Chef turned writer, Anthony Bourdain travelled to the most unlikely parts of the world to discover its culture, history and people through food. In 2014, he took a trip to India as a part of his CNN travel show, Parts Unknown. In the north state of Punjab, Anthony introduced his audiences to the colourful and vegetarian Indian food.
Elaborating on the food scene in India, late Bourdain, in an interview with Vogue said,
I’ve made much fun of vegetarians over the years and have been said, frequently, to “hate” them. This is not true. But I am dismissive and (sometimes) contemptuous of food that is made with a narrow world view as its first priority. This is not the case in India, one of the few places on earth, where eating vegetarian is not a burden. In Punjab, wildly varying textures, huge selections, thrilling blends of spices and assertive, delicious flavours are always accompanied by wonderful, freshly-made breads.
“In India—Punjab in particular—the thing you notice first, the thing that stays with you, is the colours”.
He even referred to The Beatles’ songs that were influenced by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi when the band took a trip down to India.
“You completely understand why The Beatles would want to drop acid, come here, and stare at stuff. The colours burn right through your eyeballs and into your brain. No Maharishi needed!”
Bourdain also highlighted the lack of authentic Indian restaurants in his own hometown, New York.
“Back home, we are really weak on street food, at least in Manhattan. Queens is another matter, there’s a lot of good street food there. New York does deli well, so I can safely recommend Pastrami Queen, Katz’s Deli, or Barney Greengrass. But I can’t recommend any Indian restaurant in New York. I’ve been spoiled,” Anthony to Vogue.
Through his excursions, he was often known to “humanise the dehumanised”, break down complex ideas, and provide alternate views. In this clip with Anderson Cooper, Bourdain bats for the underdog, Indian street food over a bowl of Spaghetti Bolognese.
As someone who continuously made efforts to break down barriers through his travel experiences, Anthony used his voice to empower minorities and thoughtfully peeled away the complex layers to open up diverse cultures to the world. He travelled to places where no Western cameraman ever did. For his contribution to the culinary world, the irreplaceable Anthony Bourdain leaves a legacy behind. The celebrated chef and host inspired millions with his body of work and will be missed immensely.
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