If you have been binge-eating a little too much lately, why not take a step back and let your eyes and ears do the ingesting. Sink your teeth into some of the best foodie shows streaming in NZ right now, from Nailed It (if you haven't watched it yet just stop reading now and go and fix that) tothe total antithesis, Sugar Rush, and everything in between, we have watched it all and share our favourites here. Happy watching!
Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat
Netflix, 1 season.
Based on SaminNosrat’s book of the same name, “Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat” follows the chef and author as she travels the world seeking what she considers the four components needed to make a successful dish - salt, fat, adic and heat. Each episode delves into a different component, seeing Nosrat travel to Japan, Italy, Mexico, and California.
Who should watch: food lovers who want to explore the secrets behind what exactly makes food taste so good.
Chef’s Table
Netflix, 6 seasons.
Some of the most renowned chefs in the world share their deeply personal stories, inspirations, and unique styles. Each chef's discipline and culinary talent is explored while he or she prepares an awe-inspiring creation.The show follows chefs at the top of their game, from Massimo Bottura of Osteria Francescana in Italy, to Christina Tosi of New York’s Milk Bar and New Zealand chef Ben Shewry of Attica in Melbourne.
Who should watch: anyone who wants to know what inspires the World's best chefs to do what they do.
Nailed it
Netfiix, 2 seasons + 2 holiday specials
Inspired by the ironic instagram brag #nailedit this show sees totally inept bakers attempt some excruciatingly complicated cake creations in a short space of time, with hilarious results. Host Nicole Byer is a huge reason why this show is so popular, she is deliciously warm and witty, while her steadfast sidekick Jacques Torres provides wonderful snippets of expert baking advice.
Who should watch: absolutely everyone.
The Final Table
Netflix original, 2018, 1 season.
This is not a cooking show that chronicles the raw talent of untrained chefs as they try, fail and ultimately emerge victorious; this is a competition between some of the best chefs in the world going to head to head, vying for a seat at ‘The Table’. There is a lot of glitz and glamour, high-end cooking and some sexy celebrities thrown in, but the focus on the food is a little one dimensional. The dishes are very elaborate and the chefs don’t delve into how they create them so there isn't that ‘oooh I want to make that’ feeling for those of us watching at home. In addition, the host, Andrew Knowlton, is a little cold butweirdly sounds a lot like the The Amazing Race (USA) host so you spend the whole time half wondering why everyone isn’t running or trying to move hay bales as fast as they can.
Who should watch: anyone who secretly thinks they are a world-famous chef who has just been callously overlooked by the culinary world.
Sugar Rush
Netflix original, 2018, 2 seasons.
The premise of Sugar Rush is two professional bakers going head to head on a chosen theme, trying to out bake each other with incredible cake creations. Think Nailed It, except the contestants actually know what they are doing, so it is not as laugh out loud funny but the final creations are awe-inspiring.
Who should watch: perfect for lovers of insta-worthy cake creations.
Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home
Prime Video/Amazon Video, 1999, 1 season.
Oh my, everything about this is classic retro cooking-show pastiche. From the opening credits that feature such old fashioned fade-ins and imagery you would be forgiven for thinking this series is from the 70s, not the 90s. Julia Child, famous for her French cooking shows of the 60s and 70s and numerous books introducing French cooking to Americans and equally famous chef, Jacques Pepin, team up here to show us how to cook... just about everything. The lack of gloss and polish is the best thing about this show and they are not shy to use hunks of meat, lashings of butter and rinse it all down with a huge glass of wine.
Who should watch: lovers of retro cooking styles and anyone who wants to take a walk down memory food lane.
The History of Food
Neon, 1 season.
Go back in time to explore the science, history, culture, and lore behind the foods of the world. Renowned chefs, scientific experts, and cultural commentators offer fascinating insight into what we eat, covering two million years of natural and human history.
Who should watch: if you have a penchant for history and a hunger for food this short doco-series if for you.
