Thanks everyone who has been watching the channel over the years. And if you are new here, welcome. Here's a playlist of other episodes you may like: th-cam.com/play/PLvGFkMrO1ZxJldWKpSAhhnxuPYVeCt8oj.html
Quality production. A lot of thought and effort (and time!) must have gone into it. It is the travelling to these fabulous tropical places and trying out the local food dishes that brings all the initial research to life.
when you hear him repeating drivel like spices were used to cover up spoiled food as a fact it really makes it hard to trust the rest of the 'facts' we hear in the doc.
This is such an amazing documentary. I teach for a living and I would love to show this to my students as a way to understand the humanity of the spice trade. History and geography is so often dry, boring stuff, but then you see this and it reminds you that everything in history is real, that it happened to real people and that the effects of that history are still being felt today. It makes it feel real. Thank you for making this.
So glad to hear it. The most amazing thing with this trip was seeing the places I was reading about come to life. I really wanted to share that experience
I was once a young student. I can tell you... if I was under 18, the only thing I'd remember is Nutmeg is a hallucinogen! And the Dutch people were evil to the banded knees peoples...
@@WeirdExplorerI think something important that you missed is that the rise of the spice trade coincided with the rise of the sugar industry. Most of these spices were used in sweet porridges, drinks, and desserts. Portugal especially started sugar plantations on Madeira and the Cape Verde islands. This sugar plantation model was later spread to the Americas by the Portuguese and Spanish.
I am from Fort Smith, Arkansas, and i don't get to get out and travel, so the next best thing is to watch people like you discover the world and our histories. Thank you for sharing.
Not sure how long you can keep up this pace, but the quality of your work with these historical pieces is amazing. I hope people watch it through to hear the story of the Bandanese and how they're barely hanging on. It's obvious by some of the comments below that people haven't done so - or have drawn the wrong conclusion from the story here. There are so many endangered cultures and languages across the world, with governments wanting to homogenise their populations and media and telecoms deterring people from speaking their own languages, and perhaps this piece will spotlight a nearly-forgotten people.
Woah, this video is a real mix of a fruit review, historical overview, and a cultural documentary! Perhaps one of the best videos you've ever made. And a gem on youtube that's better than many movies!
I never thought I'd be watching a full length film about nutmeg, but this was amazing and had me captivated the entire way through. Thank you for making this wonderful film.
I friggin love this content. The depth that you go to, the length of the video, it's all what I'm here for! Reminds me of the old-fashioned history channel or Discovery. Just promise me you'll never do a segment on fruit from aliens 😉
@@WeirdExplorer OOOOOH IN THAT CASE YOU SHOULD LOOK INTO SILPHIUM!!!! It has recently been potentially rediscovered after going missing during Roman times. Its kind of obtained a legendary status, so potentially rediscovering it is almost like actually finding a legendary plant of sorts. It was a VERY famous plant in the ancient world. Natgeo ran a piece on it which is probably a good start.
@@WeirdExplorer OOOOOH IN THAT CASE YOU SHOULD LOOK INTO SILPHIUM!!!! It has recently been potentially rediscovered after going missing during Roman times. Its kind of obtained a legendary status, so potentially rediscovering it is almost like actually finding a legendary plant of sorts. It was a VERY famous plant in the ancient world.
Hey! What were you doing in my neck of the woods at 34:15 there? People flying to eastern Indonesia usually transit through Makassar, not Banjarmasin. For a moment, I got my hopes up, thinking you might have done a video in my hometown in the Indonesian province of South Kalimantan! 😆 Anyway, this is such a great video about the origin and history of nutmeg. It’s fascinating yet bittersweet because, sadly, most people today barely know about the Spice Islands (Maluku), unlike the old days when Western powers were fighting over them. As an Indonesian, I find it such a shame; not just because of the lost historical awareness but also because visiting these islands is still expensive and complicated, even for us. That’s unfortunate because Maluku is breathtakingly beautiful, with so much history waiting to be explored, from the old forts left behind by the Portuguese, Spanish, and Dutch to the local culture that has endured through the centuries. I really loved how you traced the Bandanese people’s journey all the way to the Kei Islands. That’s a perspective we don’t often hear about. And when you were in Malaysia, the nutmeg products you tried were great, but they leaned more toward the modern adaptations made by the ethnic Chinese community there. Discovering how the Bandanese people themselves use nutmeg in their cuisine? Now, that’s something truly special and unique. Cheers to your adventures! Looking forward to seeing where you take us next. Keep it up! 🍻
All the various shots of grinding nutmeg and nutmeg grinders as transitions was very artistic and well done. Thank you for sharing this tremendous content with us all for free.
This vid was such a pleasant surprise. I live in Balik Pulau literally minutes from the nutmeg farms, and get my nutmeg from some of those very shops you visited ❤
@@WeirdExplorer haha yeah that spot would be the best bet. They process and make most of the stuff there. I tend to beeline there for nutmeg juice in their many assorted bottles to stock up the fridge 😊 Discovered your channel thru this vid. The algo overlords did their job well. Your content and the effort you put into it is so totally underrated.
Certified Gigachad Jared drops a 2-hour vid on nutmeg? That's why he's the GOAT! Congrats on reaching the 800 episode milestone! 🎊 Always love the fruit videos!
I'm a Dutch old fart and I'm glad I watched this video to the end. I've been aware of the violent and lethal history of the VOC, Coen, the Banda Island and the Dutch East Indies since I was at Uni in the 1980s, but I was much surprised to learn about the Bandanese in the Kai Islands. Thanks for that! In primary school I was taught the Dutch side of colonial history, be it a bit red-faced because we lost the East Indies just two decades ago. For many Dutch that was economically or ideologically traumatic. It's only in recent years that the Dutch government is a bit more apologetic about our exploitation and abuse of Indonesia.
As an Indonesian i can said that your documentary about nutmeg is one of the best in English language, heck your's maybe even better than locals documentary. The story is so deep and interesting, not many people know about Wandan people even here in Indonesia, it's especially rare for Western people to know about this. For all off your work here i salute you.
DUDE THIS WAS AMAZING! I had NO idea about any of this besides footnotes, this was an incredible spotlight. If not for this, maybe many of us wouldn't know. Thanks, man. Thanks so much, this video is my absolute favourite of yours. I can feel the effort and reverence for everything, the gravity and the highs and lows.
Those bandanese elders talking w tears in their eyes made me cry like a baby , this was something else you out did yourself and thank you for the dedication to a single fruit
It was such a punch in the gut to get this kind of response, which is why I left part untranslated. He was only saying his family name and that they originally fled from Rhun. But its such a heavy history.
I'm glad to see that the Banda islands don't look too urbanized. After learning about how Madagascar is seeing massive deforestation, I was a tad worried that these islands might have had a lot of land cleared out because of the spice trade. It does help that because nutmeg comes from the fruit, there is a big incentive to *not* cut down the trees.
Yeah! There is a lot of deforestation throughout Indonesia, mostly to grow palm oil. But the areas I visited in the Maluku islands didn't seem effected by it so much.
The quality content keeps coming :) I've been following you around 6-7 years and you're one of the best content creators ever. Actual content man. Please keep being a source of reference on fruit, since I don't think there's anyone out there who can replace you.
What a slamdunk of a video. That was super interesting, and perfectly fitting to what your channel is all about - so much more information than the typical superficial info videos you tend to find on TH-cam these days. I loved it, thank you!!
That was a wonderful and very human story that you started doing all because of some fruit. Part way through the video i was thinking "this could probably be edited down a little", but by the end of it i realised that all the little asides, the little hikes up the mountain and everything. Those slow scenic parts of the video gave you a sense of place and people, a glimpse into the lives of these people and where they come from; and the tragedy wrought by colonialism. Great video! I have to wonder just how many nutmeg graters do you now own though?
I once visited Grenada on an adventure vacation, with the goal of experiencing a cacao farm and meeting a local chocolate producer. Walking down the road, I saw these large trees with split "peaches" that had dark red centers. Then I saw baskets full of, what I would later learn was mace, drying in the sun. I thought they looked like alien brains. What a cool plant....and now I know, not so cool history.
@@WeirdExplorer It's a surprisingly quick flight from NYC. You'd get a kick out of riding across the island on their "buses," which are really just vans that have been converted to have as many seats as possible. The people and culture are beautiful. I went to the Grenada Chocolate Company. The founder had a whole collection of youtube videos, and I was hoping to meet him, but it turned out he passed away after falling off a ladder. I learned that after arriving and asking if it was possible to meet him. But now the company is locally owned and operated, and you can taste the fresh chocolate as it comes out of the molds. It's the best chocolate I've ever had, and tasted like bananas. The streets around the farm and chocolate factory (really just a house) are lined with cocoa trees and nutmeg. Hopefully hurricane Beryl didn't decimate the area this past June.
Amazing video. It deserves much more love. ❤ I didn't expect it to get so heavy but I knew it would once I saw the logo for the dutch east india company. Sadly colonization is still going on. From a descendant of colonized people it's important to preserve cultures and languages as much as possible, for future generations. I always admire indigenous people that despite all odds have managed to preserve their culture and native tongue. It's also important to not forget the history of these people, not just from the perspective of the colonizers.
As a settler who has chosen a life of decolonial activism living on unceded Tongva land on the West Coast of Turtle Island, who works in community with the people my ancestors committed genocide against… and also someone who has been watching your short form videos for over a year and a half now… I deeply appreciate this video.
I cannot believed I’d finish watching an almost 2 hours documentary. Respect and gratitude for your efforts making these video! If you come KL again I’ll treat you a nutmeg cuisine!
Man, that's awesome that the Bandanese people were able to maintain their own authority of their island. It's nice to see an example of an indigenous people able to continue being sovereign over their own land up until today. Just imagine if other indigenous populations around the world were able to fight off western/eastern powers in the same way.
I agree that it's awesome, but sovereign indigenous people directly contradict capitalism. Our system depends on eternal economic growth. Indigenous people are a market to be conquered and exploited.
@robertschnobert9090 What I'm saying is it's interesting to see an example of a people that were already playing the capitalist game when the capitalists arrived. So they were able to prosper up until today.
amazing video ❤❤ as you've grown to bigger and bigger opportunities, you've always exemplified the balance of the privilege to go & do extraordinary things, and the respect & groundedness to treat that life with respect.. amazing, keep up the great work and keep following those powerful feelings & experiences, the only one who can be you the best is you :)
So happy to have been able to see this awesome movie in person. Thank you so much Jared for sharing the candied nutmeg with everyone! Keep up the amazing work.
You're nuts for creating such a worthwhile video. What a treat! (After watching the video, I am glad you had such an awesome adventure. I'm sure some historians and other people would love to have done something like this. Like a 'once in a lifetime opportunity' that most humans don't/can't ever do! As someone interested and invested in history, this is such a valuable video. Not only cause it mentions stuff from 400 years ago, but because there is so much atmosphere/flavor/texture that is both modern and old. 'Time goes by but the fruit tree still stands...' or something like that.)
I love that a curiosity about the spice lead to a excellent story about the people who grew it and defended themselves until it was prudent that they move to save themselves. I’ve liked nutmeg and mace for many years and have a deeper appreciation of it now. Many thanks and best wishes to the Bandanese people.
I have a few things I want to comment on: 1) I had to spend a night in Newark airport once. It might or might not be the worst airport in the world, but it's the worst I've been through. There is hostile architecture inside the airport terminals, after security. Why? It's an airport, god forbid people be tired while traveling and want to lay down. The food prices are absolutely insane too. We're talking $15 for even a small self-checkout grab-and-go coldcut sandwich. 2) I'm enjoying the effort put into the interstitials. More of that, please. 3) The way you're pronouncing Melacca is funny to me because I know a bit of Greek and it sounds exactly like the common Greek insult μαλακα (malaka) 4) I appreciate that you're teaching the untold history here. That's the sort of thing I'm always eager to hear more about.
Thank you for coming to my country, especially to Maluku. I really love fruits, so one day 6 or 7 years ago I searched for video about fruit and that's when I found your channel. I have watched yours since then. And thank you for making this video, I know this story from school and from my families, but I never go there and see it. If you stop at Penang, I would be very dissapointed.
This video turned out to be so much cooler than expected. What a great history lesson and a treat with all the views. Makes me want to make these trips myself.
I haven't finished the video. But I just wanted to say that I absolutely love your long form videos. I already know a fair amount of the history behind nutmeg, and as I can see from the videos title. It seems like you're ACTUALLY going to get into a lot of the details that most people don't know about. And I absolutely love that you're doing that/made this video.
Your content is essentially of the calibre of the documentaries I used to watch back when documentaries were more profitable for media companies to produce and air. I have been watching you for years. I am impressed. I cannot wait to see what content you will produce in the coming years! And, I hope to get to Penang at least in the next few years to try some of the nutmeg products you've introduced here. I'd love to try nutmeg jam! Cheers.
unlike many youtube historical videos, this one is well researched, presented in a likable format, pronounced correctly, with correct grammar and thoroughly enjoyable. Had no problem watching it from beginning to end. Thank you for your very hard work
I like nutmeg because it has a very specific flavor that seems to change whether it's put on savory or sweet things. I totally understand why it was so sought after when spices were expensive and rare. Mace is a bit like cinnamon, a bit like black pepper.
Very very well done. Got my full attention once the history kicked in. Brilliantly told even though its so horrific to know where to begin. My heart went out to the village chief who was asked his name but told the whole history by his reaction. Enough said.
As someone with significant Dutch heritage and history from Indonesia during those times (now Australia) it’s really interesting to think about that volcanic eruption and the timing of it, and how I probably wouldn’t exist without that eruption at that point. Don’t even have to go far down the butterfly effect wormhole, my great grandfather simply wouldn’t have gotten the important job he did there at that point, and my ‘thread’ would disappear. Of course all our histories are like this, especially with the world wars following, but I never knew of that particular eruption at that point, so it was a learning moment. I really like this long form historic deep dive format, and looking forward to more. It’s obvious how much serious work this single episode was for you. Well done, and thanks.
Fun fact: nutmeg has psychotropic (and worse at higher doses) effects if you eat too much of it. Found this out the hard way when I made some wassail and dropped too many nutmeg seeds in the spice bag.
I would expect this quality from a National Geographic documentary not a guy from TH-cam, but here we are. You did an excellent job telling a story that is swept under the rug in Europe. Before today, all I knew about nutmeg is, it is a spice with a skeleton in the closet. I never knew what put that skeleton in the closet, but now I know their is more than one skeleton and who put them in there. I know their are other spices with skeletons in their respective closets.
What a beautiful documentary. You really went above and beyond on this one, thank you. My heart goes out to the beautiful people who are the descendants of those who fled the genocide. I wish there were a way they could be repatriated to their homeland if that’s what they wanted for themselves.
Beautiful video we so often focus on what the European states gained from controlling the spice trade but very little on how they did it and how it affected the other end of the trade
Amitav Gosh is one of my favorite novelists. This video is a masterpiece. Kudos for the huge amount of work you did for this video. The result is very touching. Thank you Jared.
Just wow.. This was absolutely incredible and all the honour to you for shining a bright light on this! And also, your production quality has gone through the roof! 🤯🙌👏👏 I truly hope that this video gets all the exposure that it truly deserves and thank you yet again for sharing this, keep on keeping on and cheers from Sweden 🇸🇪🙏
Fantastic production Jared. Love these longer-form segments. They remind me of the heyday of cable edutainment programming. Nat geo, discovery, the travel channel.
this is amazing! I was sad about the history and what happened to the original Banda people, and then you did part 3 on the Kei islands!😃, thank you for telling this story❤
Congratulations on reaching another milestone episode, Jared! I can't thank you enough for introducing me to an incredible variety of fruits that I never even knew existed before discovering your channel. Your videos not only expand my knowledge of different fruits but also provide fascinating insights into their histories and the cultures they come from. Wishing you continued success and looking forward to the next 100 episodes (and many more beyond!)!
what an interesting video, even though it almost a movie long but it felt like only half an hour. Your channel is seriously underrated for the work and effort you've put in.
Magnificently done. You've been one of my favorite people to watch on TH-cam for over half a decade, and this video is something truly special. Looking forward to the next 800!
This was incredibly well-done. You conveyed everything you learned and experienced with a casual & blunt but respectful and kind tone, and it was easy to see how much you became personally invested in this story. A lot of documentaries struggle to find the sweet spot between "too dry to spark an emotional connection", "too sanitized for the audience to grasp the weight of the events" and "gratuitous, dehumanizing indulgence in the gory details". You landed in that spot expertly -- you communicated the heaviness of the past while showing great empathy for the people both then and now. Documentaries rarely make me cry but this one hit hard. I'm grateful to have learned from such a wonderful teacher, and glad to have followed you for as long as I have.
Brilliant video. Your content is improving both in quality and scope as the years go by. Thank you for all the beautiful fruit, history and culture videos 🙏.
You just earned yourself a new patreon member Jared. This is probably my most favourite video of yours so far. Its informative without getting boring. Its creative and passionate. Hopefully this video would lead to more videos like it in the future where you dive deep into the history of fruits and all.
thanks so much. It's the direction I'd like to go with the channel. takes a lot more work to do, but I'm hoping to get one or two out each year that are more history focused
I REALLY wish you'd pursued that angle at the end more. I went from thinking "basic content creator" to "potentially award winning" and "consequential for world history". I hope this draws attention to that issue. I like plants. That's why I clicked on it. But that would have been a beautiful surprise of a twist ending. If you're making documentaries, please don't be afraid to go where the story takes you. That's how the best stories are told.
From a long time viewer here… this is absolutely fantastic. You researched it well, you poured your heart into the cinematography, the stop motion transition was such a fun small touch, everything about this just screams tender love and care about a passion project. You took something that most people wouldn’t have given a second thought to, and turned it into an important and enlightening conversation. Truly truly, kudos to you for putting this piece of art into the world for us all to enjoy. Thank you!
As a history nerd, I actually knew about the fact that the Bandanese still live on in Kei Besar. I always wanted more details on that, so that ending bit was awesome!
Stunningly good video, you really have grown as a documentarist. Thanks for the years of great videos! And thanks for visiting finland! Man, would I have loved to show you some of my favourite cloudberry picking places :D.
This is super awesome! I love Indonesia (did some travelling in Sumatra) and I love seeing the diversity within the many islands. Love this longer style of documentary. I'm sure it's a ton of work and expense but I hope to see more in the future :)
This was such a cool direction for your content to go! I love exploring new foods withyou, but learning so much more about them and the context they have within our world brings SO much more.
Editing on this video is A++. Really loved the reverse fruit part at the beginning; it was nice bit of quick and attractive foreshadowing as you talked about the parts of the fruit in a reverse order, then you took us through the fruit outside-to-inside in more depth!
This was truly an incredible documentary on nutmeg and more importantly, on the history of it. Given the complex and often horrific past of it, I'm glad that it got a deeper dive into the topic to tell the full story. Thanks for putting in such an incredible amount of work into making this, this is a lot higher quality than many documentaries done by full crews from billion dollar companies.
This is so cool and nostalgic to see... I went to The Banda Islands about 15 years ago with my my family when I was a kid. It al looks exactly the same!!
Genuinely learned so much. Thank you for investing so much of your time for this story. Beautifully and respectfully done. Also loved the nutmeg shaved transitions.
This was so well done. ITs crazy to think how far youve come in the past so many years. im glad i followed you however long ago it was now. Super interesting video. Thank you
Wow! Just Wow! An absolutely wonderful video, Jared. Loved the journey. I especially loved your storytelling and thoughtfulness toward the Bandanese people.👏👏👏
Really well done Jared. You put in a ton of work here and it shows. Hard work really does pay off. Thank you for all that you do! We appreciate you!... Also, Have a great Holiday Jared. I wish you and your family best wishes this Christmas and Holiday season!
Ugh! I started tearing up when you held that last nutmeg fruit!!!! that is so incredible and beautiful. I'm so happy these people survived. I'm so thankful for all the work you put into this. A beautiful masterpiece. I cant wait to try nutmeg juice! I think ill like it better from the concentrate, like the children do 😂
I would love to see you do a deep dive like this for the history of other popular food or spice crops! Potatoes would be a fascinating one, or perhaps sweet potatoes/kumara which were brought across the Pacific from contact with the Americas in precolombian times. I've =been absolutely fascinated with the history behind various food and spice crops ever since I first got into plants, food is somehow simultaneously both the most important and most ignored aspect of human history.
Thanks everyone who has been watching the channel over the years.
And if you are new here, welcome.
Here's a playlist of other episodes you may like: th-cam.com/play/PLvGFkMrO1ZxJldWKpSAhhnxuPYVeCt8oj.html
Durian?
Thank you for all the work you've put in. Nobody else is documenting these fruits in such a publicly in depth way.
Dude I've been watching you for like 6-7 yrs now, I've learned so much! I can't thank you enough for all your hard work ❤
@@xiraoit9342
Several videos about different species of Durian
Any chance you could tell me the name of the song that plays around 3-4 minutes in? It’s hauntingly beautiful.
This video should get an award.
Quality production. A lot of thought and effort (and time!) must have gone into it. It is the travelling to these fabulous tropical places and trying out the local food dishes that brings all the initial research to life.
when you hear him repeating drivel like spices were used to cover up spoiled food as a fact it really makes it hard to trust the rest of the 'facts' we hear in the doc.
Not terrible for a soft city boy who doesn't consume proper protein.
✋ Second that! Amazing story and video... Dudes reaching new heights pleasure to watch!!!
its incredible OH MY GOODNESS
This is such an amazing documentary. I teach for a living and I would love to show this to my students as a way to understand the humanity of the spice trade. History and geography is so often dry, boring stuff, but then you see this and it reminds you that everything in history is real, that it happened to real people and that the effects of that history are still being felt today. It makes it feel real. Thank you for making this.
So glad to hear it. The most amazing thing with this trip was seeing the places I was reading about come to life. I really wanted to share that experience
I was once a young student. I can tell you... if I was under 18, the only thing I'd remember is Nutmeg is a hallucinogen! And the Dutch people were evil to the banded knees peoples...
@@WeirdExplorerI think something important that you missed is that the rise of the spice trade coincided with the rise of the sugar industry. Most of these spices were used in sweet porridges, drinks, and desserts. Portugal especially started sugar plantations on Madeira and the Cape Verde islands. This sugar plantation model was later spread to the Americas by the Portuguese and Spanish.
I am from Fort Smith, Arkansas, and i don't get to get out and travel, so the next best thing is to watch people like you discover the world and our histories. Thank you for sharing.
Not sure how long you can keep up this pace, but the quality of your work with these historical pieces is amazing. I hope people watch it through to hear the story of the Bandanese and how they're barely hanging on. It's obvious by some of the comments below that people haven't done so - or have drawn the wrong conclusion from the story here.
There are so many endangered cultures and languages across the world, with governments wanting to homogenise their populations and media and telecoms deterring people from speaking their own languages, and perhaps this piece will spotlight a nearly-forgotten people.
Woah, this video is a real mix of a fruit review, historical overview, and a cultural documentary! Perhaps one of the best videos you've ever made. And a gem on youtube that's better than many movies!
Agreed. Give this man a big munny Netflix deal.
this is not a 1:31AM thing to watch for me, ill come back and give it the respect it deserves
Yeah this one is going to give you weird dreams. 😅
@@WeirdExplorer 12:08 Yeah, it sure would.
Same here, I’m not in a place where I can watch right now but I’m so looking forward to this!
@@WeirdExplorer Spanish and Portuguese were under Muslim rule , you should have added.
…
I never thought I'd be watching a full length film about nutmeg, but this was amazing and had me captivated the entire way through. Thank you for making this wonderful film.
You're very welcome! I had a lot of fun making this one.
I friggin love this content. The depth that you go to, the length of the video, it's all what I'm here for!
Reminds me of the old-fashioned history channel or Discovery. Just promise me you'll never do a segment on fruit from aliens 😉
well.. I do have some plans to review fruit that only exists in folklore and legends.. but I'll keep it on the level
@@WeirdExplorer😂😂😂
@@WeirdExplorer OOOOOH IN THAT CASE YOU SHOULD LOOK INTO SILPHIUM!!!! It has recently been potentially rediscovered after going missing during Roman times. Its kind of obtained a legendary status, so potentially rediscovering it is almost like actually finding a legendary plant of sorts. It was a VERY famous plant in the ancient world. Natgeo ran a piece on it which is probably a good start.
@@WeirdExplorer do it!! sounds interesting
@@WeirdExplorer OOOOOH IN THAT CASE YOU SHOULD LOOK INTO SILPHIUM!!!! It has recently been potentially rediscovered after going missing during Roman times. Its kind of obtained a legendary status, so potentially rediscovering it is almost like actually finding a legendary plant of sorts. It was a VERY famous plant in the ancient world.
This was a masterpiece of a video Jared. I am absolutely blown away.
Hey! What were you doing in my neck of the woods at 34:15 there? People flying to eastern Indonesia usually transit through Makassar, not Banjarmasin. For a moment, I got my hopes up, thinking you might have done a video in my hometown in the Indonesian province of South Kalimantan! 😆
Anyway, this is such a great video about the origin and history of nutmeg. It’s fascinating yet bittersweet because, sadly, most people today barely know about the Spice Islands (Maluku), unlike the old days when Western powers were fighting over them. As an Indonesian, I find it such a shame; not just because of the lost historical awareness but also because visiting these islands is still expensive and complicated, even for us. That’s unfortunate because Maluku is breathtakingly beautiful, with so much history waiting to be explored, from the old forts left behind by the Portuguese, Spanish, and Dutch to the local culture that has endured through the centuries.
I really loved how you traced the Bandanese people’s journey all the way to the Kei Islands. That’s a perspective we don’t often hear about. And when you were in Malaysia, the nutmeg products you tried were great, but they leaned more toward the modern adaptations made by the ethnic Chinese community there. Discovering how the Bandanese people themselves use nutmeg in their cuisine? Now, that’s something truly special and unique.
Cheers to your adventures! Looking forward to seeing where you take us next. Keep it up! 🍻
All the various shots of grinding nutmeg and nutmeg grinders as transitions was very artistic and well done. Thank you for sharing this tremendous content with us all for free.
This vid was such a pleasant surprise. I live in Balik Pulau literally minutes from the nutmeg farms, and get my nutmeg from some of those very shops you visited ❤
That is awesome! I bought bags and bags of spices and candy at Three Two food court, so good.
@@WeirdExplorer haha yeah that spot would be the best bet. They process and make most of the stuff there. I tend to beeline there for nutmeg juice in their many assorted bottles to stock up the fridge 😊
Discovered your channel thru this vid. The algo overlords did their job well. Your content and the effort you put into it is so totally underrated.
Certified Gigachad Jared drops a 2-hour vid on nutmeg?
That's why he's the GOAT!
Congrats on reaching the 800 episode milestone! 🎊
Always love the fruit videos!
I'm a Dutch old fart and I'm glad I watched this video to the end. I've been aware of the violent and lethal history of the VOC, Coen, the Banda Island and the Dutch East Indies since I was at Uni in the 1980s, but I was much surprised to learn about the Bandanese in the Kai Islands. Thanks for that!
In primary school I was taught the Dutch side of colonial history, be it a bit red-faced because we lost the East Indies just two decades ago. For many Dutch that was economically or ideologically traumatic. It's only in recent years that the Dutch government is a bit more apologetic about our exploitation and abuse of Indonesia.
As an Indonesian i can said that your documentary about nutmeg is one of the best in English language, heck your's maybe even better than locals documentary. The story is so deep and interesting, not many people know about Wandan people even here in Indonesia, it's especially rare for Western people to know about this. For all off your work here i salute you.
There's hardly anything like this on TH-cam. So raw, so moving, so informational and so adventurous at the same time!
DUDE THIS WAS AMAZING! I had NO idea about any of this besides footnotes, this was an incredible spotlight. If not for this, maybe many of us wouldn't know. Thanks, man. Thanks so much, this video is my absolute favourite of yours. I can feel the effort and reverence for everything, the gravity and the highs and lows.
Those bandanese elders talking w tears in their eyes made me cry like a baby , this was something else you out did yourself and thank you for the dedication to a single fruit
It was such a punch in the gut to get this kind of response, which is why I left part untranslated. He was only saying his family name and that they originally fled from Rhun. But its such a heavy history.
I'm glad to see that the Banda islands don't look too urbanized. After learning about how Madagascar is seeing massive deforestation, I was a tad worried that these islands might have had a lot of land cleared out because of the spice trade. It does help that because nutmeg comes from the fruit, there is a big incentive to *not* cut down the trees.
Yeah! There is a lot of deforestation throughout Indonesia, mostly to grow palm oil. But the areas I visited in the Maluku islands didn't seem effected by it so much.
From his other videos, this was such a nice change, its always such a genuine look into the world
The quality content keeps coming :) I've been following you around 6-7 years and you're one of the best content creators ever. Actual content man. Please keep being a source of reference on fruit, since I don't think there's anyone out there who can replace you.
👏 Well said
What a slamdunk of a video. That was super interesting, and perfectly fitting to what your channel is all about - so much more information than the typical superficial info videos you tend to find on TH-cam these days. I loved it, thank you!!
Your stop motion is fantastic! I swear there is nothing quite as magical as seeing someone take the time to frame by frame make these things!🤩
Wow, thank you! I am brand new to it. Still figuring it out as I go.
@@WeirdExplorer You are very welcome!😄
One of the few filmic techniques that isn’t ruined by knowing how the sausage is made.
That was a wonderful and very human story that you started doing all because of some fruit. Part way through the video i was thinking "this could probably be edited down a little", but by the end of it i realised that all the little asides, the little hikes up the mountain and everything. Those slow scenic parts of the video gave you a sense of place and people, a glimpse into the lives of these people and where they come from; and the tragedy wrought by colonialism. Great video!
I have to wonder just how many nutmeg graters do you now own though?
I once visited Grenada on an adventure vacation, with the goal of experiencing a cacao farm and meeting a local chocolate producer. Walking down the road, I saw these large trees with split "peaches" that had dark red centers. Then I saw baskets full of, what I would later learn was mace, drying in the sun. I thought they looked like alien brains. What a cool plant....and now I know, not so cool history.
Cool! I would love to go to Grenada sometime, nutmeg is such an important part of their cuisine there.
@@WeirdExplorer It's a surprisingly quick flight from NYC. You'd get a kick out of riding across the island on their "buses," which are really just vans that have been converted to have as many seats as possible. The people and culture are beautiful. I went to the Grenada Chocolate Company. The founder had a whole collection of youtube videos, and I was hoping to meet him, but it turned out he passed away after falling off a ladder. I learned that after arriving and asking if it was possible to meet him. But now the company is locally owned and operated, and you can taste the fresh chocolate as it comes out of the molds. It's the best chocolate I've ever had, and tasted like bananas. The streets around the farm and chocolate factory (really just a house) are lined with cocoa trees and nutmeg. Hopefully hurricane Beryl didn't decimate the area this past June.
Amazing video. It deserves much more love. ❤ I didn't expect it to get so heavy but I knew it would once I saw the logo for the dutch east india company. Sadly colonization is still going on. From a descendant of colonized people it's important to preserve cultures and languages as much as possible, for future generations. I always admire indigenous people that despite all odds have managed to preserve their culture and native tongue. It's also important to not forget the history of these people, not just from the perspective of the colonizers.
As a settler who has chosen a life of decolonial activism living on unceded Tongva land on the West Coast of Turtle Island, who works in community with the people my ancestors committed genocide against… and also someone who has been watching your short form videos for over a year and a half now… I deeply appreciate this video.
Thanks so much. The Nutmeg's Curse might interest you if you haven't read it. It directly compares the history in Banda with the history of the US.
Hello there neighbor. I’m glad to see another person interested in decolonization practices.
Definitely! Thank you!
Wonderful to see others of the same mindset in places you don’t expect :)
I hope this blows up. Great video premise, great editing, great structure/flow (loved the artsy DIY transitions, especially the claymation intro)
I cannot believed I’d finish watching an almost 2 hours documentary. Respect and gratitude for your efforts making these video! If you come KL again I’ll treat you a nutmeg cuisine!
Man, that's awesome that the Bandanese people were able to maintain their own authority of their island. It's nice to see an example of an indigenous people able to continue being sovereign over their own land up until today. Just imagine if other indigenous populations around the world were able to fight off western/eastern powers in the same way.
I agree that it's awesome, but sovereign indigenous people directly contradict capitalism. Our system depends on eternal economic growth. Indigenous people are a market to be conquered and exploited.
@robertschnobert9090 these people sell things for a living... they are capitalists
@robertschnobert9090 What I'm saying is it's interesting to see an example of a people that were already playing the capitalist game when the capitalists arrived. So they were able to prosper up until today.
amazing video ❤❤ as you've grown to bigger and bigger opportunities, you've always exemplified the balance of the privilege to go & do extraordinary things, and the respect & groundedness to treat that life with respect.. amazing, keep up the great work and keep following those powerful feelings & experiences, the only one who can be you the best is you :)
I’m very happy to hear this.
So happy to have been able to see this awesome movie in person. Thank you so much Jared for sharing the candied nutmeg with everyone! Keep up the amazing work.
Thanks for coming out Ryan! Nice meeting you :)
You're nuts for creating such a worthwhile video. What a treat!
(After watching the video, I am glad you had such an awesome adventure. I'm sure some historians and other people would love to have done something like this. Like a 'once in a lifetime opportunity' that most humans don't/can't ever do! As someone interested and invested in history, this is such a valuable video. Not only cause it mentions stuff from 400 years ago, but because there is so much atmosphere/flavor/texture that is both modern and old. 'Time goes by but the fruit tree still stands...' or something like that.)
Glad you liked it!
I love nut
I love that a curiosity about the spice lead to a excellent story about the people who grew it and defended themselves until it was prudent that they move to save themselves. I’ve liked nutmeg and mace for many years and have a deeper appreciation of it now. Many thanks and best wishes to the Bandanese people.
I have a few things I want to comment on:
1) I had to spend a night in Newark airport once. It might or might not be the worst airport in the world, but it's the worst I've been through. There is hostile architecture inside the airport terminals, after security. Why? It's an airport, god forbid people be tired while traveling and want to lay down. The food prices are absolutely insane too. We're talking $15 for even a small self-checkout grab-and-go coldcut sandwich.
2) I'm enjoying the effort put into the interstitials. More of that, please.
3) The way you're pronouncing Melacca is funny to me because I know a bit of Greek and it sounds exactly like the common Greek insult μαλακα (malaka)
4) I appreciate that you're teaching the untold history here. That's the sort of thing I'm always eager to hear more about.
Thank you for coming to my country, especially to Maluku. I really love fruits, so one day 6 or 7 years ago I searched for video about fruit and that's when I found your channel. I have watched yours since then.
And thank you for making this video, I know this story from school and from my families, but I never go there and see it.
If you stop at Penang, I would be very dissapointed.
This video turned out to be so much cooler than expected. What a great history lesson and a treat with all the views. Makes me want to make these trips myself.
I haven't finished the video. But I just wanted to say that I absolutely love your long form videos.
I already know a fair amount of the history behind nutmeg, and as I can see from the videos title. It seems like you're ACTUALLY going to get into a lot of the details that most people don't know about. And I absolutely love that you're doing that/made this video.
Your content is essentially of the calibre of the documentaries I used to watch back when documentaries were more profitable for media companies to produce and air. I have been watching you for years. I am impressed. I cannot wait to see what content you will produce in the coming years! And, I hope to get to Penang at least in the next few years to try some of the nutmeg products you've introduced here. I'd love to try nutmeg jam! Cheers.
Someone send this to Townsends!
Was just going to comment this-you beat me to it! 😜
16:00 these death cults are bazar.
@Townsends
Hello fellow tavern dweller.
Yup haha I thought the same I guess they'll have quite a few people sending it their way.
unlike many youtube historical videos, this one is well researched, presented in a likable format, pronounced correctly, with correct grammar and thoroughly enjoyable. Had no problem watching it from beginning to end. Thank you for your very hard work
Your documentaries are a treasure. Thank you so much for taking the time to make them
Thankyou for documenting a history that is almost buried. And congratulation on the 800th videos, thats truly an amazing achievement 🎉
I like nutmeg because it has a very specific flavor that seems to change whether it's put on savory or sweet things. I totally understand why it was so sought after when spices were expensive and rare. Mace is a bit like cinnamon, a bit like black pepper.
Very very well done. Got my full attention once the history kicked in. Brilliantly told even though its so horrific to know where to begin. My heart went out to the village chief who was asked his name but told the whole history by his reaction. Enough said.
Maybe your most beautiful work to date. Stunning (and sad) stories
As someone with significant Dutch heritage and history from Indonesia during those times (now Australia) it’s really interesting to think about that volcanic eruption and the timing of it, and how I probably wouldn’t exist without that eruption at that point. Don’t even have to go far down the butterfly effect wormhole, my great grandfather simply wouldn’t have gotten the important job he did there at that point, and my ‘thread’ would disappear. Of course all our histories are like this, especially with the world wars following, but I never knew of that particular eruption at that point, so it was a learning moment.
I really like this long form historic deep dive format, and looking forward to more. It’s obvious how much serious work this single episode was for you.
Well done, and thanks.
Fun fact: nutmeg has psychotropic (and worse at higher doses) effects if you eat too much of it. Found this out the hard way when I made some wassail and dropped too many nutmeg seeds in the spice bag.
Hypothetically, how many lmao
I would expect this quality from a National Geographic documentary not a guy from TH-cam, but here we are. You did an excellent job telling a story that is swept under the rug in Europe.
Before today, all I knew about nutmeg is, it is a spice with a skeleton in the closet. I never knew what put that skeleton in the closet, but now I know their is more than one skeleton and who put them in there. I know their are other spices with skeletons in their respective closets.
What a beautiful documentary. You really went above and beyond on this one, thank you. My heart goes out to the beautiful people who are the descendants of those who fled the genocide. I wish there were a way they could be repatriated to their homeland if that’s what they wanted for themselves.
Beautiful video we so often focus on what the European states gained from controlling the spice trade but very little on how they did it and how it affected the other end of the trade
On nutmeg jam, I've seen it for sale quite often in London. Not from Indonesia but from Grenada where it was introduced.
Yeah! Grenada went a whole other direction with the fruit. Nutmeg sauce, syrup, hot sauce. I would love to visit one day.
This is amazing. I love this long form style of video. It’s a travel channel show meets a bbc style documentary
Amitav Gosh is one of my favorite novelists. This video is a masterpiece. Kudos for the huge amount of work you did for this video. The result is very touching. Thank you Jared.
An almost 2h documentary by Weird Explorer about my favorite psychoactive spice at 12am?
hell yeah, dude
Just wow..
This was absolutely incredible and all the honour to you for shining a bright light on this!
And also, your production quality has gone through the roof! 🤯🙌👏👏
I truly hope that this video gets all the exposure that it truly deserves and thank you yet again for sharing this, keep on keeping on and cheers from Sweden 🇸🇪🙏
That stop motion intro at 2:40 was amazing!
Fantastic production Jared. Love these longer-form segments. They remind me of the heyday of cable edutainment programming. Nat geo, discovery, the travel channel.
35:09 "I hope you all appreciate the things that I do for this channel everybody."
Indeed, indeed we do. *sips fancy drink from the comfort of a room*
That is beautiful! I did not expect all of what you showed. Spectacular film! Thank you!
this is amazing! I was sad about the history and what happened to the original Banda people, and then you did part 3 on the Kei islands!😃, thank you for telling this story❤
Congratulations on reaching another milestone episode, Jared! I can't thank you enough for introducing me to an incredible variety of fruits that I never even knew existed before discovering your channel. Your videos not only expand my knowledge of different fruits but also provide fascinating insights into their histories and the cultures they come from. Wishing you continued success and looking forward to the next 100 episodes (and many more beyond!)!
I visited Grenada so I was familiar with nutmeg fruits , jams and such, but I had no idea about the history. Good job! impressive!
You really out did yourself with this one mate. I really appreciate your content and attention to detail. One of my fav channels
what an interesting video, even though it almost a movie long but it felt like only half an hour. Your channel is seriously underrated for the work and effort you've put in.
Magnificently done. You've been one of my favorite people to watch on TH-cam for over half a decade, and this video is something truly special. Looking forward to the next 800!
This was incredibly well-done. You conveyed everything you learned and experienced with a casual & blunt but respectful and kind tone, and it was easy to see how much you became personally invested in this story. A lot of documentaries struggle to find the sweet spot between "too dry to spark an emotional connection", "too sanitized for the audience to grasp the weight of the events" and "gratuitous, dehumanizing indulgence in the gory details". You landed in that spot expertly -- you communicated the heaviness of the past while showing great empathy for the people both then and now. Documentaries rarely make me cry but this one hit hard. I'm grateful to have learned from such a wonderful teacher, and glad to have followed you for as long as I have.
Absolutely amazing video, extremely informative and the production quality is beautiful for being self shot.
Brilliant video. Your content is improving both in quality and scope as the years go by. Thank you for all the beautiful fruit, history and culture videos 🙏.
Dude!!! Another amazing long video. I am going to stop it now and watch it with my son later! I am so glad you're doing this. Great job!
So happy to hear it. Thanks
You just earned yourself a new patreon member Jared. This is probably my most favourite video of yours so far. Its informative without getting boring. Its creative and passionate.
Hopefully this video would lead to more videos like it in the future where you dive deep into the history of fruits and all.
thanks so much. It's the direction I'd like to go with the channel. takes a lot more work to do, but I'm hoping to get one or two out each year that are more history focused
I REALLY wish you'd pursued that angle at the end more. I went from thinking "basic content creator" to "potentially award winning" and "consequential for world history". I hope this draws attention to that issue.
I like plants. That's why I clicked on it. But that would have been a beautiful surprise of a twist ending. If you're making documentaries, please don't be afraid to go where the story takes you. That's how the best stories are told.
From a long time viewer here… this is absolutely fantastic. You researched it well, you poured your heart into the cinematography, the stop motion transition was such a fun small touch, everything about this just screams tender love and care about a passion project. You took something that most people wouldn’t have given a second thought to, and turned it into an important and enlightening conversation.
Truly truly, kudos to you for putting this piece of art into the world for us all to enjoy. Thank you!
Outstanding presenation Jared! So original! You should get an award for this.
the reverse video there from the well known seed to the fruit was clean af. well done
Wow. This is a real tour de force! I appreciate your sensitivity as you center the people while discussing their difficult experiences.
what an excellent video you made!
you even go back to Banda the second time.
cheers from Indonesia!
As a history nerd, I actually knew about the fact that the Bandanese still live on in Kei Besar. I always wanted more details on that, so that ending bit was awesome!
This is a fascinating story. Thank you for expanding the scope of your exploration, to include the BIG picture. Incredible.
Stunningly good video, you really have grown as a documentarist. Thanks for the years of great videos! And thanks for visiting finland! Man, would I have loved to show you some of my favourite cloudberry picking places :D.
This is super awesome! I love Indonesia (did some travelling in Sumatra) and I love seeing the diversity within the many islands. Love this longer style of documentary. I'm sure it's a ton of work and expense but I hope to see more in the future :)
This was such a cool direction for your content to go! I love exploring new foods withyou, but learning so much more about them and the context they have within our world brings SO much more.
Editing on this video is A++. Really loved the reverse fruit part at the beginning; it was nice bit of quick and attractive foreshadowing as you talked about the parts of the fruit in a reverse order, then you took us through the fruit outside-to-inside in more depth!
I'm amazed at how much your content has evolved over time. I've always enjoyed your videos, but kudos to you! This one is very well done!
This was truly an incredible documentary on nutmeg and more importantly, on the history of it.
Given the complex and often horrific past of it, I'm glad that it got a deeper dive into the topic to tell the full story.
Thanks for putting in such an incredible amount of work into making this, this is a lot higher quality than many documentaries done by full crews from billion dollar companies.
loving your long format work. Well done!
This is so cool and nostalgic to see... I went to The Banda Islands about 15 years ago with my my family when I was a kid. It al looks exactly the same!!
THIS WAS EPIC!!! Also, many kitties! Huzzah!
Genuinely learned so much. Thank you for investing so much of your time for this story. Beautifully and respectfully done. Also loved the nutmeg shaved transitions.
Wow! What a fascinating story. That was amazing and so well made. Thank you! And congratulations on your 800th video.
you really thought no one would notice your superpowers at the 58 second mark?
Only he has the secret combination of weird fruits needed to obtain such powers.
I mean putting all that stuff back on is way harder than playing the peeling process in reverse😂
What a most interesting video. I use a good bit of nutmeg in my baking. Now i appreciate the spice even more. Thank you for the information.
why can't our teacher teach history as interesting as this 😢
This was so well done. ITs crazy to think how far youve come in the past so many years. im glad i followed you however long ago it was now. Super interesting video. Thank you
I don't often watch your videos but i gotta say this is a gem, great work.
Thank you for all the effort in making this documentary.
There's so much important history here we need to remember for the future.
Probably your best video yet. Love these long form documentary style videos
Wow! Just Wow! An absolutely wonderful video, Jared. Loved the journey. I especially loved your storytelling and thoughtfulness toward the Bandanese people.👏👏👏
Really well done Jared. You put in a ton of work here and it shows. Hard work really does pay off. Thank you for all that you do! We appreciate you!... Also, Have a great Holiday Jared. I wish you and your family best wishes this Christmas and Holiday season!
Ugh! I started tearing up when you held that last nutmeg fruit!!!! that is so incredible and beautiful. I'm so happy these people survived. I'm so thankful for all the work you put into this. A beautiful masterpiece. I cant wait to try nutmeg juice! I think ill like it better from the concentrate, like the children do 😂
I would love to see you do a deep dive like this for the history of other popular food or spice crops! Potatoes would be a fascinating one, or perhaps sweet potatoes/kumara which were brought across the Pacific from contact with the Americas in precolombian times. I've =been absolutely fascinated with the history behind various food and spice crops ever since I first got into plants, food is somehow simultaneously both the most important and most ignored aspect of human history.