Round 9 - Why 5 Of The World's Priciest Salts And Spices Are So Expensive

[raie]

Guidelines

• Watch the youtube video linked.
• You are not required to watch the entire video if you're not enjoying it, but at least a few minutes so you can get an idea.
• Share whatever opinions you have about the video!
• Try to post at least a few sentences.

Reward: 2 random cards (+1 extra card because this topic was late)

This Round
https://youtu.be/60Myw4fYyBM
Video Length: 37:53

My thoughts:
Didn't know bamboo salt was a thing...I can now also see why it would be expensive. The time and labor that goes into creating this spice is tedious and long. My awareness to actually knowing what kind of cinnamon is now high...I didn't even know there were differences. This video is long so I wasn't able to actually finish at this time, however, it has a bunch of information I've never really thought that goes into making spices, even if these ones were the more special/expensive kind.

[Ouji]

It's really interesting seeing how all the hard work people put into harvesting the spices and salts makes it more expensive. I think it's definitely worth it, too, since this isn't really something (I think) that can be done with labor that isn't human. There's obvious care and meticulousness put into each one, so I feel like the hefty price tag is 100% justified and I hope it continues to stay that way. I think that fact that some of these techniques and upkeep have been passed down through families is really fascinating and I'm interested to see how/if it changes at all and whether or not this video might have impacted the trades in some way or other.

[Elijah]

i was really surprised that saffron wasn't on the list! that's the first thing i think of whenever i think about expensive spices. after watching this, i did a search to see if i was incorrect in how expensive i remembered saffron being, and i found another video in the same series about it! i've actually thought about trying to grow the flowers myself, because they're really striking.

i knew about real ceylon cinnamon and how expensive it was, but it was interesting learning about the rest. especially cardamom and cloves, which i use fairly often in baking and drinks! i think it's important to learn about where your food comes from and the labor that goes into it, so this got me curious about how other spices are harvested as well.

[Caitlin]

I had no idea bamboo salt was a thing, either! To see the amount of salt vs. the amount of other spices (I think that's the word they used) in a graph form was very effective when looking at the bamboo salt. I wonder if you can get it at a grocery store or something to cook with...? I'd be interested in trying it!

The process of watching the man making the cinnamon was amazing! I had no idea how any of this was made! I stopped watching the video after the part with the man making the cinnamon, but that for me, was really very interesting! I'll probably be finishing the video later when I have more time to watch!

[Jennifer]

I've had ceylon cinnamon! I mean in cheap powder form lol But anymore i just buy the cheap stuff. It definitely was interesting to see why they are different.

I've heard of bamboo salt in the past, but I couldn't remember where until they said it is used in toothpastes in korea. It was probably just a buzz word from all those korean beauty products.

cardamom is the bane of my existence. Haha I have whole bag in my freezer and I hate smashing the pods.

It was really interesting to see the cloves because it has been clear I've only gotten cheap 3rd grade cloves because Ive never seen those buds. I remember when i was younger shoving the whole cloves into orange, and it smelled so good but when I tried doing it as I was older the price stopped me. I now sub allspice for cloves in a recipe.

I find this all so fascinating. I remember looking at the spice catalogue my mom would get and wonder what made all these spices so different, and I think that answered some of my questions. It is a little weird not having saffron on there. If anyone wants to there is a cool Gastropod (podcast) episode on saffron. Made me want to buy a plant and try growing it in my own garden lol
https://gastropod.com/meet-saffron-the- ... ive-spice/

[Ouji]

Ouji:

Food Network (Round #): tacobell12, mango12, sweetpotatofries08

Elijah:

Food Network (Round #): takoyaki12, angelfoodcake01, tofu14

Caitlin:

Food Network (Round #): chamomiletea12, cinnamon09, sushi04

Jennifer:

Food Network (Round #): salmon01, banana09, donuthole19