(lively music) (background chatter)
- Hello, and welcome to the channel.
Today, two of our normal home cooks,
Barry and Jamie,
will be blind taste testing two very similar plates of food,
except one has been made with a more premium ingredient.
The question is, can they identify which,
and is it worth spending your money on?
Perhaps we can all find places
we can save a few pennies.
- Bring it.
(lively music continues)
Round number one,
you've got two plates in front of you, A and B.
Start with A.
And for this one you shouldn't need be cutlery.
- You sure?
It's got a flower on top.
(upbeat music) Mm.
- Broadly speaking, what are we talking about here?
What are you holding?
- A chicken wing.
- [Ben] Correct. - Ooh!
- Absolutely delicious.
- I'm getting a bit of heat.
- Try B and see if you can identify a point of difference.
Plated the same, made the same,
weights, measurements, times, and temperatures.
The only thing that changed, one ingredient.
- Oh, this is really hard.
I feel like I had two very different bits of chicken.
- It feels more umami.
- The chicken wings have been tossed in
all sorts of delicious flavours and some butter,
but it's one of those flavours we want you to try
and see a point of difference in.
- Is it spices?
Is it premium spices?
- It is specifically chilli,
a chilli powder. - Okay.
- And the reason we do this is with sight
and preconceptions removed,
is there really any taste difference?
And if there is, is that difference worth paying for?
- What I can say is that B
is far more subtle in overall flavour than A.
I feel like I'm getting a bit more spice
and a bit more fruitiness from A.
- B feels like it's got more of a funk to it.
It feels like the chilies might have been aged
or smoked chilies of some sort.
- Okay, so I need to lock in your answer.
Which do you think is the premium chilli powder?
And in this instance, premium means more expensive.
- I'm gonna say B is the more premium chilli powder.
- Because I'm getting more from A,
I'm going to have to say that A is the premium.
- Okay. A is locked in.
You can take your blindfold off.
Now you can see is there any visual difference?
- [Jamie] Not by look.
- [Barry] Again, visually can't see much difference.
- I was getting far more flavour from A,
like in terms of a roundness, a fruitiness,
and probably a bit more heat.
- Same level as heat spice,
but B has more perfume.
It's more perfumed.
It's more aromatic.
I'm confident in my answer.
- In that case,
I can reveal to you that the
premium chilli powder is A.
- Yes! - (Beep)!
- Both are Kashmiri chilli powder.
So a specific chilli from a specific region,
kind of north of India.
And it's kind of known for its bright vibrant red colour
and chilli flavour,
but not too much heat.
So A is Zest and Zing Kashmiri chilli powder.
So a particular region of India, Kashmire,
and a particular chilli.
Whereas B is exactly the same,
but by a different brand, TRS.
- I really couldn't like tell them apart.
Like I was looking for nuances
rather than thing that was going jumping out
and saying that is definitely more premium.
Really tricky round to start on.
- What we would say though
is that if you're buying chilli powder, generic,
you probably would identify quite a difference
cause it's made of all sorts of different chilies.
If you're focusing in on something
that's gonna give you colour and flavour,
without too much heat,
go for a Kashmiri chilli powder.
The question is, would you pick the premium?
So the TRS brand was
£1 for the bag.
That's a hundred grammes, makes £10 per kilo.
- £10 per kilo.
I reckon I'm spending double that
currently in supermarkets.
So £20 a kilo,
therefore that's gonna be outrageous.
That's gonna be like £40 per kilo.
- I reckon that's going on for £50 a kilo
- The more premium in this instance is £367 per kilo,
more than 36 times the price.
- No way. So what was that?
- That was £7.35.
- That was £7.
Both dishes are incredible,
but I have to stand by the one I picked.
I think B is more to my liking.
- Will you be stocking Kashmiri at home?
And if you do, which one?
- I would definitely give it a go.
That is a really lovely spice
and something that's quite different
to the usual chilli powder that I have at home.
But I'm gonna go to the World Food aisle
and buy the cheaper version.
There is no need for that.
- I think in this instance, we'd all say,
source spices outside of the supermarket aisle if you can,
they will be naturally cheaper in bigger bags.
And go to the brands that have been doing it forever
and ever because it's good stuff.
(upbeat music)
Okay, plate number two.
I've given you a spoon.
Again, we've got A and B.
Start with A.
What are you giggling at?
- A spoon and a bowl is not a good start
to a blindfold format.
- Oh.
- Mm. - Wow!
Is that some sort of Ravioli?
- I didn't get any flavour from one bit,
but I got the texture of, I think, mozzarella.
- It is essentially a filled pasta,
selection of other things in the bowl.
Maybe try B.
Plated exactly the same, made exactly the same.
- Whoa, okay.
That is a completely different dish.
- What's different about it?
- It's a lot more frequent.
The cream is a lot denser.
- I feel like the texture
I was getting was from pine nuts.
And if the texture that I'm getting is from pine nuts
then what I'm tasting,
well, I couldn't identify properly is pesto.
- Correct, it's the pesto you're looking for.
Very finely made egg yolk pasta
with a filling of ricotta and pesto.
- Ricotta, not mozzarella.
- I want you to pick which is premium.
- B.
- Why do you think it's B?
- The aroma straight away.
I know fresh, delicious pesto
is only three or four ingredients.
- I'm getting all of the flavour of pesto from A
and I'm getting none of it from B.
I'm getting more of the taste of the ricotta
coming through on B.
A is the premium.
- You've locked in A as your premium.
You can take the blindfold off.
The thing you're looking at is inside a parcel
so the blindfold makes very little difference.
Let me show you the pestos on their own.
- Tricky game here now.
- Why is that tricky?
What's your preconception of a pesto?
Pesto being a pounded sauce.
- One looks more handmade,
like in a pestle mortar.
Which made me think that's more premium.
But at the same time,
I know one of the most important ingredients
in a good pesto is delicious olive oil
and that is swimming in this stuff.
- So what's happened here, Ebbers, is I've screwed it.
- You think, not you can,
but you think you change your mind.
- I think I would change my mind.
Like to me A has got all the hallmarks of
a standard supermarket jar of pesto.
There's nothing wrong with that.
When you have B on its own, the oil is delicious.
It's smooth.
I'm getting so much more of the cheese through that.
It's really, really rich and delicious.
And I'm really angry that I didn't get that.
- I can now tell you that the premium pesto.
- Yeah. - [Ben] Is-
- B, definitely B. Definitely B.
B - [Ben] B.
- Yes.
- What you have in front of you
A is Sainsbury's green pesto.
Whereas B is Filotea pesto from Italy.
So the more premium is made
with basil that has D O P status.
So from the EU basically protected from the region
in which it's grown,
which is the traditional way of making it.
However, what's interesting is that
A has more basil in it.
It's just not from that same region.
It could be grown anywhere.
It's also bulked out with potato flakes
and A the cheaper option
is predominantly sunflower oil
with a little bit of olive oil.
Whereas B the premium is olive oil.
I thought what was fascinating was
you were picking out pine nuts,
both are made with cashew nuts.
- Oh. - And a tiny, tiny, tiny
percentage of pine nut.
- Why? - Cost, I would imagine.
So A, the Sainsbury's green pesto
only has half a percent of pine nut,
cashew nut being the bulk.
And interestingly, even the premium one
is made with both cashews and pine nuts.
But let's talk about price.
A, Sainsbury's green pesto,
£4.70 per kilo.
As always, there are various other products
and brands that would sit between these two.
How much is our premium pesto?
- I actually think as a product
that is more than twice as good than that one.
So I'm happy to jump up the price by more than half.
So let's say that's £15 per kilo.
- Is it about £100 per kilo?
- The price per kilo, is £52.70.
- As convenience, it's really hard to beat this.
- With this one,
I would not want to just stir it through pasta
'cause I feel like I wouldn't be doing it justice.
I would want to be making my own pasta
and putting it inside
and actually treating it properly
to make the most of that.
- Halfway there. Let's move on to round number three.
(upbeat music)
Round number three,
a beautiful dish that I'm sure will be really easy to eat
with a knife and fork.
- Oh, good.
It's spiky. Why is it spiky?
- There is cutlery but I won't be offended
if you go in with your fingers.
- Oh, oh. It's like spiky and jelly at the same time.
Is it spiky jellyfish?
(Ben laughs)
- What was that?
- This is not a sandwich.
- Cold, it's sweet. It's fruity.
- [Ben] What are you chewing on?
- I genuinely don't know.
I can't work it out.
- Like a taurine.
- Very good.
- [Ben] Or a ham hock.
Some cornichons and some parsley, a few other elements on the plate.
- Oh no, really?
- [Ben] Don't suck it.
- It's delicious.
- Good. Try plate B
and see if there's any standout differences.
And therefore we need you to pick the premium.
- I think there's something different with like,
the meat jelly.
I dunno what goes into the jelly?
Is it like a brandy or something?
Is it alcohol?
- No. - [Jamie] No.
- We're looking at like cider.
We're looking at like a,
is it apple cider jelly?
- The ingredient we are looking at is cider vinegar
and yes, made from apples.
One is made with a fairly basic supermarket cider vinegar.
One is made with a more premium apple cider vinegar.
- The reason I got it from this one
because this one tastes a lot like apples.
It tastes like apple sauce.
- There is cider vinegar to pickle the radish,
also in the jelly,
and sort of seasoning through taurine.
But the question is,
which one there do you think is the premium?
- Oh, I dunno!
- Oh Ebbers, it's hard.
- B I prefer cause it's sweet and delicious.
But A has a tang.
It's slightly more subtle
and probably a little bit more grown up.
- A, I feel it's slightly more harsh
on the back of the throat.
- [Ben] Okay.
- And in my mind,
that says it's not been as refined as B
and it's probably cheaper.
So B is my premium.
- I prefer B.
- Is that your premium?
- Yes.
- You're locking in B is your premium.
You can move the blindfold, have a look,
see if that makes any difference.
- Oh, I'm so sorry.
- Oh, I made a mess with that.
- I can't see a visual difference.
- [Ben] What about like this?
- Oh, maybe like that!
(upbeat music)
- B is so much more delicious.
There's so much more applely.
- Oh yeah. That's like fruit juice.
Whereas A is vinegar with a hint of apple.
- I'm happy with my answer.
- I can reveal that in this round
the premium apple cider vinegar
is B. - Yes.
- A is Waitrose Essential True's Apple Cider Vinegar.
And B is Belazu apple vinegar.
This one taste towards used Catalonia apples
and is more refined.
Interestingly, when you think about how it's made
essentially apples are crushed.
The natural yeasts from the outside of the skin,
sometimes with added yeast to keep more control,
allows it to ferment into alcohol,
the sugars into alcohol.
Then it goes to a second fermentation with added bacteria
and yeasts to turn that alcohol into a ascetic acid.
Both of those are about 5% acid,
95% water.
- It's very surprising to me because I didn't know that
apple cider vinegar could taste like that.
I thought the whole point of it
was its gonna be acidic and sharp.
- But let's talk price.
Again, let's look at this per litre.
The basic version is £2.40 per litre.
- [Barry] Yep.
- How much for the Belazu sweet apple cider vinegar?
- £14.
- £20.
- Pretty damn close,
£19.80 per litre.
- [Jamie] I worked it out
cause I thought I'd pay five quid for that.
- And would you pay five quid for that
now you've tasted it?
- I would pay five quid for that
because that is adding more than the 5%
that I presumed in the back of my mind that it would add.
That makes a much bigger difference.
And you don't use much of it at a time.
So although you'd pay five pounds for that bottle
that will still last quite a while.
- It's a completely different product.
This you splash into equal your seasoning ratios.
This you'd put in for flavour.
- So far, you've got two out of three
as we go into the final round.
(upbeat music)
Last one, round four, same as before, A and B.
Off you go number A, letter A.
- [Barry] Is this a donut?
- It feels like a donut.
- [Ben] Yep.
- Oh yes. Okay, right.
(upbeat music continues)
Oh my God.
- [Ben] What you getting?
- Mustard!
- I think I like it.
(Ben laughs) - Sounded hesitant.
Why, are you confused?
- When you go in expecting jam, you get mustard,
it's (beep) confusing.
- I'm glad you've identified it mustard
as the key flavour.
What you have is a savoury donut filled
with a mustard heavy mornay sauce.
- Good mustard.
It's not too spicy.
And I like a spicy mustard.
- Where's number B?
There it is.
(lively music)
- I can taste cheese in this donut.
Whereas in A, I could only taste mustard.
- What I can confirm is both have the same ratio
of mornay sauce to mustard.
- A subtlety of mustard in B.
- B is a generic mustard flavour, good mustard.
I'd happy put inside of a ham sandwich, not a donut.
A is taking me on a ride.
- Which is your preferred?
And more importantly,
I want you to pick the premium.
- I think with mustard,
you want to pay more money
for the subtleties of the flavour of mustard.
And therefore my premium is number B.
- When it comes to mustard,
I like the heat.
I like the experience.
I like the ride it takes me on.
Doesn't always mean it's gonna be the most premium,
but it's definitely the one I prefer.
So A is the premium.
- [Ben] You can take your blindfold off.
- Hello, whoa!
That's a weird looking donut.
- Any visual differences?
- B is a slightly more striking yellow,
bit more of a gloss to A.
- B is much smoother than A,
which feels like it's got a bit of separation going on.
But again, that could be a good thing.
It could be a bad thing.
It completely depends on the ingredient.
- Ah, I think I got this wrong.
'Cause A is all heat, very little mustard flavour.
I had an appreciated flavour from B
because getting hit by the experience of A.
- I can confirm that in this round,
the premium- - It's probably B.
- [Ben] Is- - I should have gone for B.
- [Ben] A, you were correct.
A is Tracklements mustard.
Whereas B is Sainsbury's basic mustard.
Now, when you look at the ingredients list
on both and compare them,
A the premium mustard quite literally
has twice as much mustard.
- Oh wow, that's why it blows your face off.
- B has some mustard, but also more sugar.
Plus it's bulked out with wheat flour
as well as mustard flour.
So isn't gluten free, like A is.
The cheaper one has other emulsifier like Xanthan gum,
which makes it very smooth glossy and no separation.
Whereas A, more wholesome ingredients
that we perhaps recognise more.
- I'm glad I stuck with my guns on that one.
I went for my favourite.
- As hot as the devil's pitchfork.
- That's how they pitch it.
And what I love is the name,
Tracklements means the medical condition
in which you pull weightlifters strain face involuntarily.
- This one delivers every time.
I can't not pull that face when you eat it.
- Let's talk price.
- [Barry] Yes, please.
- B, the more basic version is £2.50 per kilo.
- [Barry] Okay.
- How much per kilo for the more premium?
- £12.
- £15 per kilo.
- [Ben] Pretty close, 14.
So again, it's more than 10 times the price.
- In that case, I'd rather buy this
than I would the basic range.
Because when I want mustard, I want mustard.
Gimme mustard, gimme it straight.
- I think for me,
they serve two different purposes.
That's the good one
and that's one to savour,
whereas that you could put into things
and not think too much about where it's going.
- As with all these ingredients,
it's all down to application.
(upbeat music)
- Hello. - Hello.
- Hello.
- Hello. - Hello
- Scores on the doors.
Remember the winner gets to take home
the premium ingredients.
Today's winner with one point more is Barry.
(Barry cheers) - No!
- Three out of four correct Baz
- I'm back, baby.
- A mixed bag today.
But now it's over to you guys.
Do you regularly buy any of those four ingredients
in your weekly shop?
And if so, which end of the scale do you go,
basic or more premium?
Comment down below.
- Also give this video a like
if you wanna see more blindfolded taste testing.
- Should we get Ebbers back in the hot seat for these?
- Yeah, let's do that.
- Let's put Ebbers in a blindfold.
- Eating with his hands. - Yes.
Or his feet. (cast laughs)
- (Jamie gags) Sorry.
- I need a shower.
- See you next Wednesday.
(long beep)
(Jamie coughs)
- It went up my nose.
- Did you sniff so hard that you got a spring onion,
off the thing you're holding
and it just shot up your nose?
- Maybe.