learning about them gives me the confidence to buy them and experiment with them and expand the variety of potential dishes I could make

[@SaltyRxtech]

Another fantastic video! Please explore more middle eastern cuisine! In UAE they use black dried lemon for mandi. And we use black nigella seeds in katayaf. I really would love to see you guys to explore more of these. They’re my fave!

[@SortedFood]

Black dried lemon sounds incredible!

[@senrioflove]

So i've had jellyfish maybe three times and i keep going back to it because it really is very unique in texture. Generally it's been sold cold with ginger garlic and chilli in an almost kimchi flavoured sauce, but more hot and garlicky.

[@wynkenblynkennod3712]

Always excited for a new video! Spaf is my fave lol.

[@devalbhuta2788]

Seeing them experience kokum made me soo happy!! You can make amazing cooling drinks from it too!

[@dr.chungusphd108]

Being from Colorado USA the cactus is very common around here.

[@rossco3603]

Genuinely surprised they hadn't heard of cactus used in culinary situations before. It even makes a stunning juice on par with aloe vera

[@SortedFood]

We bet! Juiced Cactus sounds awesome. 🌵

[@rjjm88]

Great video, well done with the items, and I love how willing Jamie and Mike are to put anything in their mouths, and how open minded they are!

[@akaLisette]

I need a Ben to rewatch "Chef" for the 20th time with me and still fangirl about it.