The Food and Travel Documentaries That Made Me Pack My Bags
Watching food and travel documentaries is a wonderful way to open your eyes to new, exciting opportunities. Whether you have a particular destination or cuisine in mind, the right documentary can inspire unforgettable experiences.
With so many documentaries focusing on food and travel, creating a shortlist of recommendations is a challenge. But I’ve decided to focus on programmes that have captivated me and fed into my life. A few of my selections focus more on food than travel, but these picks still offer enough holiday inspiration for any wanderer.
Quick note: I watched some of them in the UK and others abroad. Depending on where you’re based, you may need to use a VPN to stream some of my picks from abroad.
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown
The late Anthony Bourdain made 12 seasons of Parts Unknown, which followed him as he visited everywhere from Myanmar to Bhutan. Bourdain shone a light on locations and cuisines that received less coverage than others.
If you’re hungry for a series that offers more variety and intrigue than other food and travel shows, Parts Unknown could be what you’re looking for.
Chef’s Table
Chef’s Table is one of the most successful food and travel documentaries on Netflix. It still inspires conversation and articles long after its debut. One Salon.com writer has explained how the series positively impacted their perspective of food.
Each episode introduces us to a new chef hard at work in their kitchen, demonstrating their personal methodology. Chefs range from Grant Achatz, an American, to Corrado Assenza, a Sicilian.
Chef’s Table is shot with immense style and celebrates different types of cooking around the world. It may help you find new places to visit on your travels and food you didn’t realise you’d been living without. Multiple spin-off series focus on specific countries and foods, offering more fuel for your wanderlust.
Street Food
The same team that made Chef’s Table created Street Food. It takes you on a world tour with a tight focus on fast food served outdoors. Street Food features interviews with chefs in Thailand, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Mexico, and various other countries.
Even if a particular type of street food fails to fire up your appetite, the locations may still hold your attention. Street Food is a nice contrast to Chef’s Table and other series that showcase cooks working in kitchens. It presents food professionals within smaller spaces catering to customers in often bustling locations.
The Chef Show
Jon Favreau may be best known for kickstarting the Marvel Cinematic Universe with his Iron Man films and dabbling in the Star Wars sandpit. But Favreau is also a dedicated foodie and cook.
In The Chef Show, Favreau and chef Roy Choi travel to various locations across the States to explore different types of cuisine. The programme’s laid-back mood and the host’s passion for the subject matter ensure that The Chef Show is well worth a watch.
Anyone who has visited the States knows the food across the pond is tremendous. And The Chef Show features some great locations and dishes for your wish list.
Ugly Delicious
Ugly Delicious is another Netflix series that brings food and travel together in one entertaining package. Host David Chang travels to multiple locations to sample a range of foods.
In episode one, for instance, Chang focuses on pizza in diverse countries, from the States to Japan. Later episodes cover curry, tacos, and other types of popular food.
Combining Your Love of Travel and Food for Unforgettable Trips
For as many as 80% of people, local cuisine is a major influence on their travel choices. I certainly believe that discovering new dishes is one of the most enriching aspects of travelling. Whether I visit a Michelin-starred restaurant or eat beside a food truck, I love finding memorable places to eat.
But deciding where to go on holiday is always difficult when you have so many incredible options to consider. Watching the documentaries I’ve selected will introduce you to new ideas and help you easily plan amazing breaks abroad.
