Over winter break, I made it my mission to scour Netflix for delicious food docu-series to watch while I eat. Instead of the typical food competition show with a single ice cream maker and mandatory tragic backstories, the following series will take you around the world and shower you with cultural delicacies you've never even heard of. Here's a list of 5 binge-worthy shows guaranteed to make you drool while you expand your culinary horizons.
Street Food: Asia
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We're starting off strong with Street Food: Asia. Ranging from rich fish head stew in Chiayi, Taiwan to a rainbow of chaat in Delhi, India, each episode takes you across Asia's most vibrant street food markets and highlights their chefs' powerful stories. Every interview and story emphasizes the persistence and strength that led to these countries' dynamic markets. The mouthwatering shots of food prepared in hawker stalls and food carts will make you wish you could teleport. And if you do decide to make your way over to these locations, a complete list of the chefs featured in each episode can be found here!
Ugly Delicious
Follow Chef David Chang and knowledgeable guests as they travel around the globe, dismantling the idea that only fine-dining can be delicious. Along the way, they take into account political issues, challenge cultural norms, spotlight fusion eats, and dissect the true meaning of 'good' food. Two seasons worth of content brings you Arab-style tacos, BBQ worldwide, Viet-Cajun cooking, and plenty more fusion and debate.
Flavorful Origins
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Flavorful Origins presents three seasons focusing on the culinary traditions and stories of three specific regions within Chinese cuisine. With every episode showcasing cinematic shots and closeups spotlighting a main ingredient, we explore the Gansu, Yunnan, and Chaoshan cuisines in depth and watch them come to life. You'll finish this feel-good show more intellectually satisfied, aesthetically pleased, and with a burning desire to try every dish you just saw.
The "Rhapsody Trio"
The "Rhapsody Trio" on Netflix consists of the mini-series Korean Cold Noodle Rhapsody, Korean Pork Belly Rhapsody, and Hanwoo Rhapsody boasting the wonders of Korean noodles, pork belly, and beef, respectively. Each sub-series dives deep into the unique history of the particular food in Korean culture, as well as its preparation and taste—it's best not to watch these shows without something to eat.
Street Food: Latin America
Essentially season two of the "Street Food" series, this show explores the diverse and traditional eats Latin America has to offer. The cameras take you on six different journeys starting from Buenos Aires, Argentina for choripáns and fugazzetas to La Paz, Bolivia for bueñuelos and salteñas. Every dish is visibly bursting with flavor you can experience for yourself here. And if you don't know what these tasty foods are or the cultural history behind them, now you have even more of a reason to watch!
With Netflix being a never-ending gold mine for content, this is only a small list—there are plenty more food docu-series to bless your mealtimes. The next time you're feeling hungry, eat with your eyes and stomach while feeding your brain with some food for thought.