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Recently cooking shows have become very popular with people of all ages! Netflix has alot of originals and different spins on classics. So whether you want to learn about different cultures, try out a new recipe, or just enjoy a show about food, check out these cooking shows on Netflix!
Do you crave fine dining and love to immerse yourself in the beautiful aesthetics practiced by world-famous chefs? Or are you a home cook who also really enjoys baking?
Whether you fall into one of these categories or view cooking shows as a window into the wider world, Netflix has some choice delights for your discriminating palate.
The variety of cooking shows available for viewers on any number of networks and streaming sources has become so large that it is sometimes difficult to find a cooking show that suits your preferences. Whether you prefer the hominess of bake-offs, the elegance of fine dining or the informative shows that stimulate further interest in geography, other cultures and travel, there is something for you.
The following shows are tailored to viewers with different interests, perspectives and feelings about cooking and how it embodies life, community, and family.
There are many great cooking shows you can look forward to watching on Netflix. Some of the most popular ones include:
1. The Great British Baking Show
The most well-liked cooking show on right now is The Great British Bake Off, aired in America as The Great British Baking Show. The Great British Baking Show is the polite and proper alternative to the cutthroat atmosphere that pervades so many other competitive cooking shows.
The contestants are friendly and even feel sad about the loss of their fellow contestants when they get eliminated. The light tone and positive atmosphere create a cooking show that is both soothing and tempting to your tastes.
The show also highlights a variety of multicultural contestants adapting their own knowledge of British cuisine and creating original dishes by integrating their backgrounds into them. This makes for many delicious sounding items you can attempt to cook at home.
They have credited the show with creating a renewed interest in home baking and adding a better understanding of the diverse people and cuisines that inhabit Great Britain. With dialogue like, “I’m not eating like Henry VIII, you know, quail’s eggs and lark’s tongues”, there is no mistaking this show’s British identity.
The competitors are charming and good-natured and are allowed to cook at a relatively relaxed pace.
Signature Challenge
Each episode has a series of three challenges. In the first, the amateur bakers on the show make a familiar recipe they have made for friends and family.
Technical Challenge
In the second challenge, the baked goods are ranked from worst to best. The bakers are all given very limited instructions and the same recipe right before the challenge.
Show-Stopper Challenge
This last challenge allows the amateur bakers to highlight their skills. The judges are looking for a baked item that is both technically and presentationally exquisite.
The three challenges take place over two days. They eliminate one contestant at the end of each episode. In the final episode of the series, three bakers are left and they choose a winner.
2. Chef’s Table
This show is what many expect from a cooking show, replete with softly lit and languid panning shots of beautifully plated dishes choreographed with complementary classical music. Each episode focuses on one famous chef and the exposure to different things that have informed their culinary decisions.
In an episode from season 1, chef Massimo Boturra explains how he was inspired to make edible paper from seawater by a painter’s work that he saw in New York. These anecdotes illustrate how the artistic qualities of cooking tie into the other cultural areas of our lives.
This is further emphasized by the consistent use of classical music to highlight some of the inviting plates as they are shown.
The Food…
Is absolutely stunning. The artistic plating for high-end cuisine does not disappoint, and the stories behind the inspiration for some of the dishes are fascinating to hear. This show is fairly ripe for parody, so much so that it was parodied in an episode of Documentary Now!, the American mockumentary television series.
There is also a Chef’s Table Pastry spinoff that maintains the tone of the original Chef’s Table.
3. The Big Family Cooking Showdown
This show is a series that was spun off from The Great British Baking Show. The first season was co-hosted by the winner of the sixth season in 2015 and very popular British chef and personality, Nadiya Hussain, along with British television personality Zoe Ball. Three family teams with three members each compete to make a full meal for judges including Italian chef Giorgio Locatelli and British cooking instructor Rosemary Shrager as well as the hosts of the show.
There are multiple heats before each team advances to the semi-finals.
This show is even homier than The Great British Baking Show since the competitors are families and all of the episodes are filmed at a barn built in 1870 in Kent.
4. Cooked
In this show based on his 2013 book, Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation, Michael Pollan focuses on the human side of cooking and how food gets to the plate. This cooking show is a four-part documentary series that focuses on getting more in touch with our evolutionary relationship to food and uses the four elements of fire, water, air, and earth to do so.
Fire
The first episode covers the cooking of meat and how it has helped shape the development of our modern diet as a pit master teaches Pollan about the uses of fire in cooking.
Water
In the second episode, Pollan goes to India to discuss pot cooking. He also details the possible threats the corporatization of food practices proposes to family recipes and cooking knowledge that has been passed down through generations.
Air
The third episode, air, touches on the relationship of human beings to gluten and Michael learns how to transform grain and water into bread.
Earth
The fourth episode covers foods that are made using fermentation. He meets ‘fermentors’ that include cheese-makers, brewers, and picklers of a variety of items. They explain to him how the earth plays a role in the formation of the fungi and bacteria that make their products delicious.
Pollan emphasizes the additives that processed foods often contain and suggests that the basics are a lot safer and less likely to lead to health ailments.
Processed foods contain large amounts of fat, sugar, and salt. They also disrupt our link to foods from the natural world. He contrasts the ideas of corporate cooking versus the knowledge passed on to individuals through their families. This show is incredibly informative while it also touches the heart.
He is inquisitive about the connections, relationships and the transformative experiences that food preparation gives. The show is directed by Alex Gibney, a documentary filmmaker who has made other documentaries on Enron and the Church of Scientology.
5. Parts Unknown
Anthony Bourdain will live forever as nothing short of a legend. The paragon of cooking shows, Parts Unknown, addresses anthropological and sociological perspectives on cooking while integrating the idea of cooking as just one facet of life to be enjoyed along with others.
Every trip he took on Parts Unknown was a magnificent sensory experience. Bourdain was an esteemed chef at the French restaurant Les Halles in New York City; he then decided that he was more interested in exploring and writing about the elements that influenced cooking, including those of geography and the history of conflict in whatever area he was in at the time.
He is tremendously respectful of localized tradition and cultural preferences while visiting a variety of countries, territories, cities and even areas far off of the beaten path. Bourdain visited cities we all know well, in addition to areas that we know nothing about at all. His absolute adaptability to any sort of circumstances and surroundings is what made him one of a kind.
So many viewers love Bourdain due to his unassuming nature, dry sense of humor and easygoing ways. Eternally respectful to others, his show speaks strongly to the layperson about the significance of food in our lives.
6. A Cook Abroad
If you’re interested in food from around the world, then look no further than A Cook Abroad. There’s only one season of this show, however the chef’s travel to many different countries including France, India, Argentina to try the countries cuisine and make it themselves.
That’s a lot of food and culture packed into one show!
7. Chef’s Table: France
This Netflix original lets viewers experience different foods from France, and highlights how some chef’s are pushing the limits of fine dining. France has a rich history when it comes to food, but tune into this cooking show on Netflix to see how that’s all changing.
8. Restaurant Australia
In this cooking show on Netflix, three chefs come together to create amazing cuisine with the best ingredients that are found right there in Australia; their goal is to serve a meal to 250 international guests and give them an idea of what Australian food and culture is like.
If you’re interested in fresh ingredients or just Australia in general, consider this for your next food themed binge.
9. Testing the Menu
Nic Watt, is an acclaimed chef who cares what his customers think. In this one season series, he creates dishes, then takes them to the streets to be critiqued by people. He then adjusts them based on what the different opinions were.
Customers get to have a say in what’s on the menu, and this new way of looking at food and menus would make a great show to watch!
10. Steak Revolution
In this documentary, two traveling foodies are on a mission to find the best steak in the world. Along the way, they talk to chefs, farmers, and butchers about what makes the steak stand out from the rest. So if you’re a meat lover and documentaries are more your thing, then this is a great Netflix option for you!
11. Jiro Dreams of Sushi
Sushi is an art, and these chefs have it mastered! This documentary is about a chef whose legendary sushi plates cost $300. The restaurant is a favorite of Tokyo foodies, and this will give you a glimpse into how amazing (and expensive) the art of sushi really is.
12. The Wild Chef
This cooking show is unlike any other cooking show out there! Quebec chef Martin Picard turns unusual ingredients, such as moose and muskrat, into delicacies. He shows viewers that you really can use anything while cooking.
Enjoy this show and get inspired with the ingredients you have!
13. Street Food
Fancy restaurants are nice and all, but sometimes you can’t truly experience the best food until you head to the streets. Street Food takes their viewers on a trip around the world as they discover the best food on the streets!
This cooking show on Netflix will give you the best authentic places to eat all over the world.
14. Hungry for Change
Many people have struggled with their weight, and with all of the weight loss programs in the world, we wonder why this is still a problem? This documentary might clear some things up of you. It exposes some of the problems with diets and weight loss programs that in the end keep their customers coming back for more.
If you want to be inspired to make a change in the world around you, or if you’re just curious, then this is a great documentary to inform yourself while still watching a movie about food.
15. The Kids Menu
Contrary to most of our beliefs, if kids are informed and have the choice, they’ll most likely choose healthier options! This documentary explains and shows the viewer this process, and could be very helpful when it comes to understanding how to deal with childhood obesity.
16. The Search for General Tso
We’ve all heard of General Tso’s chicken dish, and most of us have probably had it numerous times. But do you actually know where it came from? This documentary explores the origins of the famous Chinese dish and how it came to be.
So next time you order General Tso’s at your local Chinese take out place, you’ll know exactly what you’re getting and how it came to be!
17. Forks Over Knives
We all know that processed foods aren’t the best for us, but do we actually know how bad they really are? In this documentary two food scientists dive in and reveal why they’re so unhealthy for us. They also explain the proper, and natural, alternatives!
This documentary is a great option for anyone to watch and learn from.
18. The Engine 2 Kitchen Rescue
Most families consider themselves healthy eaters, however a lot of foods can be misleading. Rip Esselstyn, a fit firefighter, explains to families what’s wrong with the normal american diet and how they can improve their food choices for a better quality of life.
This is a great option, especially if you want more information on how to enhance your daily food choices!
19. Foodies
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to critique food for a living? Well that’s exactly what these food bloggers do. Experience their world in this documentary, and travel the world to the finest eateries.
After watching this, your inner foodie will definitely be satisfied.
20. Fannie’s Last Supper
Have you ever been interested in what food was like in the past? In this documentary, America’s Test Kitchen head chef Erin McMurrer and Chris Kimball recreate a meal from the 19th century. Specifically, a 12 course meal from 1896 in Fannie Farmer’s cookbook.
This shorter documentary is perfect if you’re into food and history!
21. I’ll Have What Phil’s Having
Phil Rosenthal, also known as the creator of Everybody Loves Raymond, has an inner foodie. Join him for this one season as he travels around the world, discovering the many tastes of different cultures.
22. Sushi: The Global Catch
Sushi, a Japanese favorite, has a long and rich history. In this documentary, you’ll learn about how it started out on the streets of Japan, and grew to be the extremely popular international dish that it is today!
23. Food Matters
Everyone knows that it’s important to eat a balanced diet, but how much impact could healthy foods actually have on you? According to some scientists, healthy eating is the key to a healthy life. Some even suggest that some of modern medicine’s “cures” might actually be the problem.
Watch this documentary and see if a change in your diet could possibly be the cure that you were looking for!
24. The Final Table
Netflix has made a name for itself with its slate of cooking shows, playing host to international sensation The Great British Bake-Off and debuting original baking/comedy hit Nailed It! Now they’re rolling out a high-level original in The Final Table, a global cooking competition hosted by Bon Appetit editor Andrew Knowlton.
Twelve teams of two chefs will compete to master the national dishes of nations including Brazil, England, France, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Spain, and the United States. Each episode will feature a guest judge considered that country’s greatest chef, including Grant Achatz for the United States.
The Final Table is brought to you by the producers of the hit cooking competition Masterchef.
25. Anthony Bourdain: A Cook’s Tour
Last but not least, is another cooking show that has a lot to do with cultures around the world. Chef Anthony Bourdain travels around the world, visiting food meccas and learning from their techniques. If you’re looking to add a little flare to your meals, you might be able to learn something from these worldwide chefs too!
Conclusion
These shows are wonderful contributions to the many lenses through which we can view food and enjoy cooking. Food is the glue that binds together individuals, families, communities, countries and even people throughout the globe. There is no question cooking connects us as human beings. All of the Netflix cooking shows seem to have an understanding of and appreciation for this.
They employ different ways in which they emphasize the important role that cooking and food plays in our lives. Despite differing approaches, each of these cooking shows have the common thread of reminding us that the most important thing about food is that we enjoy the company of others while making and eating it.
The nourishment of your soul must go hand in hand with the nourishment of your body. These Netflix cooking shows make it easy to learn how to do both of these things.