With so many new TV shows and movies streaming on Netflix [1], you shouldn't overlook a smaller category that has a ton to offer: food. The food shows available on Netflix range from visually stunning series about Michelin-starred restaurants to downright drool-inducing international food tours, plus plenty of educational, eye-opening shows, too. If your mind is on food all day every day and you'd rather be watching something about food (while eating food, naturally), these are the shows you'll want to add to your Netflix must-watch list.
Chef's Table
Each episode of Chef's Table [3] profiles a highly skilled chef and his or her restaurant with stunning cinematography and just as many personal stories as gorgeous food shots.
Cooked
An educational show by Michael Pollan, famous journalist and author of The Omnivore's Dilemma [4], Cooked [5] captivates you from the start. The four-part series focuses on one natural element at a time — fire, water, air, and earth — to tell a fascinating story about where our food comes from and how it influences our world.
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown
While Anthony Bourdain [6]'s series The Layover is no longer streaming on Netflix, Parts Unknown [7] is. Travel with Bourdain all over the world, from Colombia to Quebec to Sicily, and explore the best food spots you'll want to add to your bucket list.
Compete to Eat
Compete to Eat [8] is for people who love a good cooking competition show where the pressure is on and the clock is ticking. Two chefs, Aldo Lanzillotta and Jo Lusted, must compete to prepare three-course meals in other people's homes, where the cooks aren't exactly professionals and the resources are slim.
The Great British Baking Show
The Great British Baking Show [9] is a BBC show that made its way to PBS and now Netflix, winning over countless Americans' hearts. Sort of like Masterchef (but focused on baking) and featuring incredibly kind contestants with charming British accents, it's the perfect show for people who love the art of a pastry competition.
The Mind of a Chef
Narrated by Anthony Bourdain [10], The Mind of a Chef [11] combines all things travel, science, history, and humor as it relates to food.
Street Food Around the World
Take a break from fancier food shows and get a serious case of the munchies as you get a glimpse of some of the best street eats in Street Food Around the World [12].