Considering it's GMO i bet if they didn't remove the crown people would be freaking out about spreading GMO plants and destroying nature or something silly like that. Sometimes you just can't win.
I've missed James so much, glad to see him back on the channel more regularly. A powerful personality that leaves a room emptier when he leaves than before he entered.
"It's not pretentious. It's a pineapple" just a few hundred years ago this would have been the poshest thing ever all on it's own. Rich people would be renting pineapples to display them at parties. Aristocrats would invest alot of money to cultivate pineapple on their estates. Kings and Noblemen would gift pineapples to each other...
Special conservatories, hot beds (with live compost/manure layered in that was still effectively composting and getting hot, to warm up the soil) - the old ways of growing pineapples in the UK were quite extraordinary. The pineapple was used in architecture, and in silverware etc - look at the Wimbledon men's trophy for an example.
I was going to mention the same thing. This seems like they're trying to bring back that pretentious, show-off vibe the pineapple used to have before it became ubiquitous. Just replace fancy aristocratic parties with Instagram.
@@samgrant83 Yeah, I reading an article somewhere and they had actual like ovens they used to use the heat the ground. It's pretty dang crazy the lengths they went to grow them! Oh, a lot of people would leave the pineapple on display so long that it'd actually go rotten instead of anyone actually ever eating them. Such a waste!
I didn't realize how much I like James, until he became a precious guest. I would just gladly watch him doing nothing in particular or listen to him reading a phone book, to be honest :D
I didn't really appreciate the dynamic he brought until he was gone as well, he was just always the guy being like "okay sausage jokes but let's please just also no sausage jokes", he is just a considerate and sharing communicator, making everything that everyone else says a little more understandable just by having one steady eye on what he felt was right with food while giving respect (however sassy) to their viewpoints.
I recall one of my chef instructors describing the perfect presentation of risotto as a single layer of the grains of rice on a warmed plate. Thanks James!
They cut the top off the pineapple so they protect their IP with the composition of the pineapple - now you can't plant it and grow them yourself for free (if you happened to be in a place that is hospitable for growing pineapples, of course). They can spin it however they want.
Private enterprises throughout history, from craftspeople and farmers to winemakers and other specialty producers, have always been protective and secretive over their intellectual property (IP). How is it evil if this company wants to do the same? Is it just that if you do some thing long enough to acquire a few thousand cross-generational "keyboard warriors" who will, then, deem you traditional, that you somehow become sacred and above reproach? How is a proprietary pineapple inherently different from a high-end proprietary olive oil, DOP cheeses, or secret sauce recipes that old restaurants guard dearly? Del Monte isn't extraordinary in its attempt to keep its proprietary product out of other people's hands. Specialty producers across cultures have always done things like this. Trade secrets as well as taking measures to keep it a secret were once the norm, not the exception. As a product, the pineapple itself isn't inherently pretentious. It follows a long line of other rare and premium goods showcased on this channel. In those cases, a rare Italian olive oil, an extremely local oil from an African village, or some gourmet East Asian curiosity, being sold internationally at high prices wasn't considered pretentious because the price reflected the time and effort put into production. These were understood to be one-time or special occasion items, not everyday purchases. Why doesn't the same apply to the pineapple then? Why is the product itself considered pretentious? The Sorted team should've simply concluded that while the marketing may be pretentious, the product itself is not. It's simply an expensive product. This aligns with the precedent this channel has set before when critiquing similar products, and most people in the comment section have agreed. If an exotic tea mix with dubious "medicinal" properties got a pass as a product solely because it tasted good, despite being a rip-off and relying on woo-woo and health misinformation for marketing, what's so wrong with a unique pineapple that delivers on taste and appearance using its Instagram potential to market itself? James, like a lot of commenters here, went into this with a lot of pre-conceived bias and prejudice. Mike, in contrast, who was much more neutral, was clearly very happy with the product. Highly premium things in any category have always been a fashion statement - whether it be a 100-year-old vinegar, a little bottle of condiment from halfway around the world, a small-batch cheese from a rare breed of cows fed a special diet, a fruit endemic to a small region, or even puff pastry and gelatin desserts back when they used to be difficult to obtain for an average person. When some wines, coffees, or teas can charge 10 times the average price of items in their respective categories for their unique "terroir," a characteristic that will often be undetectable to a casual consumer, and not be considered pretentious for it, a unique breed of pineapple, created after years of work, which has a special flavor and appearance that a lot of people find desirable, isn't pretentious either. The reason why some people seem to have this double standard is the same as why the internet loves to bully coffee enthusiasts for spending time and money trying to perfect their craft but reveres the Japanese or Chinese tea ceremony as this precious, sublime thing that is the pinnacle of class and culture. The problem is the fetishization of the exotic - things unfamiliar to you because they are farther from you, in time, space, or both.
The same thing happens with various fruits, vegetables and grains that have been hypothesized. The company doing the research needs to have some control over their product.
They also take off the top, because Del Monte have a patent on the pineapple, and by taking off the top, it stops *you* the person who bought it, from growing your own, instead of paying the insane price if you ever want a second one.
the pineapple had the whole stem removed becaused it is the intellectual property of del monte.(the website says what you guys said but the legal documents go deeper) So you can't grow a new plant from it. If you find a seed and it germinates you are lucky, but you can't sell the fruit that it grows.
GMO 101 is that the main controversy (aside from ignorant superstition) is how miltant and protective companies such as Monsanto are over the seeds because of just how valuable they are. Of course, they aren't going to just let you have the reproductive part of the pinapple they spent millions and millions on developing.
@@islandfireballkillyou already can't legally sell them so I find it quite over the top, especially when they purposely lie about the reason. I hope they barely sell and they spend that money for nothing.
@@ikkeisikkethey can’t sell it in countries that have IP laws or respect other countries IP. That doesn’t necessarily apply world wide. For example, China can grow and sell them and even sell them in the USA bc they aren’t subject to the same IP laws.
James is like vinegar or sugar in a dish. He balances out things. And I didn`t expected to miss him so much. But I did and he brings such nice vibes to the sorted videos! Glad he`s back!
This was a fab watch! Two things came to mind. 1) Pretentious is defined as: making an exaggerated outward show; ostentatious. Synonym is showy. So a pretentious ingredient is something you purchase to show off. 2) Pretentiousness is relative to the personal motivations for purchase. James would buy the Noma sauces because they are Noma sauces, but also out of curiosity and exploration, not to brag to someone else about who made the sauce - not pretentious. Mike says he would brag about using a Noma sauce if he bought it - pretentious. So, maybe the pretentiousness comes down to the motivation for purchasing it rather than the ingredient itself.
The pink pineapple is like a regular pineapples in Victorian England, where you rented a pineapple to have on your table to show off at parties. Now, you buy a pink pineapple, to take a photo of it on your table, and post on social media. At least in the latter, you can eat it without paying extra. Great to see James in so many videos right now! Loved seeing the hunk of cheese!
LOL, I agree with them on all the products. And loved James' face over who opened the oysters!! Perfect outro for this. I agree with them both on the Noma. The Noma products are not pretentious. However someone bragging about using them would be pretentious. You are BOTH right.
James (and also Kush) cutting straight through the crap and not playing devil's advocate is really refreshing - that pineapple was ridiculous, nothing more needed to be said!
Especially when James brought out the difference between the tastes being that the pink version has less of the tang/acidity which makes it worse. Though I wonder if it has less of that compound that tenderizes meat? If so it might be better for a marinade.
The Gordon Ramsay wines were a massive surprise! I expected them to be something ridiculous, in a price range of 100€ a bottle. Instead they were very affordable indeed!
Mike's definition of pretentious is literally just: quality. James gets it. It's a question of purpose and presentation; the pretense of it. Is it worth the fuss? For the Noma products, that's just pure quality. Not even the labeling is pretentious.
I mean, the literal dictionary definition of pretentious is "attempting to impress by affecting greater importance, talent, culture, etc., than is actually possessed"... which lines up perfectly with how James describes it. And yeah, I have to agree with James; the Noma products are NOT pretentious in the slightest. ...NOW THE PINEAPPLE, ON THE OTHER HAND!!!!!!!
@@SeanStrife Eh, I'd say Mike got closer to the mark right at the end, when he was saying that the Noma name was also the selling point. Telling someone 'it's a sauce from Noma' is part of the appeal of the product, so it's inherently pretentious. Similarly, Champagne is inherently more pretentious than Cremant, because of the fancy name. It doesn't mean it's bad, but it's still relatively pretentious.
Agreed. The Noma product is clearly expensive but there's nothing about it that reeks of prentiousness. It's just a quality product at a high price. Would love to try those sauces but there's no way I'm spending that sort of money on them.
@@efffvss That's the person choosing to be pretentious. There's nothing about that packaging that screams "pretentious". Yes, it has the Noma name on it but that's because they are the ones making it and their reputation helps sell it as a quality product. Which from the commentary, it is as good as one might expect. Now with champagne I can agree because we aren't talking about the quality of the product, but a rule on labeling that lends itself to pretentiousness.
It makes me so happy any time a chunk of that parm turns up and I’m reminded of the absolute comedy that was Mike and Ben nearly loosing to a giant wheel of cheese 😂😂
Absolutely love the fact, that this came out yesterday and you prepared and added corrections in video without too much fuss and it still went out as is with just the voiceover to help give an accurate representation :D
With the wine, looking at the box and the fact that there are 3 bottles in my mind immediately went to "200 - 220" but for 10 a bottle? Sign me the F up.
Ben and Kush leaving James to take care of the normals feels like the fun substitute teacher taking the class and I love it! I want to see the chef-parent meeting when they come back and both are like 'did the children cause you any grief'
pretentious is doing something to show off, rather than experience something unique and of quality. The sauces at the end were not pretentious because each tester exclaimed how amazing they were. spendy? yes, pretentious , no. By the way, what is pretentious is the habit in old england of literally renting a pineapple to show off at parties, and returning it.
Like when they had the very expensive soy sauce. It was an ancient, labor intensive process that reflected the heritage of the region. Expensive as hell but totally grounded. Vs putting flecks of gold in something or making a product purely for the 'gram.
The pink pineapple is tasty. Mike loved it. James was just trying hard to come up with excuses as to why he thinks it's bad and no one should like it. He was leaning into the "chef-y" snobbery expected of him. Obviously, so many of you, who relish in pretensions of class by looking down on popular trends, love that. I hope you appreciate the fact that all it will take is a couple of highly regarded chefs or restaurants to advertise that pineapple on their menus, and everyone of you will switch gears into "glacier water rice isn't pretentious" mode, without the slightest sense of irony. As long as a famous chef or restaurant is associated with it, a product can fleece you for any amount and still be considered "not pretentious", even if it's the modern equivalent of "cockentrice. Yet, no matter how special, as long as it is being marketed to the popular culture instead of to the gatekeepers of good taste, well then, of course, it is pointless. After all, you're too classy to enjoy things that the average person in your community likes. Why is a focus on aesthetics an automatic negative when contemporary cultures close to you do it but valid when similar things exist in India, Middle East, China, Japan or other "exotic" places? What purpose does saffron serve? What is the silver and gold foil on "traditional" Indian sweet for? Is it okay that sweet paste turned into flowers or such can cost you 20-30% more than it would've, had you just purchased the basic barfi version of it? Why have multiple cultures across time spent money and effort trying to source ingredients just to add a new colour to their foods? Why does China, and the whole region that used to be its cultural export market back in the day, not only use the most unusual ingredients they can find but also come up with tedious and complicated preparations that often make minimal difference to taste or nutrition, and purely exists as a means to show-off? Are you willing to criticize the average Japanese consumer just as harshly for paying exorbitant prices just for fruits to have an ideal appearance? Where's the vitriol for square watermelon? I did not bring up European/American instances only because that wouldn't have as much impact since those cultures aren't exotic enough for you to hold them as sacred.
@GraemeHein So, by your logic, the pink pineapple should arguably be more impressive. To create it in a relatively short timeframe, specialized engineers and biochemists would have put years of their skills and time into it. More than a century of technological know-how and several centuries of agricultural knowledge must have gone into it. In contrast, a generations-old recipe for a sauce or a pickle likely arose over a long period of time through many small iterations by numerous people. The company marketing it probably didn't need much in terms of R&D. Just like how finally identifying how to manufacture long-lasting, shelf-stable bread for military rations was a greater achievement than some artisan baker churning out sourdough breads based on a centuries-old technique. Would the pink pineapple not have been "pretentious" if only it had been "genetically engineered" 500 years ago? Or would it simply be okay if, instead of Del Monte, a Japanese company had come up with it? Exotic fetishization is clearly antagonistic to logic.
Found some comments that shed more light on the pink pineapple thing. Apparently, it is commonly available and much cheaper in North America. People have mentioned prices around $6 to $15. So, all it is is a variety of pineapple, slightly pricier because of its proprietary nature. How's that so different from special varieties of other fruit or veg being significantly pricier than the most commonly available varieties? Turns out the pineapple was the least "pretentious" out of all the items in this video. I'll translate it into a metropolitan Indian context, so its easier for me to find some reasonable analogues that I can use to do a one-to-one qualitative comparison. The pink pineapple occupies a similar niche as blueberries, avocados or fuji apples do in my city. I can convince my parents to allow in the house for an occasional treat or a special recipe. On the other hand the other three things are in the same category as paying 30000 rupees on a pair of shoes simply for the brand name when you can easily find really good pairs under 3000. That's the kind of thing that'll get you kicked out of the house even if you're the one paying the rent.
So glad to see James back. He is a soft and beautiful soul I can relate to. God bless you James and so happy to see you back. Lots of love from Norway.
I’m glad that part of the giant cheese wheel gets its use over here seeing like Mike put it (paraphrasing here): “we’ll use this until the day we die” and with that much cheese, at least it won’t go to waste. Speaking of which, I wonder if there’s a battle or pass-it-on that could utilize the cheese 🤔
Someone who works with my dad has a garden of exotic and hybrid fruits. Sometimes they give us one. I ate something that looked like a yellow tomato but tasted like it was mixed with a winter melon. The other time it looked like a white aubergine but tasted like cucumber. My sister also bought a watermelon for normal price that was labelled as "exotic" and when we opened it, it was bright yellow, and again tasted like a winter melon cross. When I hear that rare variants are pretentious, I think of my dad's coworker's fruit, grown in a poor neighbourhood in a private backyard. If something is only pretentious because it is expensive, and only expensive because it is rare, and it's not a case like Champagne needing to be made in a limited region to qualify, then the industry just needs some expansion in order to be absorbed by the public as a commonplace but pretty and interesting variation. Only ten years ago dragonfruit was expensive and pretentious, but now I find it mixed into grocery store salads. Eventually the pink pineapple patent will expire and anyone can grow it.
Yellow tomatoes, white cucumbers and yellow watermelon can all be bought at markets and some supermarkets here in Australia. Where do you live that they are considered exotic?
The pink pinapple thing isn't all that badly priced if you consider it a decoration item, think of drying this fruit into chips or simply cubed up and decorated over cocktails. We all know how expensive decorations can be, and a hassle to make, here you have a ready made decoration you just have to slice up. A fun gin cocktail with white strawberries and pink pinapple to throw off your preconseptions, would be fun! (not sponsored by Del Monte)
The Acquerello Aged Rice is interesting. I've had other aged rices. 🌾 Mainly aged basmati rice & it does make a difference to the flavour & texture. This one is priced well enough that you could flash the cash on a tin if having a special dinner party/date.
@@erzsebetkovacs2527 There's a difference between aged & stale/off. Think aged cheddar, whisky, wine. Yes if produce isn't aged properly it goes off & is awful. I've never had the rice they talked about so can't comment of the angiosperm being absorbed into the grain. But aged basmati rice has a lower moisture content meaning it cooks differently & the flavour is better...riceier & more fragrant. As with any ageing process it'll have to be done carefully. Old stale grains & pulses are just that - stale.They'll have to be kept in stable environments.
@@erzsebetkovacs2527 For example think of milk. Fresh milk is great. Off milk is awful. Off-Off milk, cheese is great. Off-Off-Off milk - Aged cheese is even better. Or bread dough. Fresh cooked bread is one of life's great wonders. But let that dough age a bit - some would say go stale/off...you get sourdough. Lock-down folk & hipsters go nuts for the stuff. 😆
Love to see the noma products here! I was lucky enough to have dinner at noma last year and it was unbelievable! Truly a special place and a once-in-a-lifetime experience
2:55 They don't do it for that reason. They do it, so you don't plant your own. They're Cutting straight through where the roots would grow. The part they cut is unviable.
James is visibly much more relaxed and easygoing in his comeback appearances than he was in Sorted before he left for pastures new. So much more likeable that it's a pleasure to see him here again. Thumbs up James!
I was pleasantly surprised to see how (relatively) affordable Gordon Ramsey's wine is. I wouldn't mind giving them all a taste, and like Mike said, it feels very pompous (but in a good way) and fun to whip them out for a party or get together and be like "I have for all of us today, some delectable wines from the world renowned, Mr. Ramsey... That is indeed, Gordon Ramsey." And then we'll all enjoy the wine, i'll feel smug and happy, it'll be a great time all around!
When I first relocated to South East Asia a few years ago, my niece came for a visit. I went to a wet market and bought dragon fruits for her to try exotic things. When we cut into them, we both said ‘it’s PINK!!!’ Little did I know they came in white and pink; pink ones are sweeter and have elongated shape. I always buy pink ones ❤
Just a price update. It's not $30 for a Pinkglow pineapple in the US. It's $15 at your local supermarket. Example Acme or ShopRite. Still is very expensive.
@@TT_415 🙄 This is an UK channel. The pink pineapple is at this moment only available in the USA and Canada, so it's not exported by any company or it's added import tax.
Aww, that's so sweet. It reminded me of when my boys were toddlers and we had loads of the Cars film cars; they often asked "where Dretti" when they only saw one car and didn't understand thar car was called Mario Andretti!!!! 😂
@brycepatties Pineapple used to be the very definition of pretention. Very much so Bryce... intelligent and much needed comment if reading comments for expanded understanding. I learned more about the restaurant's offerings by reading the comments. !🍍 !
Come on, the real reason they take the pineapple crown off is so that nobody can grow another pink pineapple at home for free! Also, the rice growers feeling the need to tell you that only glacial melt-water is used makes it pretentious no matter the price.
Yeah, I was wondering why so many chefs were backing the product when listening to Mike and James it didn't seem like the rice was that much better. Perhaps they use it to help sell their food's story and justify the high prices they charge?
@@nanoflower1 "We've got some old rice that sat in a silo for several years, do we throw it out?" "What? No! Sell it for a higher price and tell people it's *aged* !"
Was expecting Mike to say "Who's Tonini" as a one off quote and let us watchers figure out the joke. Bursted out laughing when Jamie and James started explaining the actual name 🤣
This video is a perfect example of why James is missed! I think the other boys have a tendency to look for the positives in things (which isn't a bad trait by any means), but I love that James is instantly willing to call bullshit bullshit
I love these videos and I just need to leave this here to help with the "what pretentious means" debate the guys sometimes get into. (Not a hate comment, I just love definitions and understanding language!)❤ Pretentious definition: "attempting to impress by affecting greater importance, talent, culture, etc., than is actually possessed."
Pretentious is when something pretends to be something it isn't and/or uses products/processes that don't make a relevant difference. So the last product clearly isn't pretentious. It's just very expensive though.
Yessss its James!! His cynicism, pragmatism and experience is so good for pretentious or not!! Dont get me wrong, the other boys are great too but they are so polite when it comes to pretentious or not - James tells it how it is XD
I absolutely love your videos,giving me(normal) an inside look at what can be had for me. I love trying different foods etc.. my family not so much. I'll try anything at least once to say I have
I am dying for a home vlog for each of them! Mike and his first baby, Jamie and his kids, James and his new job, Baz and his family and Ben and whatever he does on his time off!!!
@16:20 "That would make anything in the world taste great." So... video idea? Test that! I'd love to see you guys have some subpar/underseasoned foods, pick your favourite pretentious or nonpretentious ingredients, and see which ones do a better job of improving a dish. Blind taste test, like pick the premium. I feel like that would be fun!
"the crown was cut off to help grow the next batch"
No. They do that so no one else can grow their proprietary pineapple.
THIS
EXACTLY! its cut off so people can't grow their own pineapple at home
Considering it's GMO i bet if they didn't remove the crown people would be freaking out about spreading GMO plants and destroying nature or something silly like that.
Sometimes you just can't win.
@@joz534 what
so naive....
"It doesn't taste as good and it's pink for Instagram. It's annoying me." 2:02 🤣🤣Oh god James I missed you so so much. Never change.
Can we all agree that as soon as the word Instagram is used in the marketing description of something, it’s pretentious by default? 😅
Agreed lol. If it's made for looks over function, it's pretentious. Pretentiousness is an exaggerated assumption of dignity, importance, and form.
@@MelissiaBlackheartthat’s the perfect definition of pretentious!!
nope.
If someone wants "preety" food to have fun in kitchen and share with friends food they are making.
Let them.
Though not a perfect correlation, Instagram mention has 99% probability of pretentious.
If I see Barry in a video introduction I assume we're going down a pretentious hole..
The naked disdain on James's face the instant Instagram is mentioned is just priceless.
I love how Kush and Ben left and couldn't leave the normals alone that long so brought back James
Adult supervision required
The children needed a babysitter while mum and dad were away, sorry lads
So he is not back forever?
No I think he is @@GFDIAA
The normals are not to be trusted.😂
corrections in vids like this actually give me more confidence the channel is doing its due diligence.
It was very nicely done, too!
I had the same thought
But I want to now the original prize
@reginabaptista7402 I've come to the comments to find the prices lol. I'm assuming they must have been a fair bit more.
Well I wouldve prefered to still get the actual scene before or after the update.
I've missed James so much, glad to see him back on the channel more regularly. A powerful personality that leaves a room emptier when he leaves than before he entered.
"It's not pretentious. It's a pineapple" just a few hundred years ago this would have been the poshest thing ever all on it's own.
Rich people would be renting pineapples to display them at parties. Aristocrats would invest alot of money to cultivate pineapple on their estates. Kings and Noblemen would gift pineapples to each other...
Special conservatories, hot beds (with live compost/manure layered in that was still effectively composting and getting hot, to warm up the soil) - the old ways of growing pineapples in the UK were quite extraordinary. The pineapple was used in architecture, and in silverware etc - look at the Wimbledon men's trophy for an example.
I was going to mention the same thing. This seems like they're trying to bring back that pretentious, show-off vibe the pineapple used to have before it became ubiquitous. Just replace fancy aristocratic parties with Instagram.
@@samgrant83 Yeah, I reading an article somewhere and they had actual like ovens they used to use the heat the ground. It's pretty dang crazy the lengths they went to grow them!
Oh, a lot of people would leave the pineapple on display so long that it'd actually go rotten instead of anyone actually ever eating them. Such a waste!
Also those "pinecone" wooden post decorations on period wooden furniture are not pinecones they are pineapples.
Me, a Malaysian eating pineapple a local fruit, thinks this is all ridiculous.
Alberto and Tonini 😂😂 that had me rolling on the ground
"Who's Tonini?" I thought Mike was making a joke but it was so much funnier when he actually thought that. 🤣
@@fairygirl626 right? 😂
I was eating when that happened, almost choked lmao
It took me a good 20 seconds to work it out, and then i suddenly lost it
@@fairygirl626 Saying it while scratching his ear absent mindedly, it could not be more perfect
I didn't realize how much I like James, until he became a precious guest. I would just gladly watch him doing nothing in particular or listen to him reading a phone book, to be honest :D
I didn't really appreciate the dynamic he brought until he was gone as well, he was just always the guy being like "okay sausage jokes but let's please just also no sausage jokes", he is just a considerate and sharing communicator, making everything that everyone else says a little more understandable just by having one steady eye on what he felt was right with food while giving respect (however sassy) to their viewpoints.
Every pretentious ingredient needs a James to bring them back to earth
I recall one of my chef instructors describing the perfect presentation of risotto as a single layer of the grains of rice on a warmed plate. Thanks James!
I agree with James’ definition. The reason a pretentious anything is created is “because I can”.
Let's just generalize things. Every *video* needs a James.
I love watching James and Mike together because James looks like he would be Mike's evolved form if he were a Pokemon.
5:40 the cheese wheel Will be featured and used for years to come and im here for it! 🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀
I couldn't but laugh the moment I saw that huge block of parmesan and knowing how it came to exist 😆
When the boys retire in 25 years or so, their retirement package will include a wedge of that cheese lol
They cut the top off the pineapple so they protect their IP with the composition of the pineapple - now you can't plant it and grow them yourself for free (if you happened to be in a place that is hospitable for growing pineapples, of course). They can spin it however they want.
That was exactly my first thought too! GMO plant companies are like psychos
Nailed it.
Private enterprises throughout history, from craftspeople and farmers to winemakers and other specialty producers, have always been protective and secretive over their intellectual property (IP). How is it evil if this company wants to do the same? Is it just that if you do some thing long enough to acquire a few thousand cross-generational "keyboard warriors" who will, then, deem you traditional, that you somehow become sacred and above reproach? How is a proprietary pineapple inherently different from a high-end proprietary olive oil, DOP cheeses, or secret sauce recipes that old restaurants guard dearly?
Del Monte isn't extraordinary in its attempt to keep its proprietary product out of other people's hands. Specialty producers across cultures have always done things like this. Trade secrets as well as taking measures to keep it a secret were once the norm, not the exception.
As a product, the pineapple itself isn't inherently pretentious. It follows a long line of other rare and premium goods showcased on this channel. In those cases, a rare Italian olive oil, an extremely local oil from an African village, or some gourmet East Asian curiosity, being sold internationally at high prices wasn't considered pretentious because the price reflected the time and effort put into production. These were understood to be one-time or special occasion items, not everyday purchases. Why doesn't the same apply to the pineapple then? Why is the product itself considered pretentious?
The Sorted team should've simply concluded that while the marketing may be pretentious, the product itself is not. It's simply an expensive product. This aligns with the precedent this channel has set before when critiquing similar products, and most people in the comment section have agreed. If an exotic tea mix with dubious "medicinal" properties got a pass as a product solely because it tasted good, despite being a rip-off and relying on woo-woo and health misinformation for marketing, what's so wrong with a unique pineapple that delivers on taste and appearance using its Instagram potential to market itself? James, like a lot of commenters here, went into this with a lot of pre-conceived bias and prejudice. Mike, in contrast, who was much more neutral, was clearly very happy with the product.
Highly premium things in any category have always been a fashion statement - whether it be a 100-year-old vinegar, a little bottle of condiment from halfway around the world, a small-batch cheese from a rare breed of cows fed a special diet, a fruit endemic to a small region, or even puff pastry and gelatin desserts back when they used to be difficult to obtain for an average person. When some wines, coffees, or teas can charge 10 times the average price of items in their respective categories for their unique "terroir," a characteristic that will often be undetectable to a casual consumer, and not be considered pretentious for it, a unique breed of pineapple,
created after years of work, which has a special flavor and appearance that a lot of people find desirable, isn't pretentious either.
The reason why some people seem to have this double standard is the same as why the internet loves to bully coffee enthusiasts for spending time and money trying to perfect their craft but reveres the Japanese or Chinese tea ceremony as this precious, sublime thing that is the pinnacle of class and culture. The problem is the fetishization of the exotic - things unfamiliar to you because they are farther from you, in time, space, or both.
As soon as they said that I went looking for a comment like this haha, spot on
The same thing happens with various fruits, vegetables and grains that have been hypothesized. The company doing the research needs to have some control over their product.
I love watching James get annoyed over pretentious ingredients, I’ve missed this 😋
Jamie needs some love for always being so jolly and happy. Making everyone’s day better
He's greatest!
Mike's commentary on the wine at the end was a delight.
I'm so happy James is here for multiple videos
They also take off the top, because Del Monte have a patent on the pineapple, and by taking off the top, it stops *you* the person who bought it, from growing your own, instead of paying the insane price if you ever want a second one.
Yup
It does have seeds and I have seen people germinate them lol there’s always a loophole
@@b.r.v.8609 But will it grow true from seed? is the seed fertile and how long would it take?
@b.r.v.8609 most fruit (I don't know about this one but it's pretty universally true) doesn't grow true to type from seed.
The patent on a plant is one more reason to boycott the company that takes out such a patent.
the pineapple had the whole stem removed becaused it is the intellectual property of del monte.(the website says what you guys said but the legal documents go deeper) So you can't grow a new plant from it. If you find a seed and it germinates you are lucky, but you can't sell the fruit that it grows.
GMO 101 is that the main controversy (aside from ignorant superstition) is how miltant and protective companies such as Monsanto are over the seeds because of just how valuable they are.
Of course, they aren't going to just let you have the reproductive part of the pinapple they spent millions and millions on developing.
@@islandfireballkillyou already can't legally sell them so I find it quite over the top, especially when they purposely lie about the reason. I hope they barely sell and they spend that money for nothing.
@@ikkeisikkethey can’t sell it in countries that have IP laws or respect other countries IP. That doesn’t necessarily apply world wide. For example, China can grow and sell them and even sell them in the USA bc they aren’t subject to the same IP laws.
After all these years, this video reminds us that Mike is just the nicest person alive.
I think Barry's the one without a mean bone in his body. Mike has some snark to go with the niceness!
I agree with James. Anything advertised as "impressing Instagram followers" is immediately not worth having.
Only argument I make here is my cat...Instagram likes him 😂
Pretentious Ingredients is where I miss James the most, his honest opinion and rightful judginess...the exasperation is the cherry on top.
I think Exasperation is actually James' middle name... which sounds a little bit pretentious, if you ask me!
James is like vinegar or sugar in a dish. He balances out things. And I didn`t expected to miss him so much. But I did and he brings such nice vibes to the sorted videos! Glad he`s back!
This was a fab watch! Two things came to mind.
1) Pretentious is defined as: making an exaggerated outward show; ostentatious. Synonym is showy. So a pretentious ingredient is something you purchase to show off.
2) Pretentiousness is relative to the personal motivations for purchase. James would buy the Noma sauces because they are Noma sauces, but also out of curiosity and exploration, not to brag to someone else about who made the sauce - not pretentious. Mike says he would brag about using a Noma sauce if he bought it - pretentious.
So, maybe the pretentiousness comes down to the motivation for purchasing it rather than the ingredient itself.
The pink pineapple is like a regular pineapples in Victorian England, where you rented a pineapple to have on your table to show off at parties. Now, you buy a pink pineapple, to take a photo of it on your table, and post on social media. At least in the latter, you can eat it without paying extra.
Great to see James in so many videos right now! Loved seeing the hunk of cheese!
Hughe props for making sure to clear up that problem with the price for the wine bottles. Shows you really care about the integrity of you reviews :D
Mike explaining the huge chunk of cheese to James 😂 priceless
James: Please don't roast me. Please 🥺
Also James: Roasts everyone else almost every chance he gets.
LOL, I agree with them on all the products. And loved James' face over who opened the oysters!! Perfect outro for this. I agree with them both on the Noma. The Noma products are not pretentious. However someone bragging about using them would be pretentious. You are BOTH right.
James (and also Kush) cutting straight through the crap and not playing devil's advocate is really refreshing - that pineapple was ridiculous, nothing more needed to be said!
Especially when James brought out the difference between the tastes being that the pink version has less of the tang/acidity which makes it worse. Though I wonder if it has less of that compound that tenderizes meat? If so it might be better for a marinade.
The Gordon Ramsay wines were a massive surprise! I expected them to be something ridiculous, in a price range of 100€ a bottle. Instead they were very affordable indeed!
Mike's definition of pretentious is literally just: quality. James gets it. It's a question of purpose and presentation; the pretense of it. Is it worth the fuss? For the Noma products, that's just pure quality. Not even the labeling is pretentious.
I mean, the literal dictionary definition of pretentious is "attempting to impress by affecting greater importance, talent, culture, etc., than is actually possessed"... which lines up perfectly with how James describes it. And yeah, I have to agree with James; the Noma products are NOT pretentious in the slightest. ...NOW THE PINEAPPLE, ON THE OTHER HAND!!!!!!!
Came to the comments section to make this point. Noma is groundbreaking and quality. It can back everything up with quality.
@@SeanStrife Eh, I'd say Mike got closer to the mark right at the end, when he was saying that the Noma name was also the selling point. Telling someone 'it's a sauce from Noma' is part of the appeal of the product, so it's inherently pretentious. Similarly, Champagne is inherently more pretentious than Cremant, because of the fancy name. It doesn't mean it's bad, but it's still relatively pretentious.
Agreed. The Noma product is clearly expensive but there's nothing about it that reeks of prentiousness. It's just a quality product at a high price. Would love to try those sauces but there's no way I'm spending that sort of money on them.
@@efffvss That's the person choosing to be pretentious. There's nothing about that packaging that screams "pretentious". Yes, it has the Noma name on it but that's because they are the ones making it and their reputation helps sell it as a quality product. Which from the commentary, it is as good as one might expect. Now with champagne I can agree because we aren't talking about the quality of the product, but a rule on labeling that lends itself to pretentiousness.
YAAAAAAYYYY! a Pretentious Ingredients video with sassy James! What a treat for a Sunday video! Thanks, Sorted team!
It makes me so happy any time a chunk of that parm turns up and I’m reminded of the absolute comedy that was Mike and Ben nearly loosing to a giant wheel of cheese 😂😂
If they’re using the top to replant other pineapples, it follows that they also remove it so no one else can grow them.
This is a VERY good point!!
James ❤
The ginger Snarkmachine in a pretentious video is a match made in heaven
Having James in so many videos while he is available only makes it harder when he's gone. I love this channel!
Absolutely love the fact, that this came out yesterday and you prepared and added corrections in video without too much fuss and it still went out as is with just the voiceover to help give an accurate representation :D
With the wine, looking at the box and the fact that there are 3 bottles in my mind immediately went to "200 - 220" but for 10 a bottle? Sign me the F up.
I was expecting around 30 a bottle.. truly impressed that it was 30 for the whole set.
my wine from Aldi costs around 3 € and it's perfectly fine.
Ben and Kush leaving James to take care of the normals feels like the fun substitute teacher taking the class and I love it! I want to see the chef-parent meeting when they come back and both are like 'did the children cause you any grief'
pretentious is doing something to show off, rather than experience something unique and of quality. The sauces at the end were not pretentious because each tester exclaimed how amazing they were. spendy? yes, pretentious , no. By the way, what is pretentious is the habit in old england of literally renting a pineapple to show off at parties, and returning it.
Like when they had the very expensive soy sauce. It was an ancient, labor intensive process that reflected the heritage of the region. Expensive as hell but totally grounded. Vs putting flecks of gold in something or making a product purely for the 'gram.
@@GraemeHein i agree. gold on anyhting is just making your poop valuable
The pink pineapple is tasty. Mike loved it. James was just trying hard to come up with excuses as to why he thinks it's bad and no one should like it. He was leaning into the "chef-y" snobbery expected of him. Obviously, so many of you, who relish in pretensions of class by looking down on popular trends, love that. I hope you appreciate the fact that all it will take is a couple of highly regarded chefs or restaurants to advertise that pineapple on their menus, and everyone of you will switch gears into "glacier water rice isn't pretentious" mode, without the slightest sense of irony. As long as a famous chef or restaurant is associated with it, a product can fleece you for any amount and still be considered "not pretentious", even if it's the modern equivalent of "cockentrice. Yet, no matter how special, as long as it is being marketed to the popular culture instead of to the gatekeepers of good taste, well then, of course, it is pointless. After all, you're too classy to enjoy things that the average person in your community likes.
Why is a focus on aesthetics an automatic negative when contemporary cultures close to you do it but valid when similar things exist in India, Middle East, China, Japan or other "exotic" places? What purpose does saffron serve? What is the silver and gold foil on "traditional" Indian sweet for? Is it okay that sweet paste turned into flowers or such can cost you 20-30% more than it would've, had you just purchased the basic barfi version of it? Why have multiple cultures across time spent money and effort trying to source ingredients just to add a new colour to their foods? Why does China, and the whole region that used to be its cultural export market back in the day, not only use the most unusual ingredients they can find but also come up with tedious and complicated preparations that often make minimal difference to taste or nutrition, and purely exists as a means to show-off?
Are you willing to criticize the average Japanese consumer just as harshly for paying exorbitant prices just for fruits to have an ideal appearance? Where's the vitriol for square watermelon? I did not bring up European/American instances only because that wouldn't have as much impact since those cultures aren't exotic enough for you to hold them as sacred.
@GraemeHein So, by your logic, the pink pineapple should arguably be more impressive. To create it in a relatively short timeframe, specialized engineers and biochemists would have put years of their skills and time into it. More than a century of technological know-how and several centuries of agricultural knowledge must have gone into it. In contrast, a generations-old recipe for a sauce or a pickle likely arose over a long period of time through many small iterations by numerous people. The company marketing it probably didn't need much in terms of R&D. Just like how finally identifying how to manufacture long-lasting, shelf-stable bread for military rations was a greater achievement than some artisan baker churning out sourdough breads based on a centuries-old technique.
Would the pink pineapple not have been "pretentious" if only it had been "genetically engineered" 500 years ago? Or would it simply be okay if, instead of Del Monte, a Japanese company had come up with it? Exotic fetishization is clearly antagonistic to logic.
Found some comments that shed more light on the pink pineapple thing. Apparently, it is commonly available and much cheaper in North America. People have mentioned prices around $6 to $15. So, all it is is a variety of pineapple, slightly pricier because of its proprietary nature. How's that so different from special varieties of other fruit or veg being significantly pricier than the most commonly available varieties? Turns out the pineapple was the least "pretentious" out of all the items in this video.
I'll translate it into a metropolitan Indian context, so its easier for me to find some reasonable analogues that I can use to do a one-to-one qualitative comparison. The pink pineapple occupies a similar niche as blueberries, avocados or fuji apples do in my city. I can convince my parents to allow in the house for an occasional treat or a special recipe. On the other hand the other three things are in the same category as paying 30000 rupees on a pair of shoes simply for the brand name when you can easily find really good pairs under 3000. That's the kind of thing that'll get you kicked out of the house even if you're the one paying the rent.
I adore how sensitive James is. So sweet!
"Alberto and Tonini" Haha! Never change Mike :D
So glad to see James back. He is a soft and beautiful soul I can relate to. God bless you James and so happy to see you back. Lots of love from Norway.
I really liked the voice-over during the wine section, very nice to see a correction and your opinion based on the correct information. Awesome
I love the wine cleanup over dub... respect.
Thank you so much for this continous james content! Been missing him so much! He's ALWAYS welcome❤❤❤❤❤
Some of my favourite Sorted moments have come from James and Mike tasting stuff together. Hoping for another "it's like a semi."
I’m glad that part of the giant cheese wheel gets its use over here seeing like Mike put it (paraphrasing here): “we’ll use this until the day we die” and with that much cheese, at least it won’t go to waste.
Speaking of which, I wonder if there’s a battle or pass-it-on that could utilize the cheese 🤔
I've tried the pink pineapple a couple of times. I like that it isn't as acidic so I can eat more before my mouth starts hurting!
5:44
That lineup with the cheese looks like a Tom & Jerry set up
So much James, so much happy thanks for bringing him back! =D
Hey just wanted to say thanks for taking the time to put in such a detailed post-editorial on the wines.
Yay James is back. It’s just become a good day 🤣
I'm so glad that the boys are making sure we see that the cheese wheel is getting used.
I absolutely love James, the way he gets annoyed with the pink pineapple 😂😂😂
It's great that you guys corrected the price situation on the wines! Love your honesty
Someone who works with my dad has a garden of exotic and hybrid fruits. Sometimes they give us one. I ate something that looked like a yellow tomato but tasted like it was mixed with a winter melon. The other time it looked like a white aubergine but tasted like cucumber. My sister also bought a watermelon for normal price that was labelled as "exotic" and when we opened it, it was bright yellow, and again tasted like a winter melon cross. When I hear that rare variants are pretentious, I think of my dad's coworker's fruit, grown in a poor neighbourhood in a private backyard. If something is only pretentious because it is expensive, and only expensive because it is rare, and it's not a case like Champagne needing to be made in a limited region to qualify, then the industry just needs some expansion in order to be absorbed by the public as a commonplace but pretty and interesting variation. Only ten years ago dragonfruit was expensive and pretentious, but now I find it mixed into grocery store salads. Eventually the pink pineapple patent will expire and anyone can grow it.
Yellow tomatoes, white cucumbers and yellow watermelon can all be bought at markets and some supermarkets here in Australia. Where do you live that they are considered exotic?
Great comment!
Two of my favorite things! James and pretentious ingredients!💖💖💖 Thank all of you for your most excellent content! 🎉🎉🎉
Thank you James for having some sense and saying that you're fed up with all the Instagram bologna.
The pink pinapple thing isn't all that badly priced if you consider it a decoration item, think of drying this fruit into chips or simply cubed up and decorated over cocktails. We all know how expensive decorations can be, and a hassle to make, here you have a ready made decoration you just have to slice up.
A fun gin cocktail with white strawberries and pink pinapple to throw off your preconseptions, would be fun!
(not sponsored by Del Monte)
The Acquerello Aged Rice is interesting. I've had other aged rices. 🌾 Mainly aged basmati rice & it does make a difference to the flavour & texture. This one is priced well enough that you could flash the cash on a tin if having a special dinner party/date.
In your opinion, what is that difference? I just can't see the point of selling stale rice (or dry beans, for that matter) for even more money.
@@erzsebetkovacs2527 There's a difference between aged & stale/off. Think aged cheddar, whisky, wine. Yes if produce isn't aged properly it goes off & is awful. I've never had the rice they talked about so can't comment of the angiosperm being absorbed into the grain. But aged basmati rice has a lower moisture content meaning it cooks differently & the flavour is better...riceier & more fragrant. As with any ageing process it'll have to be done carefully. Old stale grains & pulses are just that - stale.They'll have to be kept in stable environments.
@@erzsebetkovacs2527 For example think of milk. Fresh milk is great. Off milk is awful. Off-Off milk, cheese is great. Off-Off-Off milk - Aged cheese is even better. Or bread dough. Fresh cooked bread is one of life's great wonders. But let that dough age a bit - some would say go stale/off...you get sourdough. Lock-down folk & hipsters go nuts for the stuff. 😆
I love how James and Mike carried right on with their debate, regardless of the cameras. Just shows how invested they all are.
"Who's Tonini?" Barry wasn't in the room, but he was there in spirit.
Love to see the noma products here! I was lucky enough to have dinner at noma last year and it was unbelievable! Truly a special place and a once-in-a-lifetime experience
“I’d do anything to feel stable” - Mike 😂😂😂 Don’t we all wish for that!!
The Noma projects stuff is so good, we use it in our cocktails and it shines so well.
Worth pointing out, that's the first ripe pineapple I've ever seen on a British RUclipsr channel
So lovely to see James back again! Great episode.
Thank you sorted ♥️♥️♥️ is ginger back for good? 😁
Happy to see James content recently. Keep him coming back more often!
2:55 They don't do it for that reason. They do it, so you don't plant your own. They're Cutting straight through where the roots would grow. The part they cut is unviable.
I absolutely LOVE that we're seeing more of James!
I miss James Currie.... it is lovely to see him there talking it out with Mike as you guys go switching off the lights....😂😂❤
James is visibly much more relaxed and easygoing in his comeback appearances than he was in Sorted before he left for pastures new. So much more likeable that it's a pleasure to see him here again. Thumbs up James!
Oooo I have missed the sassy redhead in these videos.
? He’s got brown hair lol
so great getting to see James on here more so again!
I was pleasantly surprised to see how (relatively) affordable Gordon Ramsey's wine is. I wouldn't mind giving them all a taste, and like Mike said, it feels very pompous (but in a good way) and fun to whip them out for a party or get together and be like "I have for all of us today, some delectable wines from the world renowned, Mr. Ramsey... That is indeed, Gordon Ramsey."
And then we'll all enjoy the wine, i'll feel smug and happy, it'll be a great time all around!
Don't forget Alberto and Tonini 😂
@@bcaye Ah, the classic duo!😂
When I first relocated to South East Asia a few years ago, my niece came for a visit. I went to a wet market and bought dragon fruits for her to try exotic things. When we cut into them, we both said ‘it’s PINK!!!’ Little did I know they came in white and pink; pink ones are sweeter and have elongated shape. I always buy pink ones ❤
James and pretentious ingredients are always a winning combo! Been binging the videos😊😊😊😊🎉🎉🎉🎉
Am loving all the James content. He just fills a James-shaped niche at Sorted that can never be taken by anyone else!
For any curious state siders the corn yuzu hot sauce plus shipping is $50. Thankfully my couch is comfortable to sleep on 😂
I'm really liking James being back! :D
It's so refreshing with his friendly grumpiness ^^
Just a price update. It's not $30 for a Pinkglow pineapple in the US. It's $15 at your local supermarket. Example Acme or ShopRite. Still is very expensive.
It probably is the tax importing it into the UK.
$6 at Kroger in Texas
@@TT_415 🙄 This is an UK channel. The pink pineapple is at this moment only available in the USA and Canada, so it's not exported by any company or it's added import tax.
@madamnicknack Very aware it's a UK channel. You have no special, secret knowledge that others do not have.
Aww, that's so sweet. It reminded me of when my boys were toddlers and we had loads of the Cars film cars; they often asked "where Dretti" when they only saw one car and didn't understand thar car was called Mario Andretti!!!! 😂
6:31 425.00 pound wheel of cheese 39.19 pound parmesan knife set James face when hears why they have so much cheese pricless 😏😃
this is my favorite series from your chanel🙂
Pineapple used to be the very definition of pretention. You could rent one to show off your wealth. That's how pretentious they used to be.
@brycepatties
Pineapple used to be the very definition of pretention.
Very much so Bryce... intelligent and much needed comment if reading comments for expanded understanding.
I learned more about the restaurant's offerings by reading the comments.
!🍍 !
Thank you for the bit during the wine. I like that you can admit error and fix your video. Mad props!
Come on, the real reason they take the pineapple crown off is so that nobody can grow another pink pineapple at home for free!
Also, the rice growers feeling the need to tell you that only glacial melt-water is used makes it pretentious no matter the price.
Yeah, I was wondering why so many chefs were backing the product when listening to Mike and James it didn't seem like the rice was that much better. Perhaps they use it to help sell their food's story and justify the high prices they charge?
@@nanoflower1
"We've got some old rice that sat in a silo for several years, do we throw it out?"
"What? No! Sell it for a higher price and tell people it's *aged* !"
Was expecting Mike to say "Who's Tonini" as a one off quote and let us watchers figure out the joke. Bursted out laughing when Jamie and James started explaining the actual name 🤣
This video is a perfect example of why James is missed! I think the other boys have a tendency to look for the positives in things (which isn't a bad trait by any means), but I love that James is instantly willing to call bullshit bullshit
I love these videos and I just need to leave this here to help with the "what pretentious means" debate the guys sometimes get into. (Not a hate comment, I just love definitions and understanding language!)❤
Pretentious definition: "attempting to impress by affecting greater importance, talent, culture, etc., than is actually possessed."
Pretentious is when something pretends to be something it isn't and/or uses products/processes that don't make a relevant difference.
So the last product clearly isn't pretentious. It's just very expensive though.
Yessss its James!! His cynicism, pragmatism and experience is so good for pretentious or not!! Dont get me wrong, the other boys are great too but they are so polite when it comes to pretentious or not - James tells it how it is XD
I believe James doesn't like his new parents and is sneakily sleeping at sorted
New parents?
I absolutely love your videos,giving me(normal) an inside look at what can be had for me. I love trying different foods etc.. my family not so much. I'll try anything at least once to say I have
We’re all on our own journey - maybe try introducing one to your family one at a time?
Could give it a try.
I am dying for a home vlog for each of them! Mike and his first baby, Jamie and his kids, James and his new job, Baz and his family and Ben and whatever he does on his time off!!!
Ben and this year's allotment!
Kush and his also new baby
I love having James back in more videos :)
@16:20 "That would make anything in the world taste great."
So... video idea? Test that!
I'd love to see you guys have some subpar/underseasoned foods, pick your favourite pretentious or nonpretentious ingredients, and see which ones do a better job of improving a dish. Blind taste test, like pick the premium. I feel like that would be fun!
Roadkill possum. The only way to make that taste anything other than bad would be to have your tongue surgically removed. ^-^
Try adding that to some durian to see if it can improve it. Or that fermented fish that comes from one of the Scandanavian countries.