You made me cry with this. A couple of months ago, when you start this series of videos I suggested you to do this. I'm from Venezuela and right now I'm so ashamed for how this government is taking away all the good things we have and the image that are showing of us internationally. I truly thank you, your "Buen provecho" touched my heart, it really did!! I love all your videos even when I don't have the chance to comment. And again, thank you Emmy!!

Emmy you always show so much respect to other cultures. Thank you for that!

As a Venezuelan currently living in the country id like to thank you for shining a light in such a lovely way about the situation in my country, Gracias Emmy!

When I read '' Venezuela hard times '', I told myself that I was not going to cry... (Im from Venezuela)

Venezuelans keep strong! better times will come

I'm from Venezuela and still live here, and I just want to take a moment to thank you for making this video and talking about our current situation. Words can't describe the tragedy that my country is going through; people are starving to death, or dying from preventable illnesses because vaccines and medications can't be found nor afforded. Children and seniors are especially vulnerable. You might not realize it, but by making this video you have helped spread the word about this situation, and we truly do need all the international awareness that we can get. Thank you ❤️

Im from venezuela and this is sad :( I cant eat things like pizza o hamburguers because they are for rich people here. Btw I love plantains with cheese, I eat them almost everyday because I love them and they are super cheap here

“Is that the lady that eats bugs?! I love her.” - my niece. We love your videos! We watch them all the time when she comes to see me.

It breaks my heart to see the plight of Venezuelans currently, but the innovation that comes out of scarcity has always amazed and inspired me. Thanks for this Emmy, and for bringing a little more awareness and empathy into the world. Venezuelan friends please don't give up! Nothing lasts forever and there will be better times to come.

Keep strong Venezuela :/. I know in the Haitian culture we use green plantain peels for a sweet porridge when things get a bit tight. It's something I enjoy regularly. Edit: In Haitian Creole it's called labouyi banan.

I'm from venezuela and yeah, I tried this recipe once... In my case, and because I have an internet job, I don't live as bad as a lot of people I know, so I'm always baking and making desserts and share them with my family. I love how happy they are when eating something I make for them. I wish I could help them a lot more, but unfortunally I can't. Love this series btw ;)

My heart wrings for the people of Venezuela. Platanos maduros are a gift from the Gods. I never knew you could cook and eat the peels, but I will try it next time I fry up some delicious plantains, Thanks, Emmy!

Fried plantains with oxtails and rice? Can't go wrong at all. 😍😍😍😍

Sad to remember my country is going through "Hard times", but so glad you brought it up and at least get a little taste of our flavors. Thank you so much, Emmy!

I've been eating platanos my whole life and never knew you could eat the peel. Interesting! Thanks for sharing.

While it looks better than it sounds, I still feel sorry for the Venezuelans that they eat this. I read a news article that during the recent economic problems in Greece, the media there started publishing more hard times recipes that they had previously used in World War II. They would explain how to use less costly ingredients and meat, and what foods could be found growing wild in forests (like spices & greens).

Wow, that is really interesting how it shreds, you can make many great Vegan recipes with it and replace shredded meat, in things like Ropa Vieja and many other dishes. Going to try it and see, thanks so much for this awesome idea.

We definitely love plantains in the Caribbean. Proud Barbadian here 🙋

I didn't know an innocent video like this would tear me so much as I read the comments below. I'm so sorry to hear about your struggles, my fellow Venezuelans. Be strong. Things will get better. Find joy and blessings in every situation. We are not here on Earth forever, appreciate and be grateful of the little things and life will feel better. My country has recently been finally taken over by a new government (after 60 years of the same ruling party) now for a change and things are getting better after decades of embezzlement, series of political scandals, and horrible management of the nation's funds. Our prayers are with you. Stay strong. Love, Malaysians.

I just split up from my bf of about three years so I've been slightly depressed lately. I immediately click on Emmy's videos when I see them. They always provided a sense of comfort/home. Much love from Nebraska.

I'm from Venezuela and I've been following you for a while. I usually don't comment on videos ,but this warmed my heart!

As a Venezuelan, the only thing I can say is thank you for explaining a little the situation that is happening actually in my country, is really harsh and I just hope it will change soon. Haven't tried this recipe cause I'm living outside my country because i escaped for the situation there. Love the series and been following you for about couple years....thanks Emmy 💜

Hi, thank you for this video, I'm from Venezuela, when I make the shredded skins I don't use any oil or cilantro, and I mostly use the inside of the plantains boiled and mashed with salt and some spices, no cheese because it's very expensive. I love your videos.

Thanks for drawing attention to the hardships of our friends in Venezuela 💕🇻🇪💕

I got so emotional watching this. I've been watching Emmy over the years and seeing her acknowledge us in this way is beautiful. When she said "Alright my Venezuelan friends, this one's for you" my heart just melted and a tear left my eye. I am lucky enough to still be able to afford the foods I like eating, but when you live in this country, and I say this so people from abroad can understand and visualize the situation, every time you leave your house, you see kilometric lines to buy little to nothing (people show up to the stores and line up, usually overnight, without any guarantee that they will find what they need). You also see people who have resorted to eating directly from the gargabe. It's sad to see hurdles of little kids opening up trash bags and eating anything they can find. Minimum wage here is like $1.50 a month. That gets you basically nothing. That's not even a kilo of meat. With minimum wage, which is what the vast majority of the people depend on, you get nothing. That's why Venezuelans are fleeing the country. Even $50, which is not much elsewhere, can save a family here. I don't know if you will read this, Emmy, but you made a Venezuelan boy happy today. Thank you.

I appreciate these hard time videos especially when someone lives paycheck to paycheck these are good filling meals for a family

It's a delight 😊 watching Emmy cook something interesting.

Thank you Emmy. I appreciate how culturally aware you are. I am from Venezuela and was very touched by your video.

It would be cool if you used your hard times videos to shine light on the issues that people experiencing food scarcity face/how your viewers can help support them!!

Plantains... I wrap in newspaper until they are black then pan fry in a little bit of butter. The blacker the better They get ripe the sugars concentrate

Venezuelan here!! Thanks for cooking something from us... There has been tons of "new" recipes due to the actual crisis and they vary all around the country

I genuinely from my heart, appreciate your sincere respect of other people’s cultures.

Emmy you are just lovely, this video is bittersweet for me, i'm Venezuelan but I moved to Chile 2 months ago because of the situation we are currently going through. It's so difficult for us to buy any food, I really hope things get better because I miss my country so very much! 😢

Oh my. That soy sauce tip just changed my damn life! haha! x)

I've been going through some deep depression lately, but since discovering you, I've felt less so. Thank you for having such a plethora of wonderful content.

Thank you so much for sharing the recipes Emmy. I'm so glad that you like them specially the cheese one! The current situation in Venezuela have drawn us into a constant state of desesperation and deppression since even the most basic needs can't be filled anymore, I have no doubt that this would bring a little bit of happiness of all of us living here during our own hard times, things can be pretty rough but we are still fighting to look forward. : ) Thank you again for your kindness.

I love this series, Emmy, it really opens my mind to the real life struggles people have lived and made it through. Inspiring and humbling and also so interesting!

EMMY, can you make Taiwanese iron eggs? Its basically tea eggs that are air dried, soaked in the brew again, air dried, soaked in brew and repeat until the eggs are hard like jerky. Texture is like jerky and the flavor is strong, but super good!

Emmy i love how you bring people together with your videos and your cooking, you’re so apppreciative of other cultures and their cuisine and we need more positive people like you in the world :D

Emmy as a Venezuelan (currently living here in ciudad bolívar) and a new subscriber to your channel i want to say thank you a lot, with all the impediments that the government uses to keep news of the precarious situation that we are living nowadays going to the international eye, all the help we can get so we can be heard loudly by even a tiny mention in a cooking video is very much appreciated, i truly truly thank you for this. we know this dish as "carne mechada vegetariana" which mean vegan shredded meat, you can usually find it at vegetarian restaurants and/or in houses of people who can't afford any animal meat. keep doing your amazing videos!!!

The first video I watched was when you tried Venezuelan sweets and since then I've been watching your videos and it makes me happy that you make another video about Venezuela. Sadly it's a hard times video but I'm still glad you enjoyed it and I hope you love plantains as much as I do. Buen provecho~

It's so hard sometimes see things like this, because this is happening right now outside my house... To me, while I haven't been in the need to eat something like this I wonder how much time my family will support... So, so hard, please if you can help a Venezuelan non profit organization, it's ridiculous but only a dollar, would feed a child for weeks, while there's a lot, a lot of bad people in this country, there's so many fighting for a better future, and those who are far away, they're also fighting, in the distance, if you are Venezuelan, please put the name of this country higher, we are so much more than a dictatorship

I love seeing these recipes. It gives me ideas. You never know when you may end up in a situation in which you have to use them. I applaud you for researching and sharing these with the world. It seems like a horrible time, but the positive spin is that more people are learning to be more self sufficient rather than depending on the grocery store!

Wow❤️! Thank you. I appreciate your compassion and empathy. I literally just came from another video where the participants were making fun of eating banana peels. It was very disrespectful. I changed my way of eating about a year ago and am exploring meat alternatives. This is what I’m looking for. You gave me not only one but two recipes! I’ve always only had papas fritas or fried plantain. I hadn’t considered baking it. I’ve always told people if you want to learn about a country go visit the “poor” areas. A Marriott or a Hilton is basically the same everywhere. A tourist trap. If you go see how real people of the land live you will learn a thing or two about food and it’s origins. Thank you again!

It is partly because of you Emmy that I will try anything once! Twice if I like it.

Yaayyyyyy!!!! Hard times or not, that looks Delicious😍😍 " you are my sunshine" my only sunshine

This is so so humbling.. love your channel and you! You are so humble and kind in all your videos. Love love love you!

Just tried this recipe this afternoon. ABSOLUTELY pleased with it! Thank you for all your wild and woolly recipe ideas!!!

God-bless the sweet souls of Venezuela. I pray that thing get better.

There's a number of British WWII recipes that you could try, things from mock raspberry jam to boiled onions, all just to get by through the war... :)

I am so glad you approach things with an open mind and without a need for drama. This is worth a try.

Emmy, you're so kind and smart... I really wish everyone had a heart of gold like you!

Omg, Emmy, I'm so happy to see you preparing some recipes from my country that I have everyday in my life. (The plantains with cheese) Also, there are other forms that you can prepare your plantains like slicing the plantains and fry them up to make tajadas or boil them and make them like a mush with cheese and milk and its DELICIOUS. Love ya, Emmy, a big fan of your videos as always.

Hey Emmy! Love your videos! I have an idea for a hard-time recipe video for you: something my grand-dad (WWII Veteran) used to make us all the time - "SOS" (abb for S*** on Shingles lol) or as some folks here in the South call it, "chipped beef gravy on toast". Its one of my ultimate comfort foods, whether times are hard or NOT lol. Anyhoo just food for thought and I think you'll really love it!

I cannot imagine what the people of Venezuela are going through. I’m the mom to a large family and my husband is a disabled veteran looking for work. Food is a struggle to keep on the table and we were recently given several plantains and I’ve been looking for a way to beat utilize them. I love that this uses the peels as well. We love fajitas so this is very exciting. Unfortunately our oven is broken so I’ll have to cook the actual fruit another way but what a great way to reduce waste ❤️ Prayers with all the beautiful Venezuelans ❤️

I just made this tonight, and it was delicious. thank you for including a humanitarian perspective on so many of your videos, my boyfriend and I love you!!!!

I’m here for it! Lol! 👋🏿👋🏿👋🏿 Emmy!

In Venezuela, not only is oil hard to come by. So is water. I met a woman last summer who said the taps at her moms house only worked for like an hour a day. And maybe not every day.

I've never eaten plantain skins but I have used them for tea. I'm from Guatemala and we boil the ripe plantain with cinnamon and drink the water as tea with a bit of honey. it's delicious. I want to try the skins 100%. It's good to learn how consume the whole food/plant since hard times are coming as the world is running out of food.

And thank you Emmy for sharing this with us! Love watching your videos and I aspire to be like you one day!

So tostones are actual twice fried, first you fry the chunks. Then you smash and then pan fry.

You're so beautiful emmy, thanks for making this video! Venezuela is in the hardest times , not only there's no food , but also there's no medicine, my mother has cancer and she has no medicine since 9 month ago ☹

Thanks Emmy! This is very nice, I’m Venezuelan and while I’ve been out of the country for the last few years my family is still there and I know the struggles. Luckily I’m able to help them not only sending money but buying food from there.

Proud Jamaican lady here! 🤗💓🇯🇲 I LOVE PLANTAINS! I eat them with most meals, and to be honest I NEVER knew you could eat the peels! My mom always throws them away and cooks the plantain. No one in my family uses the peels, so this was cool to watch. Just when I thought plantains couldn't get more amazing, you show me to cook the peels 🤣 thanks Emmy!

... Gonna try with a dash of curry spice and pineapple. Make it nice and tropical for summer nights. >):^]

you should do mangú! from Dominican Republic

This looks delicious. I lived with food scarcity and food insecurity while raising children. Once, I fried bananas and dusted them with brown sugar and put them in tortillas to feed the children for breakfast. They really liked it.

I love your channel! Never an ounce of negativity comes from you! You have so much respect and the way you express yourself about other countries it’s admirable! Vamos con la frente en alto Venezuela 🇻🇪 que mejores tiempos vendrán ! ♥️

plantain chips are amazing! Can't get them where I live though :( uggh suburbs >_

First Venezuelan here!!

I got to thank you for the respect you show for the difficult times our Venezuelan brothers and sisters are going thru.

Ugh I'm Venezuelan and this made my Venezuelan heart warm. Thank you for making this video.

My word! Wear did you get that Garlic Press?!

I’ve been having an issue lately with wanting to put lea & perrins on everything.

I love your videos; they are so wholesome and also informative. Keep up the great work :D

Great series. Please keep them coming. Would love to see more of lovely sol’s recipes

You should try Nigerian cuisine!! 🇳🇬🇳🇬🇳🇬 💚💚💚💚

You are my sunshine

I love how thoughtful you are with this series... I love the plantains with cheese, I had them a few times when I lived in Madrid, in an Equatorian little restaurant. And the soya sauce trick blew my mind!

I am from Venezuela and I always see your videos. Thank you for doing this recipe. :)

Where my Spanish people at?!? 👀❤

Make syrup sandwiches and sugar water. The video won't be that long but, it'd be "hard times" lol

Thanks for give visibility to the people in Venezuela and the hard times we've been through.

Thank you, Emmy for sharing this wonderful recipe with us! Looks yummy! My thoughts go to the people in Venezuela! Hope these troubles come to an end soon and for the best!

I always love you but gotta say your skin is looking super dewy and lovely lately!! Kudos lady! ❤️❤️❤️

Yo

Great video Emmy! Thank you for sharing these unique recipes.

I love this series, thanks for sharing emmy!

"You are my sunshine."

Is Venezuela going through problems now? Or was it before? And what exactly is happening? I am sorry I am now aware of it as much as news don’t show it often

My 5 year old always likes to watch your videos because he says it makes him smart. Thanks for the wholesome content Emmy! 💖

This series has actually helped me. I'm in my early 20's and currently all i can afford for food a week is $30. this series has actually given me some ideas of how to save when i'm right before a paycheck and have very little in the pantry. thank you emmy!

Venezuelans are starving! it would be a miracle to find fresh vegetables and plantains, even then they would scarf the fruit down raw and have no time to prepare it at all. So sad.

I love Emmy! !But can someone explain all the “hard times” recipes? Is she making a book? Or does everyone just keep asking for them or what?

It's one thing seeing recipes from days past, very different knowing people today are dealing with this. Makes me appreciate what I have. Thanks for the video, Emmy!

I truly love your channel. I love the concept and how through food you bring us ALL together regardless of race, creed, color, religion or economic status. I feel as though we are all one here. You are so sincere and I love it. Thank you for doing your part in bringing us all together if only for a few minutes:)

Does anyone else think that she looked and sounded sad 😞

Oh, Emmy...we can forget the cilantro. I don't need that soap weed in my food lmao.

I really loved the music, Emmy! It almost reminded me of medieval instruments. “you are my sunshine”.

I just discovered your channel and have been binge watching all week!! Great interesting food tasting videos and I love how you describe the foods! Keep it up!