Taste Testing MORE Global Ingredients we’ve NEVER HEARD OF!! Ep 3 | Sorted Food

[@coreartalex6708]

As a Mexican … I was waiting patiently for the Pozole moment with you guys …. Now I cant wait for when you guys try Menudo.

[@danceswithdirt7197]

I'm in the US and was happy to see hominy presented. I wasn't sure if they were going to go Mexican or bring out a big bowl of grits. I think Jamie would absolutely love Menudo. Not sure about Barry.

[@itzel1735]

Made me hungry.

[@robertwinebarger4436]

Pozole without Cabbage though?

[@coreartalex6708]

@@danceswithdirt7197 Lol yes!!! For sure Jamie would love it … I’m not sure anyone else would like it.

[@coreartalex6708]

@@robertwinebarger4436 It’s not served on a traditional Mexican Restaurant, so I’m a little forgiving in that regard

[@sup9441]

In Chinese cuisine, the bean curd skin is sometimes used as a wrap. You put chicken, carrot strips, mushroom and other wide range of fillings inside, roll them up, then into a bamboo steamer, and you get a nice traditional dim sum.

[@Quixan]

That sounds like a great use forskins

[@chesh1rek1tten]

@@Quixan I absolutely, with all my heart, believe that was a typo!!

[@AnimosityMob]

These would typically be the sheets of tofu skins not the strips show in the video. But yes and I have made dishes like that many times and it is very good!

[@jbeutell]

My favorite type of tofu. Plus saying doufupi makes me giggle.

[@docjoesweeney]

Oh yes! We used to grab a could of those on way to taking kids to school in Hong Kong. One of my favourites!

[@ovk8257]

As a Vietnamese American who grew up in New Mexico, I was so excited to see the first 3 ingredients & dishes featured here! What a treat to recognize all of these ingredients myself and to see others enjoy them for the first time.

[@Hydraas]

I'm so used to seeing tofu skins when at hot pot restaurants, it's funny to see people trying it for the first time (dry no less) and being new to the texture. My favourite part of them is the texture, the chewyness but also very light

[@ShallieDragon]

I literally had Chinese hot pot with my friend last week, and we had it with tofu skins. They're fantastic little flavor sponges.

[@aly7515]

hot pot is a good shout, very similar to the way my family will often add it in slow-cooked almost stew-like dishes. not only do they soak up all that delicious flavour from the ingredients and the sauces, it helps give texture and in a way temper the flavours so the rest of the dish isn't too rich and salty

[@swati322]

I absolutely love tofu skin!!! Its texture along with earlobe mushroom's texture make them to my "should be present at home all the time" category ..i can't imagine someone not liking them 😜

[@ethancampbell215]

I’ve never ever tried tofu because I myself have always preferred to consume traditional forms of protein but seeing their demonstrations of the versatility and adaptability of silken tofu that substitutes effectively and offers impressive nutritional values as well so I’m really tempted to buy some and make the chocolate mousse with it and try it

[@kassjames5301]

Hominy is the precursor to grits, so it's pretty common in certain American Southern cooking. There's a great restaurant around the corner from me that puts it in gumbo, and it just adds something to it. Really holds on to the flavor and fills you up.

[@amandaoh2025]

Okay that sounds delicious? I'm gonna try that >.>

[@icedlavenders5699]

Ahhh 🤔 guess i never thought what corn makes grits 😅

[@ItsHammer]

This video reminded me that although we are quite a global culture now, we are still quite segmented. It absolutely blew my mind that you hadn’t had or even heard of hominy. I grew up in the Midwest US and grew up with hominy pan fried with butter, salt, & pepper, and then as an adult my tastes grew and I searched out different cultures of food, Pozole became a fall and winter comfort classic. Just goes to show that even though you consider something a common & everyday item, it’s not that for everyone the world round.

[@ulfbjorn14]

I was thinking the same, being from IL and living quite a while in GA, hominy is definitely a staple.

[@RabbitsInBlack]

America really is the melting pot of the World. We can get all these products at the local stores unless your town revolves around a Dumpster called Walmart. Those poor towns being taken advantage of.

[@thetheodora2371]

I never had hominy but I recognized it as I have seen it in many American cooking videos. However, I was surprised they didn't recognize Halva, as I'm sure there's plenty of Middle Eastern influence in the UK! I'm from Central / Eastern Europe and I always feel like we're the ones who are missing out on so much of global cuisine, so it feels nice to know something they don't lol.

[@gamer1634]

as a Michigander, I have never heard of it either, so that is kind of interesting.

[@washipuppy]

I was thinking that about the Tofu skins - I've never seen hominy in Australia myself, but I've seen and used several itterations of Tofu / Bean curd skins in my own cooking, so them struggling to understand even the concept of a Tofu Skin blew my mind.

[@justk7510]

Loved seeing the hominy! As a Native American with ancestry from New Mexico, it was neat seeing it featured. We used it in stews too. It's in many grocery stores here in California so if I feel like it I just pick up a can or two.

[@meagansefner3215]

LOL I always get tickled when U.S. ingredients show up... The nopales a couple episodes ago were another

[@c.j.4014]

It's wild to me that hominy is an unknown ingredient to them, when hominy/grits is just a routine dish lol but this is why I LOVE shows like this; there are plenty of people out there who can say the same thing about foods I've never heard of

[@docjoesweeney]

Love this!!!

[@ScottCalkins]

I always had hominy heated up with brown sugar mixed in.

[@saulemaroussault6343]

In France it’s really hard to get a hold on, BUT I just moved in a new town and a small convenience store/bodega/shop filled with random things has dry hominy !! I bought a bag and will finally be able to cook with it ! I’m so excited

[@darriendastar3941]

I *really* want the recipe for that halva cake. I've never thought of putting it in a cake before - but the second you said it, it seemed like the most natural thing in the world.

[@MinaF99]

Yes for cake recipe!!

[@dianahellman9254]

Yes please!!!

[@ichisaur]

I don't know what their recipe is, but Claire Saffitz has a wonderful Halvah Blondie recipe

[@FoolOfTheTook]

Exactly what I was thinking!

[@wafaalmohanna5927]

We call the Halva “Rahash” in the Arabian Gulf region , and usually serve it with our version of coffee ( very lightly roasted coffee beans boiled with saffron and cardamom then served in tiny cups)

[@terriatca1]

That sounds delicious.

[@sn6953]

Arabian Gulf? Where is that?never heard of it

[@terriatca1]

@@sn6953 It's a different name for the Persian Gulf.

[@sn6953]

@@terriatca1 different? How does it work so for example I can go to USA and say mountain Rushmore is about Persian poets?or call Sahara desert Persian desert?I'm so confused right now my head's spinning 😅 my examples might not be perfect but i hope you get what I mean 😉

[@GaldirEonai]

I suppose it depends on which side of the gulf you're standing on.

[@Tvd97]

As a Texan that grew up eating hominy, it was so weird to think of it as something unknown. Locally, it seems to be one of those items people either love or hate, but it was a staple in my family.

[@lscolwell]

Ditto!

[@zdoriksandorik]

Recognized halva straight away. It's one of my fav treats ever. Naturally, as a Ukrainian, I definitely prefer a sunflower one, but now I'm interested in trying the other versions

[@weronikak6978]

I also recognized it, I think in Poland both versions sesame and sunflower are really popular, you can get packets of small portions of halva in most of the shops :-)

[@shevahauser1780]

in israel as well! its everywhere here, but i think mostly adults and older people like jt, not so much the younger crowd

[@Nooticus]

same!!

[@Nooticus]

@@shevahauser1780 yup! I saw the Achva Halva when they were showing the selection of them! I will be in Israel in August B"H!

[@Hiphop618]

@@shevahauser1780 Having lived in Israel, I recognized the halvah right away!

[@darigaabikenova8724]

I am kazakh from Kazakhstan, halva is a very known product here. I used to make myself it once. I made it from sunflower seeds, oil and sugar. If you leave seed coated, then roast it, then process (maybe even twice, because of shells) it becomes one mass and it's delicious:) very sugary though

[@morganhare6605]

As a Texan we eat pozole and hominy all the time and I was so excited when I saw that this was an ingredient! Pozole is one of my favorite Mexican dishes 😍

[@Mikemk_]

Also a Texan, I've never seen pozole but will try it some time. I thought it was Carne Guisada when they rolled it out.

[@gryphon1119]

I'd love to see a Pass It On where each person watches the next person's turn from the other room (and the last person watches the first person). That way, we get each person's reaction to how the person after them interprets what they wanted, and the last one to go has an idea of what the original intention was, but none of the process in between.

[@sarawrr07]

Yes! I'd love this 😄

[@miskaa1]

Halva comes in many forms! There’s the crumbly one that they tried, but there’s also a stretchy one and a spreadable one which is good for sandwiches and toast. Yum!!!

[@EcceJack]

Ohhhh, I've only ever had the crumbly one!

[@Kaiularalei]

Question. Is there one that’s vaguely porridge-like in texture? Cause I swear I’ve have something called Halva which was like porridge but looser and I’ve never found it again…

[@hajerzubedi7127]

@@Kaiularalei their is an Omani sweet called halwa which is made with a brown sugar syrup and ghee thicken with corn starch slurry. Then top with either sesame seeds, sliced almond, pistachio etc.

[@divyak9980]

@@Kaiularalei An Indian/Pakistani Halwa is probably what you are talking about.

[@SeleneSalvatore]

Sweet tahini cream I found it glass jar made in Greece. It taste like halva paste I love it.

[@Agamemnon2]

Finally, something in this episodes that's already in my pantry (the halva). I'm Finnish, but it's a popular souvenir from Turkish or Greek holidays, or you can also find it pretty readily here.

[@b_uppy]

So what is the halvah?

[@petertaylor4980]

I saw it in Lidl last week.

[@notyourfavt]

Balkan has such a rich cuisine it would be nice to see it more on the channel, you would enjoy it for sure and it's a part of the world people usually skip when talking about food. Here for suggestions ;)

[@Virginiafox21]

Really rare for me to recognize all the ingredients, lol. Had many a tofu skin in hot pots, a college roommate would always bring halva back from when she visited her parents, the cha bi banh mi was my favorite order at a local pho place, and growing up near Mexico with many Mexican immigrants there is always hominy at the store.

[@legallyfree2955]

Hot Pot is the only way I have eaten tofu skin, and I like it OK in that with beef and broccoli and potato and what not but I dont think I would enjoy them in many other ways.

[@nitegloss]

Yay halva! It warms my heart to see you guys finally dipping into Persian cuisine and culture in the last year. And there's so much more for you to explore! If you have a Persian grocery store in London, I highly recommend going and seeing what you discover--maybe even make a video out of it!

[@alsde500]

I loved seeing Tahina (Halwa), it is a stable in Middle Eastern breakfast. However, we serve it simply with warm bread and tea since it is very sweet and rich. We don’t add it to cake or desserts, as it is it’s own thing.

[@alenawilson8912]

Being a native New Mexican, I really appreciated seeing the use of hominy - makes me miss Christmastime when friends would make and share this dish! Well done!

[@jennetscarborough5145]

I was amazed that they didn't instantly recognise Halva, I have been eating it for years and it was easily available in Bristol over twenty years ago. For a spreadable mixture ideal for toast with a similar flavour, mix together roughly equal quantities of Tahini and (ideally a creamed or set) Honey, with a small splash of Vanilla.

[@SkribbleNL]

Same, here in the Netherlands you can find it pretty easy and definitely tried it as a child. Although I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people havn't heard/eaten it

[@xonxt]

It's also a very popular dessert in Russia, Ukraine (which is how I know it) and other former Soviet republics, commonly sold in supermarkets here.

[@kwoylee5617]

Yeah, it was available in bog-standard supermarkets and delis in Australia 30-odd years ago.

[@mahsasheydani6305]

I am impressed by the flavor pairing of "Doogh"(the yogurt drink) and "Halva" cake. In Iran, in the Isfahan region, we do the same with Doogh and "Gooshefil" (which is a pastry, sweetened with saffron syrup). This combination of sweet and salty is very popular and yummy. Good job! In Iran, this Halva that you introduced is called "Halva Ardeh" (Tahini Halva) and is usually served in breakfast, with cream and cheese and "Sarshir" (Kaymak) and traditional bread. But in Iran, when we say Halva, we are referring to another kind of sweet that is made with toasted wheat flour, oil, simple syrup with saffron, and rose water. The result is a brown (or gold) doughy texture that can be formed in different shapes, decorated with almonds and pistachios, and is served at funerals (kind of a funeral food), although you absolutely can make it and enjoy it whenever you want ;)

[@terriatca1]

Thank you for sharing that, I've had Halva Ardeh but not the Halva from Iran, I'm going to go look for it.

[@aim-to-misbehave5674]

I actually knew Halva from Caitlin Doughty's video about international funeral foods!

[@sshishegar]

Wow I love seeing Persian ingredients and foods! No other channels really talk about them! Thank you for helping expose more people to our traditional foods!! 💚

[@leapintothewild]

Back in the 1970s, there were Iranians who owned a business down the hall from where my mom worked in Nashville, and I remember them sharing some amazing home-cooked foods with us when I visited her office. Later when I moved to Detroit for work for a while, I found a few restaurants that served the same dishes and went often!

[@pqrstsma2011]

if you liked the _halva_ , you should definitely try _Soan Papdi_ in your next Global Ingredients episode! Soan Papdi has a similar texture to middle eastern _halva_ , but different ingredients. You guys live in London, you should be able to easily find it in the sweets section of any Indian store

[@vidieo__]

I was pleasantly surprised to see giò/chả bì in here, glad the boys enjoyed it. Though we don't often put it in phở in Vietnam, we do frequently put it in quite a few other noodle soups! Or most commonly, we just eat it straight with rice in a family meal. We also have tofu skin, mostly in soups, hot pots, and sometimes as rolls, too. I love it so much!

[@nnu96]

tui xem cũng hết hồn :))

[@duykhanhtran4621]

Isnt that cha lue or something

[@vidieo__]

@@duykhanhtran4621 chả lụa is smoother, without the pig skin in chả bì

[@leephillips2837]

I recognized the hominy instantly, my grandmother often added it to corn so there would be the two textures.

[@SortedFood]

Delicious!

[@willowdragonheart]

I did too. My partner doesn't like corn in its normal state, but he loves Hominy so anytime I make something that calls for corn I sub in Hominy instead.

[@rulitossimplyrulitos1088]

As Ben mentioned before, there are versions of hominy all around. In Perú, we call it ‘mote’. Pozole is one of my favorite soups. I still remember the first time I squeezed the lime into it and made the dish taste like 11 more notches. Adding a toasted corn tortilla, and it felt like I was being hugged. Delicious!

[@jennifertruong1151]

I loved seeing you guys try Vietnamese food! It’s so fun seeing a first timers reaction to something I’ve eaten all my life

[@Dudewitbow]

@7:08 Jamie just described essentially what Vietnamese cuisine likes to focus on, freshness and having multiple textures

[@tamisanlatherow3103]

I felt very special knowing and cooking with all of these! I'm from Florida, which uses hominy a lot in cooking (thanks Mexico!). Definitely get the hydrated version unless you have a few days to kill soaking it. I love Vietnamese food and was actually eating a banh mi before watching this. LOL Learned how to cook Chinese during lockdown and saw the halva in Morocco, but I personally prefer the Greek version made of walnuts and semolina (which is more pudding-y vs. nougat-y).

[@gingeranne3053]

Halva ice cream! The easiest and the most delicious summer snack for me

[@Argendriel]

We actually have a sizeable Polish section in a lot of a certain brand of supermarkets in Germany and they have these small bars of Halva. I absolutely love them because they're just the right size - Turkish stores only have the big vats/boxes of it and that's far too much, even though it has a long shelf life even after being opened.

[@gingeranne3053]

@@Argendriel totally agree, the small bars are the best - easy to stash in a pocket and enjoyed ANYWHERE 😂😘

[@saulemaroussault6343]

It reminds me of an indian dessert ! Also halva in Poland/Russia is sometimes made with sunflower seeds I think ?

[@gingeranne3053]

@@saulemaroussault6343 I guess as sunflower is more popular in middle-eastern Europe but I always go for the sesame one as my favourite 😍

[@Argendriel]

@@saulemaroussault6343 I haven't had a sunflower seed version but I would definitely be interested in trying. Sunflower seeds are delicious.

[@kategrayson2082]

I was born and raised in California, and it's always interesting to me when you try a new-to-you food, ie: hominy, nopales. Keep doing what you do.

[@stefunnylim]

Oooh for the tofu skin I've had it in both sweet and savoury applications - dessert-wise it was a barley, gingko nut type of sweet "soup", whereas growing up i've also had it in Malaysian curries/ as part of a dish called Buddha's Delight(?)! it's been a while!

[@isabellatheresemateo3961]

I think we have a Philippine counterpart, they are actual bean curd noodles called "miswa" it's usually a quick noodle dish with onion, garlic and either upo/a variety of gourd similar to zucchini or a few cans of sardines in tomato sauce, and it cooks very quickly no need for soaking

[@AllTheArtsy]

@@isabellatheresemateo3961 lol miswa is Chinese wheat vermicelli what are you on about

[@isabellatheresemateo3961]

@@AllTheArtsy I dunno but we also have regular vermicelli noodles here that we call "bihon" though from seeing other recipe videos our variety does get mushy and isn't that elastic

[@xllvr]

@@isabellatheresemateo3961 That’s also from Chinese culture actually. Bee Hoon is another form of vermicelli commonly eaten especially in any Southeast Asian countries with Chinese influence

[@AllTheArtsy]

@@isabellatheresemateo3961 miswa is wheat vermicelli, bihon is rice. there's no bean curd "noodles" in the Philippines

[@amj4085]

I got so exited when I saw something familiar to me! I love Tahini Halva it’s very common in Saudi Arabia as well. I usually have it on toasted white bread with cottage cheese or salty cream cheese and a cup of Arabic Shai tea .. the mix between salty and sweet is SO SO AMAZING!!

[@matthewtimothy]

The way they carefully held the Banh Mi like it was a baby had me laughing. If they had the time I'm sure those sandwiches would have been just crumbs when they were done 😸

[@furygeist]

I mean, when handed a banh mi, you treat it preciously cuz it is precious like baby. 😂

[@clockworkgirl7387]

YOU GUYS! I'm so happy you tried (and enjoyed!) something from Persia! Please try more Persian food on your channel. I've been watching you guys for years now and everytime i get a glimpse of Persian cuisine in one of your videos (like Mike's Tahchin for example!) it just makes my heart sing! ❤️

[@couchpotato6260]

As a another persian i second it.

[@zippydogthemisanthrope483]

Japanese version of tofu skins is called yuba. It is mostly used in home cooking, though you might find it used in a kaiseki meal.

[@neenajaydon9641]

I really enjoyed it in soba when I lived in Japan

[@dania.d2897]

Finally an ingredient i recognize, halva!! I love eating a warm saj bread (similar to chapati) and crumble a lot of halva inside and press it, it melts and caramelizes deliciously 🥹🤤

[@kitherit]

I instantly recognized the Hominy!! Though in my family (USA) I only know of one dish that we have it in, and I've no idea where it came from. We'll just put hominy in a baking dish, with shredded/melted cheese over the top. We'll occasionally have it at Thanksgiving or Christmas.

[@DianeGraft]

I also instantly recognized it, not exotic for me at all. I'm in the southern USA, and I fix it by sautéing it in butter with a little S&P. Great stuff.

[@beautiesfoodies8790]

We pan fry it with bacon omg sooooooo delicious. Ohio USA here. There's also white and yellow hominy personally we prefer the white.

[@vivakatrob13]

A close friend growing up was Mexican and while her mom made pozole, she also sometimes when she didn’t want to cook a lot and wanted a snack would just fry it in butter and then sprinkle salt, chili powder and lime juice with cilantro and a little mayo and we’d just eat it like a little cold salad. It was delicious! Oh and sometimes she’s just toss through slices of avocado as well.

[@sharminir]

Great ingredients guys. Have tasted most of them and love them.... Really good to see the world get smaller with these episodes. Love it!

[@patrickwilliams3108]

From the US here. Hominy has been part of my diet forever. I love it just boiled and buttered. If you take hominy, dry it out again, grind it and then cook it, you get hominy grits (which I think is superior to plain corn grits). And I have been eating halvah for decades, when I can find it.

[@heosua2211]

I instantly recognised the Chả Bì, and for a second even doubted myself if it was in fact Chả Bì because I couldn't believe that you guys are featuring it in the video. As a 10-years-and-counting subscriber of Sorted, I am so proud everytime you guys feature Vietnamese food on the channel! 😊

[@amcconnell6730]

I'm sorry for the out-take then. :D

[@heosua2211]

@@amcconnell6730 that was indeed unfortunate. But I will choose to forgive Barry...for now. 😋

[@furyz100]

You guys should really try Brown cheese from Norway! Its a sweet/savoury cheese, with a hint of caramel flavour. Used mostly on bread with some butter and some jam. It can also be used for sauces to give it a real good taste! I usually use it in a turkey based sauce or a veal sauce. Some chef's around the country has even been using it in ice cream's and it is amazing!!

[@lietuvaitemiela]

Yes! That cheese is amazing, only had it once, but still remember how good it was after many years. We don't have it in my country, but I'm always on a look out for it.

[@micheinnz]

Mmmmm brunost.

[@zandraling9121]

Yes and messmör..like spreadable brunost

[@_DaemonCleaner]

There's a spreadable version too: Prim. Brunost comes in a lot of varieties. Gudbrandsdalost or fløtemysost are the OGs.

[@kates7277]

Gjetost? Delish…

[@Pinnix]

Recognized the hominy straight away. Never knew it was Mexican though. My Appalachian Grandma always served it buttered.

[@kittylynnlpn]

My mamaw was Appalachian and always served her hominy Skillet fried and bacon fat

[@leapintothewild]

@@kittylynnlpn I'm from middle Tennessee and that's how my mom made creamed corn, though we called it skillet corn. Fresh corn off the cob, bacon fat, butter, salt, pepper and finish with a little cream. Served with fresh green beans, fried okra, cornbread or biscuits, and thick slices of fresh tomatoes. Pea-pickin' good! 🙂

[@umiluv]

All these ways of cooking hominy sound amazing.

[@justinjakeashton]

I thought Mexico the moment he said it was made of corn.

[@curtismmichaels]

Growing up in New Mexico, and still living here, Posole is one of my favorite foods along with Menudo, which also has hominy. A dear friend is the child of Greek immigrants and holds dearly to her heritage. She introduced me to halva and I fell in love instantly. It was fun to see you explore these foods that I love. Your exploration of the dried bean curd sticks helped me in a food exploration of my own. I've had tofu that was remarkably reminiscent of chicken and fish, and now I have a new iteration to try when attempting my own versions of faux meats. Thank you so much! It's always fun to watch your videos.

[@GrifterMage]

Huh, finally one I've had before! Halva's definitely an unusual texture--it's like sweet, moist sand that melts in your mouth. And even better, it has a halva lot of pun potential.

[@Luv215]

Oh! Now I have to try halva, as an Argentinian we love our mantecol, especially during the holidays. It's so interesting that there are similar things from so far away

[@Foodpermaculture]

very polarising, I love it.

[@russergee49]

The crumbling halva struggle is real 😅 In Greek cuisine, we have this version of halva, but there are other versions that are made like a cooked semolina pudding. Love those as well.

[@IliasStogiannos]

i love semolina halva! whenever my grandmother makes it, it never manages to see the light of next day. in a few hours it magically disappears 😅

[@terriatca1]

I love carrot halva, an East India treat.

[@IliasStogiannos]

@@terriatca1 it sounds absolutely delicious!

[@russergee49]

@@terriatca1 I’ve always wanted to try making this, and I’ll take this as my sign to get to it :) There are just so many kinds of halva/halwa/halawa (can’t remember all the spelling variations) that are delicious.

[@mickeficks]

As a "southerner" in the US it was delightful watching your reaction to hominy. Goes great with a plate of bbq mutton and some greens.

[@clusterbungle]

I FINALLY understand what Grits are! Everyone and every Google search has just said it's made from the hominey of corn, and when I've tried to search what that it is I never found a clear explanation. Thank you Sorted!!!

[@hernanguerrero167]

In Argentina it is called "Mantecol" (which is the famous brand), and indeed is made from peanuts. Wonderful video, by the way.

[@karenbencke8407]

I thought it looked like de la Rosa candy from Mexico and from the sound of it, it is similar, but made from peanuts as well.

[@fruitbloodandbeansoup948]

Since I’m Vietnamese this video really reminded me that while I was growing up eating these kind of pounded meats with gelatinous textures to them not everyone else might have so it was kind of weird at first seeing the reaction although I’ve kind of been desensitized to it since my parents would often eat pigs and chicken feet and would occasionally give us rice porridge with slices of congealed pigs blood

[@baileylosse5562]

Me too! I was also thinking just that when they were put off by the texture and said it was gelatinous. I was so puzzled bc I never thought it was like that but I have been eating a variety of Viet dishes since I was born, so I literally snack on the pork😅 I also love congealed pork blood, but when I see Sorted and Good Mythical Morning try it and have a love/hate relationship, it makes me realize that I’m desensitized to many strange cuisines that are normal to me but bizarre to others lol

[@dorakincses5676]

The strange thing is, we also eat these things in Hungary, just with different seasonings. Slaying a pig is still a big cultural and family event and people eat every part. Poland is just in the neighbourhood, very similar cuisine, so I think Jamie was quite close in a sense 😊

[@wolfferoni]

I'm not Viet but I'm Asian and live in a mostly Viet neighbourhood so I was pleasantly surprised to see gia bi. I don't know if it's just been a long time since I've had it or I had a different variety, but I don't remember the bits of gelatinous pork skin. It looked pretty much exactly the same in packaging but it was uniform in colour and texture. I remember some kids would go to school with a sandwich that was literally just one thick slice (I'm talking like 1-2cm thick) of gia bi in between two slices of white bread. I also like pork jelly (congealed pigs blood).

[@wolfferoni]

@@dorakincses5676 It's really cool how different places around the world have the same/ similar ideas. Kinda like how slightly different forms of dumplings are found basically all over the world. Blood sausages too.

[@malithaw]

🤢

[@may.k_me]

Halva is one of the many things i miss from growing up in Saudi Arabia. The texture of the ones I used to have were less nougat-y and slightly more creamy

[@lostnthenoise]

Growing up in New Jersey, I used to have Halva at my grandparents on holidays. I am not sure how it originated since this side of my family was Italian/Russian.

[@Rese92]

@@lostnthenoise I think Halva is made/eaten in most christian orthodox countries

[@laurenwest3090]

I knew this was halva as soon as I saw it, I'm from the UK and my nan travelled to Saudi Arabia about 20 years ago and brought it back. We have both been obsessed with it ever since! Delicious!!

[@GuardedDragon]

@@lostnthenoise Italians do have Torrone which is sorrrrrta in the same family

[@darenallisonyoung8568]

I love halvah! I haven't had it in years, though. When I lived in the (US) Pacific Northwest, we used to get halvah in our local deli. Hominy is relatively common in the Southern US where I live now, both as grits and as the basis of masa for tamales. I think if I were cooking with the bean curd sticks, I'd probably cut the sticks into strips after they'd rehydrated.

[@Xinthium]

Tofu comes in a lot of different forms in Asian cuisines, not sure if you guys have had Tofu puffs yet so I'm suggesting them! Just be careful when consuming them because if the dish is freshly cooked, guaranteed mouth burns due to it being a literal hot soup/sauce sponge. Edit: Honestly think with how many forms soy beans can be in, you guys should do a soy bean/tofu episode!

[@ethancampbell215]

I don’t live a vegan lifestyle and I’m very open in congratulating anybody who devotes themselves to that lifestyle to make a difference but I’ve never tried any form of tofu. Seeing the guys include a variety of different forms of tofu like the silken tofu and the traditional tofu has made me more interested and inclined to try it because it’s not the boring bland stuff I expected, there’s so many different things that can be done with tofu, both sweet and savoury, and is rarely complained about aptly filling in as a protein substitute

[@hangmingzhang5067]

yeah... fried tofu puffs in hotpot is basically a tiny grenade of lava.

[@emmaleth63]

Every now and then I get reminded just how different the US and UK are when it comes to food. I have hominy in my pantry and it's available in every local grocery store. Proximity to Mexico is a key factor.

[@Maialeen]

You forget that places on different continents are different? People on the opposite side of your own country don't have it in their pantries.

[@emmaleth63]

@@Maialeen I'm sure there are many things I've never tried that are everyday items for others, and they don't give it a second thought either. The discovery and discussion is kind of the point. Thanks for being snarky about it.

[@kitcross]

Same! I grew up with hominy as a staple, up so far as the Carolinas; and then found out--many years later--that friends in like Maine and Wisconsin had no idea what I was talking about; or, if they did, said it was harder to find in their areas. I love being reminded of how food becomes less common/more common/downright foreign, depending on where you live.

[@icedlavenders5699]

@@kitcross definitely didnt hear of it till i was older in southwest michigan 😅 dont think ive ever eaten it either.

[@TheYoungBaker]

I have never heard of hominy either. I live in minnesota, but I cook alot. It is not in stores around here!

[@superemillita2710]

Fun fact: Hominy (or mote as it is known in Ecuador) is not only used in Mexico but all throughout Latin America! I would recommend you try Mote pillo or Mote con chicharron (with pork crackling), it IS TO DIE FOR! I have never seen you guys make Ecuadorian food so it would be my dream to see you try it

[@SortedFood]

Thanks for that fun, foodie fact - much appreciated! Mote pillo and Mote con chicharron sound super awesome, we will have to check them out 👀

[@superemillita2710]

@@SortedFood BRB I am fangirling that you responded to my comment 🤣. I love your videos and have been watching since 2015 💙💙

[@themissnanette]

no but we have Grontol Jagung too in Indonesia (Central Java; Jogjakarta or Solo), use the same kind of hominy

[@sonjialeyva]

Oooh. Need to try the Mote pillo!

[@senorwhiskers2010]

@@SortedFood Uhm, Bolivia is in South America, Mexico is not. I know this fact may come as a shock to many Europeans. Probably to a lot of people in the USA to 😧

[@ExUSSailor]

That Mexican stew w/ hominy looks SO good!

[@SortedFood]

It's incredible! We've been told that it's good for a hangover too.

[@sinocte]

@@SortedFood Posole is one of the world's great hangover foods, absolutely. Particularly the roja variety like you made. Spicy, fatting, filling. It will cure what ails you the morning after having a few too many!

[@dbara2017]

As soon as I saw the hominy I knew it was pozole and the fact the guys haven’t heard of or tried it hurts my heart as it’s probably my favorite soup like dish

[@safirasnh]

the dried tofu skin!! in indonesia we called them kembang tahu, literally translated as tofu flower💕 we use them in beef soup or stir fry veggies‼️

[@dolan-duk]

The beancurd skin can be deep fried to turn it into a "mock goose" snack or even cooked into a sweet dessert soup.

[@barend28]

Prank Idea. Get the guys ahead of the shoot and teach them all the ingredients. Also tell them what dish will be made so they can "guess" it correctly and have Ben be astonished. Love your content, wish it was daily !!!

[@ethancampbell215]

Can you imagine the disbelief and internal confusion Ebbers would have if the normals ‘identified and/or placed every single seemingly unknown foreign ingredient and turning the tables putting the normals on the front foot rather than Ebbers having the advantage as the normals one-up him not giving him the opportunity to demonstrate his intelligence as he unbeknownst gets schooled by the two most unlikely culinary idiots in Barry and Jamie 😂

[@lancelindlelee7256]

Tofu skins are definitely common in Japan. It's used for one of my favorite dish, Inari sushi.

[@mjlim6610]

Tofu skins are not used in making inarizushi; fried tofu pouches are i.e. fried bean curd, essentially

[@tap0418]

I’m from New Mexico and Posole (we spell it with an s) is total comfort food. When the weather man says a storm is coming - Posole starts cooking in the crockpot to be eaten with red chile. We have it most Christmas Eves with tamales. It does my heart so good that you Brits liked it.

[@kellzaria]

Instantly recognized Hominy. In Jamaica we mainly use it to make Hominy Corn Porridge a breakfast staple in many households generally done with yellow hominy corn by pressure cooking the dried corn after soaking it overnight then sweetening it with vanilla, sweetened condensed milk, cinnamon leaf etc which is *chefs kiss*.

[@erinhowett3630]

HALVA! I love it so much! A friend of a friend, from Bosnia, introduced me to it when she invited me over for coffee. She made fresh bread and coffee so good it felt like I got punched in the nose.

[@janmay3901]

Sounds delightful??

[@SortedFood]

What a treat! Not the punched in the nose part though 😂

[@erinhowett3630]

@@SortedFood Have you ever had a shot of espresso so strong you can feel it behind your eyes and it kinda makes you shudder? It was like that.

[@fredrikgustafson3135]

May I suggest you try Swedish 'messmör'? Used on sandwiches and in, e.g., sauces to go with reindeer and elk, maybe also with a bit of lingonberry added. :-)

[@SortedFood]

Thank you! I've passed your suggestions onto the team 😀

[@erinhowett3630]

Me, living in Alabama, where all the best grits are made with hominy, totally nailing the guess on the first item.

[@Tharr-cx4uq]

Being from Georgia... I'm right there with you

[@neil2796]

New Orleans here. Same.

[@erinhowett3630]

@@neil2796 I'm moving to Metairie this weekend 🤣

[@snezeire]

New Mexican (US) here; and I am stunned to see hominy as an exotic ingredient. You never think about how a common food in your world is unique someplace else!

[@LuckyDragon289]

Instantly recognized the bean curd! I live in a multicultural city with a huge Asian population, and bean curd is ubiquitous in Chinese restaurants and in Asian supermarkets. Indeed you can find it in a bunch of different pan-Asian and SE Asian cuisines.

[@carloscjr_]

Bahn Mi. 🤤 This whole episode is for me so far!

[@1998tkhri]

This is the first time I recognized one of them. Halva is great! I grew up eating a lot of Israeli food, so had some of the Middle-Eastern inspiration. I don't think I realized other people didn't know about it.

[@Getpojke]

Me too with the halva, I thought it had been relatively common in the UK since the 80's.

[@HonorabilisMagister]

commonly known as mantecol in argentina

[@violetskies14]

It's common in Poland too and there are a fair few Polish immigrants in my area so I grew up eating it. I love it! I'm surprised people don't know about it.

[@AuroraBlacke]

I also grew up eating a lot of Israeli and Middle Eastern cuisine, since my dad's family is from there. We don't get halva very often though, and I was planning on making some soon, so seeing it featured here was a pleasant surprise!

[@Randy_Balan]

Here in Indonesia, we have corn that grows naturally white in color without the need for a dehydration process. We named it "Jagung Pulut (waxy corn). The texture is like sticky rice. After seeing the Mexican dish I was intrigued to try pairing it with beef stew.

[@MrIgorkap]

The white color is more of a side effect of the process than the aim. The main goal is breaking down the nutrients in a more easily digestible form.

[@danielarossi5437]

Since all corn originated in Mexico, is normal that you also have white corn. It comes in a large variety of types and colors. For nixtamal, the difference comes from the processing of the kernels, rather than the type of corn.

[@Randy_Balan]

@@danielarossi5437 Yeah, maybe you're right. As far as I remember corn was brought by the Portuguese to Indonesia.

[@Randy_Balan]

@@MrIgorkap That's make sense. Thank you sir 🙏

[@danielarossi5437]

@@Randy_Balan sounds about right, imperialist invaders never cared for local life and how invasive species would destroy the environment

[@wendylane7603]

I live in China and I most often see the tofu stick in a cold side dish/ appetizer with cut-up cucumbers, peanuts, parsley/ cilantro with a thin dressing. If you use the sheets instead of the sticks, you can use them as noodles. My favorite way to eat the sheets is skewered and barbequed with a sauce and sprinkled with cumin. Lately, people have been barbequing them so long that they are crispy, like potato chips. Yum!

[@spreest9537]

This is my favorite series on you guys' channel, though of course I love it all. But this is just so interesting especially.

[@lizzie5367]

Hominy is eaten in the southern USA especially among the older and/or poor population

[@lindsayortoleva1291]

As a professional chef in the US this video was kind of bizarre for me; these are all ingredients I use regularly and I never considered that they are not more widely known. It was very refreshing to be humbled like that and to see you guys always learning and teaching though! We just made pozole verde last week! We use halva as a garnish on many of our desserts, like our fig and honey crème brûlée. I grew up in a Vietnamese family and that pork roll was even just a snack for us with cold broken sticky rice and mung bean paste when I got home from school.

[@kokoshneta]

To be fair, the Vietnamese sausage thingy was the only one I didn’t recognise - and I’m older than these guys and grew up in rural Scandinavia in a much less culturally diverse environment than these guys. (I’m also a vegetarian, which may be why I didn’t know the sausage.) I didn’t immediately recognise the hominy, but as soon as he said the word, I at least knew what it was. Tofu bamboo and halva are both quite well-known here as well, I’d say, and ayran (which is what I’m guessing the drink was, more or less) is definitely _very_ common. So you’re not the only one surprised that the boys didn’t know any of these.

[@JuniperBoy]

The beancurd skins are widely eaten in Russia, where it's known as 'sparzha' (meaning asparagus), although I don't really know why, since it doesn't look or taste like it! It's used in various cold 'Asian style' salads.

[@michaelvashkin]

The beancurd skins are usually used in our adaptation of Korean cuisine. But asparagus is eaten in Russia,but it's not really popular

[@JuniperBoy]

@@michaelvashkin I think I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times I've seen real fresh asparagus for sale here in Russia, and it didn't look especially fresh! Maybe it's more available in big cities, but not where I live, unfortunately.

[@michaelvashkin]

@@JuniperBoy Asparagus is quite expensive and rare,so a lot of people don't eat it often

[@traceyrice]

We grew up eating Hominy here in Washington State. It's a great addition lots of different dishes. 💜

[@pentathonate3926]

I am definitely going to go find those tofu skins. Has blown my mind. Thanks guys!

[@White0Reaper]

Halva is also common in some Southern European countries such as here in Malta although here we call it 'Helwa tat-Tork' meaning 'The Turk's sweets'

[@sonaliperera]

Just to let you know family run Colombo Kitchen made it into the Top 7 Sri Lankan restaurants in London! Highly recommend them to do a calaboration!

[@SortedFood]

Just taken a look..... it looks delicious! 😋

[@TF_NowWithExtraCharacters]

If you want to try out the beancurd skin in a different style, look for any soy sauce-based braises or stews. If the recipe has beancurd in it, the skins will go pretty well there too. Or just include it in a hotpot and see how you like it. The big ones (like in the video) are usually ok for stewing, but the ones they sell for desserts tend to be more delicate, so those might not be ideal for long cooking.

[@vickythrasher436]

Claire Saffitz's cookbook "Dessert Person" uses halvah in a blondie which is where I was first introduced to the ingredient but also one of my favorite recipes from her book

[@TheLycanStrain]

This makes me appreciate just how diverse American cuisine is. I love hominy, especially in menudo (massive fan of tripe). Glad to see y'all get to taste it!

[@Raina111111]

"That looks like Hominy, but there's no way because it's such a common ingredient- They don't have Hominy over there?!" I literally have canned Hominy in my pantry right now. I come into these thinking I won't know any so seeing something I actually use is surprising.

[@Idiomatick]

I had the same thought for Halva

[@kirsbeasley87]

As a southerner in the US, this was my exact thought!

[@Raina111111]

@@kirsbeasley87 Same. Lots of Mexican ingredients where I live thanks to the border.

[@bclairelarr]

It must be a strong regional thing bc I've lived in Maryland my whole life and I think it's pretty safe to say neither me nor my 3 siblings have ever even been *offered* hominy, let alone tasted it 🤷‍♀️

[@sacrefrenchie2132]

Mexican food remains pretty rare in the UK. We have a handful of restaurants but it's incredibly difficult to find a lot of Mexican ingredients to cook with. I'm assuming because we don't have a large Mexican community but I could be wrong

[@aquaphoenixx]

We have halva and the diluted yoghurt drink with salt (Iryan) in Bulgaria as well. A salted drink might feel strange but in the heat of summer when you are sweating or it is so hot that the sweat is evaporating you can get really dehydrated and Iryan is soooo good. Not only are you replacing liquid but are adding a little bit of salt which can be very beneficial health wise in hot weather. People in muslim countries don't drink alcohol generally but even in a Christian country like Bulgaria sometimes a beer in 10:30 AM is not the best move while at work lol

[@icould5056]

Iryan is pronounced as "I ran"

[@aquaphoenixx]

@@icould5056 In Bulgaria it's not. It is pronounced how I wrote it. АйрЯн. the Я letter is YA in English. Like Yahoo

[@rolfs2165]

The most common version in Germany is (Turkish) Ayran. I'm a bit surprised the boys hadn't had that before. Do British kebab shops not offer it?

[@aquaphoenixx]

@@rolfs2165 Yeah strange. Maybe Indian Lassi is more popular. And the Turkish pronunciation is “I Ran”

[@icould5056]

@@aquaphoenixx Не ме учи как да произнасям айран. Не знам дали все още ви учат на това в училище, но има нещо наречено дублетни форми на думите - това означава, че една и съща дума може да се пише и произнася по различни начини. След като "Я" се пише "ya", защо не написа "ayryan", а "Iryan".

[@jonirnmomba4130]

Pozole is one of the better hangover cures. Menudo is up there but I prefer pozole. Either way, it can do wonders after a night of tequila.

[@SortedFood]

We bet, it's delicious!

[@TKtheinternettraveler]

beancurd skin is a banging dumpling wrapper alternative.

[@willardroad]

HALVA! Love it, love it. As a kid, my parents strongly favored the local Jewish deli which had really good halva. Now I live in the largest orthodox community outside Brooklyn, (weirdly, as I am not Jewish), and amazing halva is everywhere! Thank you for featuring it!

[@aprilhuggler3569]

The fellas need to try both creamy and crunchy varieties of Turron from Spain! :)

[@SortedFood]

We really do!!!

[@pattheplanter]

Only one mention of turron in 600 comments? They also need to try those traditional Spanish sweets with cañamones.

[@valliarlette6596]

Pozole I knew. Yuba also. That pork roll you all handled very kindly, in a politically correct sort of way. Halva is a lovely treat I have had often. Thanks for this interesting episode.

[@SortedFood]

Thanks for watching and we're glad you enjoyed it. 😄

[@RafaelaCappai]

I would love to see some Taste Testing with Brazilian ingredients, such as, but not limited to: - Jambu - Baru Nut - Pequi - Açaí (not the sweet stuff, the real-deal) - Tucupi - 
Dendê - 
Chicken heart - Cashew juice ;-)

[@mariaah3073]

also, bring the guys some guaraná berries! I love the reactions to seeing our creepy little fruits for the first time lol

[@Xarsos]

Growing up in Kazakhstan, this episode had a bunch of things I've benn eating in my childhood (sans the mexican corn) and now I want those things. Thanks guys!

[@bestnarryever]

Y’all should make a version of this bringing back ingredients that are found in more than one country and showcasing different ways to eat it!!

[@whiteowl4097]

I am Native American living in Washington State, I have eaten Hominy my whole life. We would sometimes put it in soups or stews but it is also tasty as a side dish with butter, salt and pepper. It is a common food all over the U.S. and it is delicious.

[@wave1090]

Not surprised. Corn was the staple food of most cultures in the Americas. Basically every native or mixed (mestizo) culture from Peru up eats hominy. It's delicious!

[@alittlebitofmsg]

As a Canadian this series has made me realize how privileged I am regarding food, because I haven't been stumped yet! I have access to the foods of so many different cultures, and I forget sometimes that not everyone is that lucky.

[@jarodh-m6099]

One of the blessings of living in a society shaped by immigration from all over.

[@nikolozkipshidze]

We do Halva in Georgia as well. Incredibly sweet, very, very dense and filling, but goes incredibly with some tea/coffee during those cold weather days.

[@79jestox1]

I love how excited Ebbers gets with the new ingredients.

[@ButchWilson]

Yup, the hominy/black bean chili is back on the winter menu. Thanks, guys.