Discovering new cuisines is one of the best things about travelling! Food offers an insight into local cultures with many dishes and cooking customs dating back hundreds of years. Previously, Expat Explore put together a list of our favourite travel TV shows. This time, we’re focusing on those delicious travel shows that explore food from around the world.
Here is our list of top foodie travel shows:
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown
The first of our foodie faves also got a mention on our previous travel TV show list because it’s just that good! Chef Anthony Bourdain needs no introduction. Beloved by foodies, travellers and chefs alike, Bourdain opened viewers’ eyes to parts of the world that they may have never seen or considered travelling to. From the Congo to the Gaza strip, Bourdain was never afraid to push boundaries while showcasing the beauty of humanity. Prior to Parts Unknown, Bourdain hosted similarly brilliant and popular travel food shows No Reservations and The Layover.
Parts Unknown ran for 12incredible seasons and was nominated for a total of 31 Emmys, winning 12. In his lifetime, Bourdain visited over 80 countries and became an inspiration to so many explorers. He was never afraid to try something new such as a cobra heart in Vietnam, fermented shark in Iceland and pig blood soup in Thailand! While he did not like all of these more unusual flavours, thanks to having an open mind, he quite enjoyed some too! However, if you are squeamish, have no fear. Bourdain also eats many mouthwatering dishes that may be a bit more palatable to less adventurous travellers!
Related: Here are some books and movies that are sure to inspire wanderlust!
Somebody Feed Phil
Looking for something to watch that just feels like a big hug? Somebody Feed Phil is the feel-good foodie show that everyone needs in their life. Phil Rosenthal, the hilarious writer and creator of Everybody Loves Raymond, travels all over the world seeking delectable food – from top restaurants to street eats. He enjoys the company of famous friends, chefs and locals while sampling incredible cuisines and he never ceases to make everyone around him laugh. Over five seasons, viewers have delighted in watching Phil’s many adventures. From connecting with his Jewish heritage in Israel and exploring his own backyard in New York City to learning how to pour and drink Guinness in Ireland and visiting the world’s oldest restaurant in Spain!
In earlier seasons, Phil would call his hilarious parents at the end of the day to tell them about his trip. Many viewers, and Phil himself, considered this the best part of the show. Sadly, both of his parents have now passed away. Season five sees him calling guests, including famous actors Ray Romano, Brad Garret and Paul Reiser. Phil asks them to tell a joke for his dad, Max.
Related: Celebrate your dad with these father son travel tips!
Chef’s Table
This one is for the serious gourmands! Chef’s Table explores the creations, lives, inspirations and kitchens of some of the world’s top chefs. It is by far one of the most critically acclaimed food shows. It boasts a total of eight Emmy nominations for its storytelling, high-quality production and beautiful cinematography. This dreamy and immersive series offers a fascinating insight into the global fine dining industry. Many of the restaurants featured are at a price point reserved for the ultra-wealthy. Therefore, watching Chef’s Table feels almost sinful. It’s this voyeuristic quality that makes it hard to pull your eyes away from the screen!
Watch in awe as acclaimed director David Gelb delves into the culinary worlds of renowned chefs like Massimo Bottura in Italy, Virgilio Martinez in Peru, Asma Khan in London and many more. There have also been three spin offs of Chef’s Table exclusively profiling top chefs in France, pastry chefs and BBQ restaurants.
Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted
Whether you love him or hate him, nobody can deny that Gordon Ramsay knows great television (and food, of course)! While Ramsay is known for his hilariously cutting insults on reality show classics like Hell’s Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares, Uncharted showcases a far more polite (and quiet) Ramsay. However, Ramsay remains as entertaining as ever. We watch him scale mountains in Peru, go diving for seafood delicacies in Norway and chase farm animals in Croatia all in the name of discovering and creating incredible international eats.
Some seasons see Ramsay attempt to cook local dishes and compete against respected local chefs. Much like Parts Unknown, Uncharted also explores less-ventured parts of the world and favours rugged landscapes and untouched nature over big cities and fancy restaurants.
Related: Enjoy an adventure of a lifetime when you join our Sacred Peru tour!
Ultimate Braai Master
If you have ever lived in or travelled to South Africa, you will be familiar with the country’s favourite pastime – braaing! A braai is essentially a South African barbecue. However, ask any South African and they will tell you it is so much more than that. It is a vital part of South African culture and heritage, a celebration of food, family and friends. Braaing is the art of cooking on an open flame. Cooking on a gas grill will not cut it! The Ultimate Braai Master takes braaing to the next level seeing chefs compete in a range of gruelling challenges while travelling across Southern Africa. The series has travelled over thousands of kilometres to destinations including Cape Town, Namibia, Lesotho, the Karoo desert and much more.
When the first show premiered, many viewers didn’t quite know what to expect. How much can one cook on a braai anyway? Would it just be a bunch of macho men throwing steak on a fire? However, now on its seventh season (available on Netflix), The Ultimate Braai Master proved everyone wrong. What the show became was a true celebration of South Africa’s spectacular nature, its rugged outdoors and its incredibly diverse natural ingredients and cuisine. From braaing a multi-course fine-dining meal at 5-star hotels to pizza and camping food, the braai masters seen throughout the series have produced some seriously impressive dishes.
Related: Go on your very own South African adventure with Expat Explore’s South African Escape tour!
Ugly Delicious
Ugly Delicious sets itself apart from other travel food shows by focusing on dishes and ingredients as opposed to countries and cuisines. Each episode examines the cultural and culinary history of a particular food. Host and celebrity chef David Chang travels around the world with famous guests to discover how their favourite foods came to be. The name Ugly Delicious refers to the fact that Chang does not wish to showcase hoity-toity fine dining but rather comfort foods that we all know and love. Chang explores foods that are extremely popular in America, such as tacos and pizza, and asks questions about the origins of foods and the notion of “authentic” cuisine.
Being Korean-American, Chang looks into BBQ and fried chicken which are beloved in both Korea and America and showcases the cultural difference between these foods in both countries. He travels to India to discover “real” curry with powerhouse chef Padma Lakshmi, debates whether Italian or Chinese dumplings are better with comedian Ali Wong and shares a home cooked meal with Rene Redzepi, widely considered the best chef in the world, in his hometown of Copenhagen, Denmark. So far, there are only two seasons of Ugly Delicious. However, you can bet we’re all hoping for many more to come!
Stanley Tucci’s Searching for Italy
What happens when you combine one of Hollywood’s most loveable actors with one of the world’s most celebrated cuisines? You get Stanley Tucci’s Searching for Italy! Tucci is best known for beloved films like The Devil Wears Prada, The Hunger Games and his Oscar-nominated role in The Lovely Bones. However, his latest career move saw him travelling around various regions in Italy and exploring these regions’ cultures, cuisines and histories. How do we get that job? Sign us up!
As an enigmatic actor, Tucci is captivating to watch on screen. Being Italian-American himself, he brings a unique perspective and curiosity to the show. The series is beautifully filmed and features mouthwatering shots of various meats, cheeses, breads, pizzas, pastas, pastries and much more! Don’t be put off by the fact that Searching for Italy only explores one country. After all, it is one of the most culinary diverse countries in the world! You also get to see many unique dishes that don’t often make it to Italian restaurants outside of Italy.
Related: Explore Italy’s beautiful regions and irresistible cuisines on an Expat Explore Italy tour!
Are you hungry for tasty treats and unforgettable adventures? Discover cuisine, culture, history and so much more on one of Expat Explore’s upcoming tours!