As I get caught up with my interviews and rescheduling post-COVID, I sat down with our deli manager Jayna to talk about the secrets of the Jungle Jim's deli, as well as some new products she's bringing in like Bubi's Garlic Dips and Plucky Pickle's new line. Later, I surprise her with some favorite products of my own, like Mirch Masala's Mumbai Mix from India because you all deserve better snacks. We also get to pioneer tasting the new tea lineup from the excellent Liquid Death, so make sure you get some of that in from Jungle Jim's. We wrap it up with some unique Easter candies from all over the world, including Lindt's new blueberries and cream truffles, thanks to International Manager Jim. It's a wild week of tasting! Enjoy!

This week, we sit down with the medical team at Kettering Health out of Hamilton, OH to teach us all about some updates to your health you might not have even thought of. The doctors took me behind the scenes to a private OR with no patients to see the newest technology, and you can all laugh at me getting to drive a million dollar piece of medical equipment with no knowledge. In the meantime, the Robodocs will be hosting some events here at Jungle Jim's on March 7th and 8th 2023, for FREE! You can come learn all about hernia health and preventative medicine, while meeting the team who are truly passionate about saving your life. Never thought this would be an angle on our show, but I love that we're getting to share this knowledge with everyone. I hope you enjoy!

I'm kicking the episode off by tasting Pepsi's new drink made in collaboration with Peeps. Why they didn't call it Peepsi is beyond me. I'm also giving a try to a new line of cookies from Matt's Bakery, which you can now find in our international department. Hot Sauce Mike comes back to try out an entire new line of sauces that are hitting shelves from one of my personal favorites, Duke's Mayonnaise. Then, we sit down with Kenny, Brady, Sam, and Nick of MadTree Brewing to talk about the past, present, and future of MadTree Brewing. Did you know they were one of Cincinnati's first canning facilities? Do you know about their awesome carbon offset program? Find out more as we all hang out and try some new brews.

This week, we open with a new person shouting "Whats up Banana Bunch." Can you guess who? Then, we're joined by Chopped champion, Kayla Robison, and returning friend of the show, Christian Gill to talk about their excellent event, FOOD FIGHT! They're inviting all foodies to come take part in this event - maybe you'll be a judge, maybe you'll be a competitor, and the only way to find out is by throwing your name into the hat. They conveniently picked some of their more unique ingredients from us here at Jungle Jim's - a power move, for sure. Tune in as we talk about Guy Fieri's Grocery Games, their time on Food Network and Netflix, as well as why it's important that we still give reverence to those who invest a lot of time and effort into their skills. 

Want to know how to get into Jungle Jim's? MK of In The Curious Kitchen found out one fateful day when she reached out to me on Instagram to see if I wanted to sample her wares. A friendship was born that day, a friendship built over delicious beer cheese, pimento dips, boozy bourbon cherries and more. Join along as we hear her story, talk about some recipes to spice up your Super Bowl this year, and figure out how you could maybe even get your product into Jungle Jim's International Markets. What can I say? I'm a man of the people. Check out some more of MK's recipes on her site as promised here: https://inthecuriouskitchen.com/recipes/ 

This week i'm joined by Zack, Creative Director of Jungle Jim's, to try out Dr. Pepper's brand new Strawberries and Cream soda. Can Zack tell us which one is Zero Sugar? Find out! Later, we meet another independent vendor who has had amazing success here in the Jungle, Bonita's Southern Style Sweet Potato Pies. Bonita talks about how demos help bring her product success, along with some of her favorite food memories and more. Get this - she even sings her own jingle on the show!

I needed to get over my own fears of ordering coffee in coffee shops, so I brought Anna in from Boston Stoker coffee who has been doing demos in our stores to teach us all about coffee. We roasted beans in my office, ground them up, used a chemex, and got to try some of the most fresh coffee I could ever have. It was a wonderful, eye-opening experience and hopefully you find yourselves renewed with a more bean-focused interest in the future. You never know what you're going to see at Jungle Jim's, especially in the WJJI studio - just don't pay any attention to the smoke billowing out of the doors.

We sit down with winemaker of the year, Greg Brewer of Brewer-Clifton, as well as Master Sommelier Larry O'Brien to open everyone's eyes to the freedom of wine. Can they help us all get over our wine anxiety and just learn to love trying new things and expanding our horizons? They did for me and I'm sure they will for you too! This was one of my favorite interviews since starting the show - I loved how they made wine something so approachable. Learn more about Greg's incredible wines at https://www.bygregbrewer.com and join us here at Jungle Jim's International Markets for more excellent tastings like this one.

This week, we pick the winner of DohJoy Bread's winter recipe contest, where the winner gets a $250 gift card from DohJoy to their favorite DohJoy retailer - so make sure you choose Jungle Jim's International Market! We're joined by some random taste testers, including returning greats like Victoria and Dick. Thanks to everyone who came out!

We kick the episode off with a visit from WEBN's very own Nudge who shot us a video to show off what was in his cart - thanks Nudge! Check him out on Native Noise here in Cincinnati. Later, we talk pickles and old hot dogs with Scott from Tony Packo's; then, we introduce you to a new product from Hungry Squirrel - a whole line of keto-friendly sauces and dressings. Lastly, we're joined by Devin Burgess/Kei$ha for a musical performance. Learn more about the Jungle Jim's International Market podcast here: https://www.junglejims.com/wjji