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Documentaries and docuseries have always served as a great medium to learn about the world from the comforts of your home. Thanks to streaming services, we now have access to more media than ever before!
Our team has selected 10 documentaries and docuseries that will not only teach you more about the foods we eat, but they’ll teach you about where these foods come from, the passionate food purveyors who have dedicated their lives to culinary perfection and guide you through these cuisine’s nuanced histories.
On top of that, these documentaries will inspire you to expand your culinary skills and perhaps even inspire your future travels.
“Ugly Delicious”
“Ugly Delicious” is available on Netflix — Photo courtesy of Ugly Delicious / Netflix
In “Ugly Delicious,” follow the travels of James Beard Award-winning chef David Chang as he takes viewers on a culinary journey around the world.
Along with celebrity guests which include folks like Jimmy Kimmel and Aziz Ansari, they discuss the deeper conversations around food and culture in an effort to overcome common misconceptions about cuisines around the world. Viewers are transported to destinations including Tokyo and Copenhagen.
Seasons 1-2 can be seen on Netflix now.
“Salt Fat Acid Heat”
“Salt Fat Acid Heat” is available on Netflix – and be sure to read the book as well! — Photo courtesy of Salt Fat Acid Heat / Netflix
From the James Beard Award-winning book of the same name, author and chef Samin Nosrat takes us on a journey of the four pillars of cooking which are (as you probably guessed) salt, fat, acid and heat. Nosrat does an incredible job illustrating these foundations of cooking, taking viewers on a wanderlust-y tour around the world to explore just how complex these elements can be, and just how many ways they can be interpreted.
Every episode of “Salt Fat Acid Heat” takes you on an immersive journey from where ingredients are sourced, all the way to the kitchen where Nosrat shows you how these quality ingredients can be used in a variety of dishes.
This limited series with four episodes is streaming on Netflix.
“Jiro Dreams of Sushi”
“Jiro Dreams of Sushi” is available on Netflix — Photo courtesy of Jiro Dreams of Sushi
In “Jiro Dreams of Sushi,” we follow how Yoshikazu Ono tries to live up to his father, the legendary chef Jiro Ono. 85-year-old Jiri Ono is the owner and sushi chef of a 10-seat sushi bar in Tokyo.
Ono focuses so intently on everything about sushi, from what ingredients are used, to his philosophy that the sushi must be eaten as soon as it’s made. This profile will certainly make you develop a deeper appreciate for the art of sushi.
It’s streaming on Netflix now.
“Barbecue”
The award-winning documentary, “Barbecue,” is available on Netflix — Photo courtesy of Barbecue / Netflix
The art of barbecue has made its way across the world, and is a ritual shared among cultures. This documentary, simply titled “Barbecue,” explores the cooking method, along with its histories and traditions, across 12 countries. It also won a James Beard Foundation Broadcast Media Award in 2018.
This is streaming on Netflix now.
The Chef Show
“The Chef Show” is available on Netflix — Photo courtesy of The Chef Show / Netflix
Did you know that Jon Favreau, director of “Iron Man” and creator and executive producer of the Star Wars television series “The Mandalorian,” is also an avid foodie? “The Chef Show” follows Favreau and chef Roy Choi on a culinary quest where they try new recipes, new cooking techniques and even collaborate with guest celebrities from comedians like Bill Burr to renowned chefs like Wolfgang Puck.
Season 1, Volumes 1-3 is streaming on Netflix now.
“City of Gold”
“City of Gold” is available to rent through several streaming services — Photo courtesy of City of Gold / IFC Films
“City of Gold” is a documentary that follows the late Jonathan Gold. Before Gold passed away in 2018, he was a food critic that had written for the LA Times, and previously LA Weekly and Gourmet. He is recognized for his dedicated work in stepping outside of dining trends and focusing on the bounty of international restaurants throughout Los Angeles.
The documentary follows his work and also profiles a voice that was, and still is, truly revered in the food writing industry.
“City of Gold” is available to rent on Amazon Prime Video, iTunes, Google Play, Vudu and YouTube.
“Sour Grapes”
“Sour Grapes” is available on Netflix — Photo courtesy of Sour Grapes / Netflix
This is not your average documentary about wine. “Sour Grapes” is part food documentary, part crime documentary. It’s a story that follows fraudster Rudy Kurniawan and how he conned a wine collector into spending millions of dollars on fake wine.
The film will not only take you on a thrilling trip, but it will teach you about wine and the wine industry along the way.
This is streaming on Netflix now.
“Street Food”
“Street Food” is available on Netflix — Photo courtesy of Street Food / Netflix
Some of the best eats from around the world are enjoyed from the streets, and travelers know that street food can be the quickest and most delicious meal. The docuseries “Street Food” takes viewers on a journey around the globe through street food.
You’ll learn just how influential street food can be and how culturally relevant it is to the people who serve it and eat it.
Volume 1 is streaming on Netflix now.
“Theater of Life”
“Theater of Life” is available on Netflix — Photo courtesy of Theater of Life / Netflix
Shakespeare said that all the world is a stage. But when it comes to “Theater of Life,” food takes the center stage in a compelling story that follows a gourmet soup kitchen that used food waste from the Expo 2015 in Milan, Italy.
The soup kitchen was created by world-renowned chef, Massimo Bottura, along with 60 other chefs from around the world. The documentary paints a picture at just how much food is being thrown away around the world.
This is streaming on Netflix now.
“In Search of Israeli Cuisine”
“In Search of Israeli Cuisine” is available to stream through several services — Photo courtesy of In Search of Israeli Cuisine / Menemsha Films
Israeli cuisine is hard to define. In an interview 10Best did with chef Michael Solomonov, he said, “Israeli cuisine is a combination of around 100 cultures that have either ended up in Israel, or have been in Israel for the past thousand years.”
The documentary “In Search of Israeli Cuisine” explores this concept. Following Solomonov, chef and co-founder of Zahav (last year’s James Beard Award Winner for Most Outstanding Restaurant), viewers get an immersive look into the cultural influences that have had an impact on Israeli cuisine in the past, as well as a contemporary look at where the cuisine is headed.
This is available to rent on Amazon Prime Video, iTunes, Google Play, Vudu and YouTube.
