A lot of people want to travel the world for multiple reasons. They want to see other countries for the culture or for the sake of exploring something new. There was a man who enjoyed traveling for culture, cuisine, and other interesting aspects of land. Anthony Bourdain was not only a highly respected chef, but also an influencer who traveled all over the world to experience new things. He inspired many people to try new things, created an outlet for explorers of the unknown, and sparked questions about different societies in the world that made many of recent generations want to see more.
Bourdain’s beginning life started out as first being a chef and a soon to be culinary author of many articles and books. These outlets of writing were the source of inspiration that people saw to experiment with unknown cultures and cuisine. For one of Bourdain’s books titled, Anthony Bourdain’s Le Halle’s Cookbook writer Lyn Mettler states, “Readers will definitely enjoy Bourdain’s characteristically witty sense of humor guiding them through each step-in making foods like roasted veal short ribs, escargot and foie gras”.
His writing has a charismatic feeling to it because things shouldn’t be taken so literally. In recent generations, if one word is taken out of context then it could mean the end of someone’s career. However, there are times when light heartiness is needed compared to completely straight forward instructions on how to do something. His other book, Kitchen Confidential, demonstrates this as Robbie Faselt states, “Not only is [it] a very informative book, it analyzes the restaurant kitchen as both a space and a place”(Faselt).
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This topic brought a lot attention since people never thought restaurants this way. The main thoughts were places to dine and to order food rather it being a place where hard work and art come together. Bourdain’s novels bring insight and ideas not discussed enough. He demonstrates that whether it’s about traveling or food, it’s best to keep an open mind and to keep trying.
Over the course of time, Bourdain sought out bigger things than just writing novels and providing perspectives. He achieved his own international exploration show on television that presented other ideas and creations that many people would never approach. He would present these different cultures to other people that would make them question and understand what he was talking about.
He also inspired people to grow out of their comfort zones and attempt to become curious about exploration of unknown territory. Brian Lowry talks about Bourdain’s show Parts Unknown as being an acquired taste but the “insights are honest, direct, and occasionally funny”. The show itself is unique in which “Bourdain’s crew makes sure to capture the personality of the country similar to a kind of dish that has many different ingredients, and compared to most travel fare, unexpected bite” (Lowry).
All these factors help contribute to his show being viewed by people whose curiosity hungers for more discoveries of different cultures around the world. Even if it is a country that is well known to the world, there are still parts of their culture that are not widely known to the national eye. Bourdain makes sure to get across the point of rather than just knowing a culture to understand it helps people appreciate something more than before.
Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown not only reveals other countries’ cultures, but he provides insight on a lot of topics. Whether it be about traveling, cuisine, or perspective on life, he questions and talks about everything. All of this is due to his love of traveling and it is loved by a lot of people. People like college students Darcy Crockett and Magen Gauss that believe traveling is about “going in deeper to understand [a country’s culture]” (Darcy Crockett) or “people [going] on vacations and want to see something new” (Magen Gauss).
The curiosity of traveling the world is in every person’s mind. As Jonah Lehrer states, “When we escape from the place we spend most of our time, the mind is suddenly made aware of [many possibilities].” This way of thinking is what Bourdain was trying to connect with to everyone. With traveling to other parts of the world that are widely known but unknown to some, it is worth exploring. His works in the media has led to countless amounts of people carrying this idea and deciding to travel the world when they are ready.
With many perspectives on traveling the world, his show was one of the last mementos Bourdain carried. He left the world in his own moments by taking his life on Friday June 8 of this year and left many heartbroken. People from all over began wondering why he would just leave when he didn’t appear to look like a person who would be suffering. Following his death, writer Brian Stelter talks about how Bourdain brought people closer together with “[a] simple act of sharing meals, he showcased both the extraordinary diversity of cultures and cuisines, yet how much we all have in common”.
A lot of people wondered why he would have done something like this. He looked in high spirits during the day, but there was nothing that could be done when an idea like that snaps into your head when there is no one around. Even so, his teachings and ideas about exploring and not being afraid of traveling to somewhere new stuck with many.
Anthony Bourdain was an incredible man of many ideas and perspectives. He encouraged many to step outside the line and explore while he taught others to not be afraid of something that has never been seen before, but rather approach it and learn it. His works that were given to people will never be forgotten as they step into the unknown of tomorrow with the thoughts of discovery.
Works Cited
- Faselt, Robbie. “Robbie’s Food Geographies Blog.” Sites DOT Middlebury, 17 November 2014. sites.middlebury.edu/robbiefaseltfoodgeographies/2014/11/18/critical-book-review-of-kitchen-confidential/. Accessed 08 October 2018.
- Lehrer, Jonah. “Why We Travel.” The Guardian, 13 March 2010. https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2010/mar/14/why-travel-makes-you- smarter. Accessed 08 October 2018.
- Lowry, Brian. “TV Reviews: CNN’s ‘Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown,’ HBO’s ‘The Life and Time of Tim Hetherington’”. Variety, 11 April 2013.https://variety.com/2013/tv/reviews/tv-reviews-anthony-bourdain-parts-unknown-hbos-the-life-and-time-of-tim-hetherington-1200343280/. Accessed 08 October 2018.
- Mettler, Lyn. “5 essential books by Anthony Bourdain to add to your reading list”. Today, 13 June 2018. https://www.today.com/food/5-anthony-bourdain-s-best-books-t130915. Accessed 08 October 2018.
- Stelter, Brian. “CNN’s Anthony Bourdain dead at 61.” CNN, 08 June 2018. https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/08/us/anthony-bourdain-obit/index.html. Accessed 08 October 2018.
