- 5 days ago
Stay informed and empowered as we guide you through eye-opening revelations to ensure you make smarter choices while shopping.
Category
🎈
FunTranscript
00:09Okay there, chef.
00:11If you choose olive oil over the regular sunflower option because it's healthier and more nutritious,
00:16you've got to make sure you're using the real thing.
00:19According to experts, 69% of imported extra virgin olive oil on the market
00:24fail to meet the high global standards for this beautiful product.
00:27Unless you've sourced your olive oil directly from a producer or a certified distributor,
00:33that bottle of Italian extra virgin in your kitchen is likely a counterfeit.
00:37It might be low-quality oil, deceptively labeled as virgin or extra virgin,
00:43and it may not even come from Italy.
00:45In some cases, it could be a blend with other oils of uncertain origin,
00:50or at its worst, not olive oil at all, but a vegetable oil disguised with added color and fragrance.
00:56The real extra virgin oil has to come from the first pressing of olives,
01:01and it's packed with antioxidants, nutrients, and health benefits,
01:05something a fake will never give you.
01:07Even if you're buying it from a famous brand,
01:10and even if it's labeled with the protected designation of origin, EDO stamp,
01:15signifying the precise geographic origin of the extra virgin olive oil,
01:20you aren't in a safe zone.
01:23The U.S. receives over 350 tons of olive oil,
01:26and there aren't enough resources to check at all.
01:29At some point, the end consumers got used to purchasing bad oil at lower prices.
01:34To make sure you're buying the real thing, start by checking the origin on the label.
01:39Sicily and Puglia in Italy are important olive oil production centers,
01:44so you're more likely not to get fooled.
01:47Spain, Greece, and Tunisia are the three largest manufacturers outside of Italy.
01:52Also, check if your oil has both the harvest date and the best-by date.
01:57Farmers who produce a good product won't hide the real manufacturing date from you.
02:02If they do, it's probably because it's too old.
02:05Olive oil doesn't get better with age,
02:08and must be used within 18 to 24 months of the harvest date.
02:11And once you've opened it, it's only good and healthy for up to six months.
02:17Opt for a single source or a single family option.
02:20It means that the olives were farmed, pressed, and bottled in the same place,
02:24mostly by one group of people.
02:27A study has shown that this kind is less likely to be faked.
02:30Plus, it should be fresher.
02:32Don't expect a good product to cost close to nothing.
02:35You don't have to buy the most expensive option on the shelf, of course,
02:39but at least pick the oil at a medium price in a metal tin or dark glass container.
02:45If you have a chance to smell and taste it before you make the purchase,
02:49choose the one that smells fresh, like grass, or something fruity.
02:52If it smells musty or rancid and has no order at all, well, that's another red flag.
02:59It's not just a rumor.
03:00Shipping pistachios, especially overseas, needs special attention.
03:04Your afternoon snack can generate its own heat if it's packed in large quantities.
03:09This is due to its high fat content and low water content.
03:13The fats in pistachios can break down when they interact with the air during decomposition.
03:19Things get even more complex if moisture gets into the equation.
03:23It can break down the pistachio's fatty acids.
03:26This process releases carbon dioxide.
03:29If it happens repeatedly, it can generate some serious heat.
03:33That's how a container of pistachios in a dark human environment can, at times, spontaneously combust.
03:40That's why it's so important to transport them under specific conditions,
03:44mainly in cool temperatures and a dry atmosphere.
03:48Meanwhile, to some people, cilantro tastes like pasta with a sprinkle of soap, dirt,
03:53crushed bugs, or metal shavings.
03:55If you're one of them, you gotta thank your ancestors for it.
03:58To most taste buds, cilantro is a zesty blend of parsley and citrus.
04:03But those who can't stand this herb have a particular genetic variation.
04:08It takes their sensitivity to the soapy components in cilantro leaves to a whole new level.
04:13In countries where cilantro is popular, such as Central America and India,
04:18most people don't have this genetic twist.
04:20Most cilantro skeptics live in East Asia, where it's not that common.
04:24Now, Caesar salad has nothing to do with the famous Roman emperor.
04:29It supposedly came to life on the 4th of July in 1924.
04:34Its inventor was Cesare Cardini, an Italian immigrant residing in San Diego who was running
04:40a restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico.
04:42Cesare crafted his iconic dish with seven simple ingredients.
04:46Crisp romaine lettuce leaves, a raw egg yolk, luscious Italian olive oil, freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggano cheese,
04:55a dash of Worcestershire sauce, a zing of lime juice, and a perfectly toasted baguette slice.
05:00The rest of the ingredients, like garlic and anchovies, were added later.
05:04And now I'm drooling on the mic.
05:06Excuse me.
05:08Almond isn't a nut, but technically a hard-shelled fruit coming from the almond tree.
05:13That makes it a cousin of peaches, cherries, plums, and nectarines.
05:18Bananas, kiwis, eggplants, and even cucumbers all fit the definition of true berries,
05:23as they are fruits stemming from one flower with one ovary.
05:28Strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries aren't berries.
05:32Technically, they are aggregate fruits, as they come from a flower with more than one ovary.
05:37Apples and many other fruits are close relatives of roses.
05:40They belong to the same family.
05:43Pears, plums, raspberries, and apricots are also in it.
05:47Now, the first food to have been eaten in space was applesauce.
05:52Astronaut John Glenn snacked on it during the third Mercury mission in 1962,
05:57directly from an aluminum tube.
05:59This meal was hardly enjoyable, as the design of those tubes didn't allow the eater to see or smell the
06:05food.
06:06And the choice of foods was really limited because of the type of texture the tubes could fit.
06:11A lot has changed since then, and now astronauts can enjoy many meals
06:15that mostly come freeze-dried to help them stay fresh longer.
06:19Now, natural honey doesn't have an expiration date.
06:23Archaeologists stumbled upon jars of honey that had been tucked away in ancient Egyptian tombs
06:28for thousands of years, and it was still perfectly good.
06:31So, honey stored in well-sealed containers can remain stable for not just decades, but even centuries.
06:38It all comes down to its biological composition.
06:41Thanks to its high sugar content, low pH, and the meticulous honey-making process carried out by bees,
06:48honey becomes a hostile environment for any organisms that might spoil food.
06:53Dandelions aren't just safe to eat.
06:56They are among the healthiest and highly nutritious things you'll find literally anywhere.
07:00You can eat any of its parts, from the top of the yellow flower down to the roots.
07:05Dandelion leaves are great in salads, sandwiches, omelets, and other dishes.
07:10Some of cactus pads' varieties are a nutritional powerhouse,
07:14with loads of vitamin C, E, fiber, and antioxidants.
07:18When you take a bite of a cactus pad, especially when it's raw,
07:22you'll feel a gentle crush and a texture similar to a bell pepper.
07:27Cactus tastes like green vegetables with a hint of okra.
07:30It's something like green beans, green bell peppers, and asparagus.
07:34It also has a subtle tanginess and citrus undertone.
07:38If you grow your own cactus, or source it directly from a grower, and want to cook it,
07:43don't forget to remove the spines.
07:45Yep, shave them off, and then use a peeler on the edges of the pad.
07:49You decide to try a new coffee brand that has a nice golden packing,
07:54and proudly says 100% coffee on it.
07:58But it tastes nothing like your favorite drink.
08:00Don't blame yourself for being the worst barista on the planet.
08:04The substance you just purchased, might just not be the real thing at all.
08:09It's so expensive because of how it's made.
08:11Coffee plants can't be hurried to grow.
08:14Depending on the type of coffee,
08:15it takes a coffee tree about 3-5 years to start bearing fruit.
08:22Coffee farming is a people-powered industry, from planting to processing.
08:27Coffee farms are often huge, so you need many workers to plant all those new trees.
08:32And it takes about 2,000 hand-picked Arabica coffee cherries to make a single roasted pound of coffee.
08:39If you want to get the best out of the variety of options,
08:43don't fall for labels saying 100% pure coffee.
08:46If it doesn't say 100% Arabica,
08:48they must have mixed in cheaper Robusta beans,
08:51which can make your coffee taste bitter.
08:54Check the roasted-on date for freshness, not the best-by date.
08:58When a brand offers a gazillion artificial flavors,
09:02it's a sign they're not confident in their beans quality.
09:05A good roaster might have a few unique flavors, but not a whole buffet.
09:13In Japan, you'll find wasabi all over the place.
09:16But chances are, if you've tried it outside of that country, you've had a fake.
09:20True wasabi doesn't come from your regular horseradish plant.
09:24It's more like a root vegetable made from the underground stem of the wasabi plant.
09:29This stem is grated to make the real wasabi paste.
09:35Growing wasabi plants isn't easy as they only like clear, running streambeds in Japan's mountain river valleys.
09:42That's why the real thing is so pricey.
09:45Fake wasabi is usually a mix of regular European horseradish
09:49disguised as the real deal.
09:51You'll find it in squeezable tubes, little packets, or as a powder you mix with water.
09:56These products often contain just a tiny bit of the real stuff, usually 1-3%.
10:03It helps cut costs a lot.
10:05If you want to check if you've got real wasabi, check the texture.
10:09If it's super smooth and pasty, you're likely dealing with pureed horseradish.
10:13But if it's got a gritty feel, like it was freshly grated, it's more likely the real deal.
10:19Authentic wasabi is always served fresh because its flavor and zinginess vanish quickly once it's grated.
10:28The only Parmesan that you can really call this way gotta come from the Emilia-Romagna region in Italy,
10:34especially Parma, or a certain part of Lombardy.
10:39There are only about 300 certified dairies in that area that can make genuine Parmigiano-Reggiano.
10:46And they've got to age it for at least a year to get those super important umami flavor crystals going.
10:52Some of it ages for up to 100 months or longer.
10:55The authentic Parmesan wheels are marked with a DOP stamp,
11:00Denominazione di origine protetta,
11:03basically saying it's the real deal from the right place.
11:07Italian Parmesan is easy to find in most stores,
11:11but there are other options that can be cheaper.
11:14That's because American-made Parmesan only needs to be aged for 10 months,
11:19and some grated blends can have up to 4% fillers,
11:23like rice flour or wood pulp cellulose.
11:27The legit Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese only has three ingredients,
11:32and one of them is milk from cows raised in the same region.
11:37Plus, they've got some strict rules about what those cows can't eat,
11:42like fermented grain.
11:46Maple syrup fans, this one's for you.
11:49Did you know that to produce your favorite pancake topping,
11:53artisans have to tap maple trees that can grow more than five stories tall,
11:57extract sap, and then boil it down?
12:00It's an age-old craft,
12:02passed down through generations,
12:04from indigenous peoples to modern-day syrup makers.
12:07But many of the bottles with sticky sweet syrup inside have nothing to do with that process.
12:13Pancake syrup, or table syrup,
12:16is a mix of corn syrup, caramel coloring, and flavoring.
12:20If you see these ingredients on the label,
12:22it's a tell-tale sign you aren't dealing with the real maple syrup.
12:26The consistency of your purchase is another giveaway.
12:29The authentic maple syrup is runny.
12:31That's why you can pour it easily.
12:33Pancake syrup is thicker and stickier.
12:35The price can't always give away a fake in this case.
12:39It can be affordable even for the real product.
12:49Another item that often gets counterfeited is designer bags.
12:53To make sure you're buying the real thing,
12:55give that purse a good feel.
12:58If it's supposed to be leather,
12:59it better feel and smell like it.
13:02Counterfeiters often skimp on quality materials.
13:05Check out the zippers, buttons, or any metal parts.
13:09They should feel solid, not lightweight or cheap.
13:12And of course, no chipping allowed.
13:16Look closely at the seams.
13:18Sloppy or uneven stitching is a big red flag.
13:21The inner lining is another giveaway.
13:23Feel it and make sure it matches the brand's quality.
13:26Pay attention to the brand logo.
13:29Authentic ones are all about the details.
13:31The same goes for the label inside the bag.
13:35Get familiar with how it should look so you can spot any slip-ups.
13:38Check the number and placement of pockets.
13:41Each model has its own design.
13:43If it doesn't match up, something's fishy.
13:48Shady dealings with extra virgin olive oil date back to ancient Rome.
13:52Back then, tricksters would sell low-quality oil or mixes under the fancy EVO label.
13:59Nowadays, most legit extra virgin olive oil comes from Spain, Italy, or Greece.
14:04They produce it by squishing ripe olives without heating or chemicals.
14:09Good EVO might cost you around 10 bucks for a 17-ounce bottle.
14:15Fraudsters have gone undercover amidst real producers, making it tough to spot the fakes.
14:21But you have more chances of finding the real thing if you avoid blend or light varieties on the label.
14:29Check the pressed-on date.
14:31It should be less than a year old since the oil loses its fruity vibe after a couple of years.
14:37If there's a harvest date and details like the producer's name or olive type, it's likely legit.
14:44Some high-quality oils note the free fatty acidity, FFA, level, which is a good sign.
14:52Don't automatically trust fancy packaging or high prices.
14:56Even an expensive bottle can be past its use-by date.
15:03If you like to cook, cinnamon, mint, nutmeg, sage, and other spices must always be in your kitchen cabinet.
15:10But you can't be sure you've got the real thing unless you're prepared to pay a hefty price for them.
15:16When you break it down by the pound, some of them, like vanilla and saffron, are as pricey as precious
15:22metals like silver and gold.
15:25And where there's value, there's a dark underbelly of fraud.
15:29This multi-billion dollar industry is a playground for tricksters looking to make a quick buck.
15:37If you don't want to add something fake to your meals, the best you can do is buy the spices
15:42whole and grind them yourself.
15:44If possible, try to find a retailer that sells spices in bulk.
15:48You'll be able to see them yourself, and you won't miss the aroma of real cinnamon or oregano.
15:56If you're planning to buy a designer watch, look closely for any blunders or defects on the watch.
16:04Designer watches are usually made with high-quality standards, so things like chipped paint, scratches, or spelling errors are rare.
16:13Also, check if the clasp works, and if the watch keeps accurate time.
16:19Genuine designer watches have precise, clear engraving created by skilled watchmakers.
16:24If the lettering looks messy or hard to read, chances are it's a fake.
16:29Designer watches are made with valuable metals and intricate parts, so they should feel a bit heavier than they look.
16:36If a watch feels surprisingly light, it might be fake.
16:40Real luxurious watches have unique serial numbers that should be precisely laser-etched, not sloppily printed.
16:48Make sure these numbers match the case and warranty numbers.
16:51Simply search online or contact the manufacturer's customer service to confirm you've got the real thing.
Comments