Written by Lauren Graham
You might be familiar with the saying, “Eyes are the window to the soul.” Well, in a similar way, food serves as a window into the heart of a culture. Through food, a culture’s history and traditions are expressed and enjoyed by many people. When we eat a certain dish or cuisine, we experience a host of different aspects that make a culture unique, while at the same time enjoying a mouthful of flavor. What’s more is that through food we can understand the complexities of different cultures and individual stories.
One of my favorite ways to learn about culture through the delicious lens of food is by watching shows and mini-documentaries. Not only are they visual masterpieces, but they also center around the art of food and culture, providing key insight and information about cuisines around the world. So I've compiled a short and sweet list of my favorite docuseries that dive into the world of food and are perfect for all foodies!
Street Food: USA, Latin America, Asia
Where to watch: Netflix
Street Food is a 3-part mini docu-series that takes you through three continents with some of the most popular culinary cities and the street food culture that keeps them thriving. Each episode dives into the unique lives of chefs with inspiring stories to tell of their successful journeys in the street food world. About 30 minutes long, these colorful episodes are packed with unique dishes with even more interesting backgrounds. In the USA series, an episode you definitely can’t miss is the food scene in Oahu, Hawaii. From traditional kalua pig, garlic shrimp, and fresh poke, Hawaii has a wide range of delicious and timeless cuisine, and the food truck scene is worth the hype. From the Latin America series, fresh seafood ceviche and Japanese fusion flourish in Lima, Peru. Their history and geographical region inspire many of the street food dishes, and the spotlight on a very popular hole-in-the-wall restaurant is captivating and mouthwatering. Last but not least, the story of Thai chef Jay Fai and her Michelin star crab omelets and tom yum soup in Bangkok, Thailand, is inspirational. Her take on Thai cuisine keeps customers from all around the world coming back for more, and her influence on street food culture in Thailand is impressive.
Counter Space With Sophia Roe
Where to watch: YouTube TV, Tubi, Hulu
If you love the food side of TikTok and Instagram, you may have seen some of Sophia Roe’s eccentric, colorful, and unique food content. Her fashionable style and zest for creative cuisine make food education and culture compelling. Counter Space is a show that explores areas of food culture and climates during the pandemic and beyond. Each episode features two or three fascinating field investigations on aspects of food, health, traditions, and more. Plus, in between cultural deep dives, Sophia Roe pops in to cook a special dish that packs a punch. Counter Space tackles the hard topics like food security and waste while also exploring the beautiful aspects of food in society and different cultures, like the emergence of Chinatowns to foraging in the Appalachian mountains.
The recipes Roe cooks are unique and flavorful, from hot honey popcorn shrimp in her episode about Turkish beekeepers to tequila and coconut ceviche in the episode about Agave in Mexico. Sophia Roe takes education and global climates to the next level with Counter Space With Sophia Roe.
Searching For Soul Food
Where to watch: Hulu, Disney+
What is soul food? Searching For Soul Food is a short documentary that follows Alisa Reynolds, a soul food expert and French-trained chef, and her quest to find soul food in different cultures. From the United States to countries like Italy, South Africa, and Jamaica, this show highlights what the idea of soul food means for people. Reynolds describes soul food as “cuisine created with ingenuity through struggle…(that) nourishes people through its hardest times.” Food like that can be found in every culture, and this experimental and passionate culinary artist explores all the possibilities of soul food and its importance for communities. In each episode, Alisa Reynolds travels to different destinations and learns about the history, ingredients, struggles, and more of cultures with delicious soul food dishes.
One of my favorite episodes is when she visits the Cherokee and Osage tribes in Oklahoma. Native American cuisine is incredibly underrated and deserves a spotlight. Chef Reynolds and Cherokee chef Nico Albert make classic dishes from Cherokee wild onion eggs and fry bread to Osage red corn and turkey beans. This show is perfect for soul food lovers of all kinds and those who love a little bit of history with their food.
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Which show will you watch next?