Ah, Half as Interesting shorts, keeping us in the loop about currant events.

What is this, freaking Quarter as Interesting?

And this is why it's hard to find Ribena anywhere in North America.

So when Kanye said “Ribena, I know what you’re drinking”, it’s pretty clear he was more of a “London bloke” than we thought 😂

Is this why Ribena never made it in the USA?!

FINALLY. SOMEONE FINALLY MADE A VIDEO ABOUT THIS. I LOVE blackcurrant, but we can't have nice things here in the US. But don't tell anyone... I grow my own at home. The man can't keep ME away from my blackcurrant!

I'm an American currently living in Ireland, I was literally wondering last week why I could buy blackcurrant yogurt here but not at home. Thanks HAI

I love black currants, during summer I would visit my aunt on her summer house where she had black currants and I would just stand in front of the bush and just eat the berries, so good, so tasty

As a Canadian, I never realized that the US actually wiped out its black current industry or that the ingredient/flavour was basically unheard of there. Black current is kind of an old fashioned or European-style ingredient here in Canada, especially in stuff like baked goods (cookies with black currents are excellent with tea), tea (it was a common Twinning's tea flavour when I was young but it out of fashion/uncommon now), specialty preserves and that sort of thing. It's an old-timey comfort food thing mostly. I've got a tin of black current loose leaf tea in my cupboard and now and then get cookies with dried black currents in them (locally made but I'm not sure if the dried fruit in them is local or imported) to have with tea or coffee. They're lovely on a cold day. I suppose it's our stronger ties to British and French culture that kept black current flavoured stuff a low key thing here. It isn't as popular or common here as it is in Europe (not a common soda flavour or anything like that) but it definitely never disappeared either.

Me, drinking blackcurrant cider while watching this: "That's it, never moving to the USA!"

I always drank Black Currant juice when I lived in Germany, and I'm always sad I can't get it here. It makes me feel so clean and refreshed!

I’d argue more common of a flavour than strawberry and cherry. It’s about on par with orange.

Another fact I think would have been worthy of this video - around 90% of the blackcurrants grown in the UK are sold under contract to Ribena exclusively. So most British people have never seen fresh blackcurrants either - they are almost impossible to buy at retail, certainly not in a supermarket. The only place I've ever seen them was from a restaurant supplier.

I have fond memories of picking red and blackcurrant and also gooseberries. The gooseberries were good just picking them from the bush, redcurrant made nice jello, blackcurrant good squash. Then all the raspberries, and once in a while the odd viper.

I went to Quebec 2 years ago and there was a store full of blackcurrant products (there called cassis). The wine and icecream were my favourite products in the store. Delicious!

I always wondered that. I grew up in Germany, and that is one of my favorite fruits, but when I came to the states I never understood why it didn't exist anywhere.

Me an Australian who has blackcurrants from her mum's garden in her freezer: Interesting.

You have to import it but you can get it. Absolutely amazing flavor. They’re sold at places like Whole Foods or local co-ops pretty commonly.

I like this style, keep experimenting!

Americans: buy Lindt chocolate bars with black currant in it. It’s amazing.

I just watched lostinthepond's video about this as well (actually, it was his list of 5 foods that are banned in the USA but allowed in England). For him it's important as he's from there, but for me the story about the Cadbury chocolate not allowed bc of hershey that got my goat.

Damn this video reminded me that I haven't consumed a blackcurrant flavoured beverage in ages, I reckon I'll buy some in the morning. Thanks HAI

When we went to Ireland on vacation my mom lived guinness with a touch of black currant juice. Black currant jelly is pretty tasty, as well. And you can get that in the US

As a Brit who moved to Canada, this video will now replace my usual 5 minute rant about what a blackcurrant is when I let them try the far superior European skittles I import. Its not just grape that's different, all the flavors are better IMO!

When I first went to England, one of the first things i did was try Ribena

Just today I saw a candy with a flavor labelled as "Blackcurrant". Everything slowly was falling into chaos as my knowledge of such a thing was nonexistent. Once I saw this video in my recommended, I knew my life could be saved by learning about what they are, and why I had no idea. Thank you, HAI, for saving my life.

There's a restaurant in Tallahassee, Florida that is an old style soda fountain. They make ice-cream, food and candy. They sell a variety of candy including a Black Currant drop.

Wow I think this is the earliest I've been to a video from HAI

Oh my god, I couldn't live without Ribena, I'm never moving to the US

I love how you ended on such a dark note.

They have repealed the ban on black currant products and growing at home quite a while ago. You can get Black currant syrup, preserves and other finished goods in the US but they must be imports or gifted and you can grow Black Currants for non-commercial use. I always have black currant jam on hand in case I decide to get up and make scones for breakfast.

How do Americans live without blackcurrant like it so gooddd

The house I grew up in here in Canada had a bush of black and red currents. As a kid I mostly focused on the red bush because I thought they tasted better and ignored the black bush. Witch was interesting considering both bushes grew right beside each other

Tip tree black current jam is amazing. Highly recommend.

I love red current jam and it's so hard to find in the US.

I like this 1 minute format, straight to the point, without padding of jokes.

The ban is less restrictive now - some states will let you grow your own currants and gooseberries! Check your local state laws and grow some if you can, they're AMAZING

wow, i didn´t know this. i am from germany and thought that these would be grown all around the world :) i like them and they are my mothers favourite fruit

FUN FACT: in sweden, Raspberry & Blackcurrant is often used as a flavour in juices and sodas

Black currant is a wonderful flavor. We can get some foodstuffs with it here in the states, but not nearly enough!

Pretty sure you can get Blackcurrant Kristian Regále in the midwest because of all the scandinavians. It's seasonal to christmas/new years

Black currant is great, one of my favourite juices are BC. Weird to have a seemingly normal country without it.

**Sips my black currant tea**

I always pick up some Ribena concentrate when I travel to Canada

The federal ban was lifted in 1966. It isn't banned in most states now anymore either... for a very long time...

the end bro 😭

AAAAH! I have always wondered about this! This is TWICE as interesting.

As an American who had never heard of currants in English (in German they're called Johannisbeeren and I knew what that was), I thought this was going to be a troll video like "Why doesn't Blackcurrant flavor exist in the US? Because it's called Blackberry flavor! Hahaha!" and that was it lol Today I learned a lot more than I thought I was going to

We have these gummy candies here in Canada called Winegums which feature a black currant flavoured black colored one. But I always thought it was just licorice until I looked up what the flavors are supposed to be. Because they're very vague and unusual flavours. They're definitely a love em or hate em sort of candy. But I'd strongly recommend trying them if you've never had the chance. Like I said, they're gummy, but a bit harder and more stiff, but less sticky than your typical gummy. It's a very unique texture and a workout for the jaws. And the original Maynard's brand comes in red (raspberry), green (lime), orange (orange), yellow (lemon, yuck) and of course black currant. There are also generic brands which include a white, pine apple flavoured one, but I never liked those.

I harvested a bunch last summer :) They grow all over near Naches River. thought about making a jam.... I don't mind a little fungus. Love it in fact!

There is a grower in the US who petitioned and convinced the USDA to allow them to grow currants. They have a variety of products which I much enjoy. Look up CurrantC in NY State.

Our local fruit farm I work at grows a lot of black, red, and white currents, as well as gooseberries. I guess I didn't realize they were rare across the US

Black Currants and Gooseberries are legal again. Growing up in the 1960's we had wild (feral?) gooseberries growing near our house in MN. Gooseberry jam is one of my favorites. Not sure when things changed, but we planted some commercial variety gooseberries here in OR.

We had those on the daycare, like the bushes. It was soooo nice being able to eat a few when going home for the day

I searched so much fort Black currant in Canada but never found it. Black currant ice cream tastes so good!

This inspired me to try blackcurrant jam. Pretty tasty on an english muffin :)

Black currant is my favourite flavour. Have a big bush in my yard

...and do you have elder flower in the USA? Syrup made out of it combined with kiwi flavor tastes amazing!

Ribena is the BANE of existence

Find a Polish deli and buy some black currant syrup there. Pour a few teaspoons into a cup of water or pour over deserts. If you buy black currant juice, drink it solo or with vodka. Good stuff.

Bruh my favorite tea is Black current flavored. And I've never left the US!

Neat! I had a blackcurrant mead once and wondered why I've never heard of that flavor

we grow black and red currants wild in alaska, and we make jam every year. its mostly spruce trees up there

Blackcurrant can be found in the US. Ollie's sells some blackcurrant jam imported from Poland. It's pretty good.

Congrats on finding one of the few HAI videos that doesnt have a sponsorship message!

Thanks a lot for the accurate Vietnamese subtitles

black currant flavor skittles sound amazing

The place I work at has black currant flavoring for lemonades and iced tea. I didn't realize it was rare to find lol

wow Why is there no grape Ice cream?

when i went t costa rica i had blackcurrant halls lozenges and thats when i realized i had been missing out

Wait, ssrsly where is the rest of the episode, im really getting confused

I let autoplay run while making lunch, and while pouring myself a glass of blackcurrant, literally on cue, this video popped up. KZfaq must be watching me I swear

Besides that last comment, great video

You can pretty easily get black currant products in the USA. Ribena is a beverage, TipTree makes a great jam, etc. The flavor is sort-of like Welches grape, but more flavorful, and a little tangier, really excellent.

i want to try a blackcurrent now

Booted up the video than left my computer with my headphones still on. Legit thought either the video player or my headphones had broke after the video stopped so suddenly and soon.

Wtf as an European I know the US sucks but this on a whole new level

No idea what blackcurrant tastes like, cause I learned I was allergic as a child. Weakens the bladder muscles...yeah.

Lipton used to sell a Black Currant Raspberry Iced Tea that was incredible, but they stopped selling it about 8 years ago and I really miss it.

Im swedish and i have blackcurrent, whitecurrent, redcurrent and gooseberries in my garden

This is interesting actually. Blackcurrant is very common in the UK. Especially squash (sort of like cordial)

Black currant is common enough back home in Newfoundland, but I've not seen any factory made items that contain it. Just LOTS of home made jams & such.

currantly i'm being entertained by quality content

Wait, who's the sponsor for todays video though?

"To addict small children to nicotine" You almost had me there...

I've seen black currant before but it was when I was in Vermont.

I think you messed up a little. The video is 60.04 seconds long, so it won't get into Shorts.

You *can* get blackcurrant flavored items in the USA. They're only sold at grocery and specialty stores that carry a lot of imported foods.

Love the stuff

Video: "Blackcurrants, Redcurrants and Goose..." Me: currants? "...berries."

The one blackcurrant flavor that I like in my country is blackcurrant tea from Fruit Tea brand.

Black currant jelly in a meat dish is *chefs kiss*.

Very rare occasion when short is acutally good. But that wont change my mind about them, still hate shorts.

sippin on some black currant juice rn actually!

Wild native currants used to be common in the US. The government didn't just outlaw them, the government tried to exterminate all currants in the wild because the high school kids that they hired were not reliably able to distinguish other species from the black.. After years of looking, (while hunting mushrooms, I didn't waste my time just looking for currants) I found one patch growing near a few giant White Pines that had been missed. Very tasty.

Blackcurrant jam is the best jam. (I guess you guys would call it jelly)

Where is the rest of the video?

Nah, I've seen dried currants at the store, as well as black currant jam. The flavor is present, just not common.

I have a black currant bush in my garden. Pretty nice.

Blackcurrant jam...yum. I had it on my toast for breakfast this morning.