- Hi, everyone, I'm Emely.
- And I'm Tucker.
- I'm Dominican.
- And I'm half Chinese.
- And today we are swapping foods.
- We're gonna try each other's favorite foods
from our respective cultures.
(Emely screams)
- Okay.
Dominican Pastelitos.
- What's the difference between a Pastelito and an Empanada?
- We just say Pastelito.
- Oh, okay. (Emely laughs)
- It's an Empanada.
- [Tucker] These are soup dumplings,
rice roll,
and this is a shrimp ball.
- Oh, I can't do the shrimp one.
- Oh, are you allergic to shrimp there too?
Oh, no. (both giggling)
- It's okay.
- We can, oh God.
- If you don't see Pastelitos in any celebration,
they're doing it wrong.
- They're gonna end in some sort of divorce
or? - Yeah.
- Should we swap? - Yeah.
♪ Swap ♪
- Take like a little bite, and suck the soup out of it.
- Kinda juicy.
♪ Juicy ♪
No, I'm kidding. I like this.
I would eat like a hundred.
No ifs, ands, or buts, like I would eat a hundred.
I would eat a hundred of these.
Also, is it bad that I'm eating it with my fingers?
I could literally eat a hundred of these.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- I'm not lying.
- It's so good.
I love this.
- Well, here's how I eat it.
I go for the meat first and then the edge.
- Mmm.
- Some people love just like the edge,
which, I think it's crazy just to want the edge.
So, no offense, but.
- It's kinda like someone who eats pizza crust first.
- Yeah. (Tucker laughs)
- It's not a normal thing to do
and it's kind of (beep) up that they do that.
- Say that one more time.
- That's fine. - Good.
- Good.
So, we have now Pork Bun.
- How do you usually,
do you just like pick it up?
- I think you can pick that one up.
- And then just bite it? - Yeah.
- What is the cream?
- The cream?
- This is good.
- I'm happy that it ended up being good.
- [Emely] We are swapping soups.
Sopa de Pata de Vaca. Cow Hoof Soup.
My mom likes to make this when we're like really sick.
We also eat soup when it's like scorching hot outside.
It's like 90 degrees. - Yeah, I think that helps.
- Latino parents, they're like, it's very hot outside,
I think I should make some soup.
Like. (giggles) - Yeah.
My mom only says that if you eat hot food
when it's hot outside,
it makes the outside feel less hot.
Which I don't think is science.
I think that's just. (Tucker and Emely laugh)
And this is Hot and Sour Soup,
and then this is Egg Drop Soup.
They like, take eggs and they beat it up.
Beat it up? They beat it.
(Both laugh)
- Beat up the egg!
- You kick the crap outta the eggs.
- It's very gooey. Okay.
It's very soft.
Trying it, I'm like, oh, I'm gonna be Zen,
I'm gonna be chill, like, (Tucker chuckles)
okay, that's fine.
With Dominican soups, like,
their goal is to get you full!
I thought it was gonna be like raw.
- Oh, it cooks in the yeah, yeah. - Oh!
- It cooks in like the hot broth. - Okay.
Do you have this by itself? - Mm-hmm.
- With nothing?
- Yeah.
- You don't dip anything on it?
- Yeah.
- I like this one.
It's so good.
It's also hot, but it's not like,
spicy, that I'm like oh, like, you know?
- Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- I would understand like eating this when I'm sick
or on a really hot day.
(Tucker hums)
(Emely cheers)
- I really like this, like the gelatinous,
but I could understand that if people don't like it.
- I usually don't eat this.
Like I wouldn't eat that, but!
- So, you don't like this?
To clarify, you don't like this,
but you're feeding to me? Or?
- No, but like, how do I say this?
Just the meat.
Like the small little thing in there, I would eat it.
Not this big thing.
This is Mondongo, Dominican-Style Tripe Soup.
- And Tripe is the stomach lining or stomach? Yeah.
- Yes. I used to like it as a kid.
Not anymore. I don't, I don't know.
Maybe I should get into it.
- Wait, so, you've given me two things
that you don't really like?
- But everybody else in the culture likes!
o, why not?
- I liked the other one.
- You did? - [Tucker] Yeah.
- You see?
No problem here.
- You just don't like it.
I'm just, just to set my real high expectations.
- I like it, but it's not my favorite.
- Okay. Yeah. Yeah. That's fine. That's fine.
Okay, yeah, yeah.
- Just to let you know.
- [Tucker] This is Roast Pork,
and then this one is Mapo Tofu,
and I love them.
- Ah, I'm messing it up.
- That you eat with rice, yeah.
- Mmm. It has like a nice kick.
- Your chopstick are up upside down, also.
- Really? - Yeah.
- Why didn't you tell me?
- I just noticed.
- Oh, you're telling me now.
I think I'm just gonna use the spoon.
I don't wanna disrespect anyone.
Um.
Mix this and this?
- Yeah. It's like a sauce.
- It's just me chewing.
- There's always that awkward, eating moment of it.
- It's like crunchy, but then soft and sweet.
Mm, this is just me eating like enjoying myself.
This is very sweet.
This is very savory.
- Mondoto?
- Mondongo. - Mondongo.
- Mm-hm.
I'm nervous. What if you don't like it?
- I'm sure I'll like it.
Well, I'm not sure. We'll see.
That's really good.
Like the fat of the tripe, like melted into the soup.
- Oh, yeah.
- And like that like is coating my mouth and it's so nice.
It's really good.
- I'm glad you like it.
You say Mondongo to anyone,
especially like Dominican men,
and they're like, oh, like we're gonna eat good.
(laughs)
- My mom, whenever she would go to the Asian market,
she would give me that.
Yeah, little snacks for her first born son.
- These are snacks for you?
- Well, yeah.
- This is a whole meal!
10 out of 10. - Great.
(claps) - Yay.
All right, these are the drinks.
We say Country cloob, but it's Country Club.
(laughs)
And then this is Mori Sonando,
which is orange juice and milk.
- What's that translate to?
- "Die dreaming"?
- What?
- Die dreaming.
- Die dreaming?
- Yeah. Die dreaming.
- This is Sanzo. It's yuzu flavor with ginger.
- Wait, why does this taste just like lemonade?
- It's like a citrus.
- Oh!
It's not your regular schmegular lemonade.
- Yeah. It's not regular schmegular.
This is your favorite? - Yeah.
So good.
- Ooh, yeah! That's really good. Yeah.
- So good!
- What is it called? Nightmare drink?
- No, Mori Sonando, which is die dreaming.
- Oh, not nightmare.
Just die dreaming. - [Emely] Yeah.
- Okay. Yeah.
(Tucker hums)
- It's good?
- Yeah. It's great.
- I was nervous 'cause it's like orange juice and milk.
Sometimes when I like tell people, they're like what?
- It's a cream-sicle. (Emely cheers)
Cheers!
- The hot and sour soup is my top.
It wasn't spicy. It was just right.
Number two is the pork bun.
Oh my gosh!
I think I'm actually gonna take that home with me.
- My first favorite would be that chicken empanada.
- Chicken pastelito. - Pastelito.
The chicken pastelito is my favorite.
- Boom, pastelitos!
- I'm so happy that you liked it
because I got nervous a little bit
that you weren't gonna like it, so.
- No, I was nervous that you weren't gonna like my stuff,
to be honest.
- Thank you so much for sharing your food with me.
- Thank you.
Bye!
(upbeat music)