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- Is Anthony Bourdain Still Nervous To Try Certain Foods?
Summary
- Anthony Bourdain never visited Poland, Eastern Europe, or Switzerland, but had plans to continue his global food voyage before his untimely death.
- The chef enjoyed exploring the Middle East but avoided Yemen due to the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
- Bourdain disliked Disneyland and brunch spots, and he seldom visited Eastern Europe and the Balkans in his culinary travels.
From wasp crackers and pork intestines to gourmet burgers and fast-food desserts, our world is a colorful gastropub filled with different aromas, cooking traditions, and exotic herbs. Many chefs will tell people what they think about food and how to cook it: and Anthony Bourdain was no exception.
Chef Anthony Bourdain was one of the few celeb chefs who didn’t hesitate to take us on a delicious journey across the world and its secret recipes. In his shows A Cook’s Tour, No Reservations, Parts Unknown, and The Layover, Bourdain showed people that traveling can be a feast for the senses, literally! From North America to Asia, Bourdain traveled the world and the seven seas; he even explored the frozen magic of Antarctica!
Yet, celeb chef Anthony Bourdain avoided some places (for a reason). Here are 16 places that Bourdain never visited.
UPDATE: 2023/08/19 13:52 EST BY NOAH STAATS
Is Anthony Bourdain Still Nervous To Try Certain Foods?
This article has been updated with new information regarding where chef Anthony Bourdain did not go during his career, as well as other insights. He may be gone, but his legacy continues to live on for future generations.
16 Poland Didn't Ever Get To Meet Chef Anthony Bourdain
- Poland never became a stop for celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain.
Unfortunately, Anthony Bourdain never made it to Poland before his untimely death in 2018. As many have covered, Eastern Europe didn't seem to be the TV chefs' favorite region, ultimately leaving out many 'worthy' cities and countries. However, that's not to say he would have never gone here. Anthony Bourdain had plans to continue his global food voyage, but it was cut short.
15 Anthony Bourdain Was Afraid To Travel To Switzerland
- Anthony Bourdain wasn't into the vistas, cheese, and yodeling of Switzerland.
From Canada to New Zealand, Bourdain rediscovered the world with its fascinating flavors and colors. Nevertheless, there was one country Bourdain was afraid of magical Switzerland. Believe it or not, the chef found alpine vistas, cheese, and yodeling terrifying.
14 The Chef Loved Exploring The Middle East... But Avoided Yemen
- Typically, Anthony Bourdain enjoyed Middle Eastern food: but not in Yemen.
- This could be due to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the area.
It’s not a secret that Anthony Bourdain loved the exotic scents of the Middle East. The chef traveled across Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and other pearls of the Middle East. Yet, he avoided Yemen. We should note that the country has been torn apart by a civil war since 2015, and 75% of the population is in need of humanitarian assistance.
13 Bourdain Wasn't A Fan Of Disneyland
- Although Bourdain did come here, he never featured any food from the park.
Chef Anthony Bourdain was not only a celeb chef but a brave traveler in love with unusual places; he enjoyed exploring different cultures, cuisines, and delicacies. Thus, it’s no surprise Anthony Bourdain avoided Disneyland. Sadly enough, the increasing commercialization of this iconic and classic theme park is more than upsetting. Here are eight things you can expect at Disneyland in 2023.
12 Somalia Wasn't On His Travel List For A Reason
- Like many developing nations, Anthony Bourdain avoided Somalia.
- It may not have been appropriate to film here.
From Morocco to Mozambique, Africa is a diverse place and a real feast for the senses. In fact, Antony Bourdain loved Africa’s delicious meals. Nevertheless, he never visited Somalia. We should note that the country has been torn apart by an ongoing conflict, which, according to Al Jazeera, left millions of people without a roof over their heads.
11 "No" To Popular Destinations
- Anthony Bourdain avoided tourist-trap restaurants and areas.
Chef Anthony Bourdain reshaped celeb chef shows. In his three popular shows, Bourdain revealed the beauty of our world with its magical spices, exotic fruits, and ancient cooking traditions. In order to encourage people to embrace cultures and cuisines, Bourdain favored off-the-beaten-track places and avoided popular destinations.
10 Bourdain Never Went To Sudan (Where Many People Are Starving)
- Anthony Bourdain, like many celebrity chefs, hadn't made his way to Sudan.
From lush jungles to majestic dunes, Anthony Bourdain simply loved Africa. Yet, he never visited Sudan, once one of the most influential countries in Africa. Now Sudan is one of the most volatile places in the world where millions of people are starving, particularly in South Sudan (as per The Guardian).
9 Chef Anthony Bourdain Was Against The So-Called Bro-Food
- Chef Anthony Bourdain vehemently ignored 'bro food' in part because it promotes meathead culture.
- He found the idea oppressive and regreted promoting it in the earlier days of his career.
Anthony Bourdain tried a wild variety of exotic dishes. However, there was one thing he disliked: the so-called bro food. Besides, Bourdain regretted his role in today’s "meathead" culture, "And because I was a guy in a guy’s world - I was very proud of the fact that I had endured that, that I found myself in this very old... very oppressive system."
8 What About Eastern Europe?
- Eastern Europe hadn't drawn much culinary attention from Chef Bourdain.
- He seldom visited this region.
Even though Anthony Bourdain had itchy feet, we should mention that he visited only a few countries in Eastern Europe. Unfortunately, although the Iron Curtain is gone, the devastating prejudices against the East still exist. As a result, Eastern Europe - which consists of many different countries that are no longer a single entity - has always been overlooked.
7 Anthony Bourdain Never Visited Eritrea (For A Reason)
- As one of Africa's poorest countries, Eritrea hadn't been a stop from Bourdain.
- The ongoing conflict has prevented many non-residents from coming here.
No surprise, Anthony Bourdain loved the whole continent of Africa and explored its colors and flavors. Nevertheless, Bourdain never visited Eritrea. We should mention that the devastating conflict between Eritrea and Ethiopia, described as two of Africa’s poorest countries, destroyed thousands of families, as per BBC.
6 Chef Bourdain Disliked Brunch Spots
- Anthony Bourdain wasn't in favor of brunch-type food or restaurants.
Chef Bourdain will always have gastronomical fans across the globe. However, many brunch lovers will be surprised to know that Bourdain avoided brunch spots. As the chef said, brunch is a "horrible, cynical way of unloading leftovers and charging three times as much as you ordinarily charge for breakfast... Hideous."
Many of Chef Gordon Ramsay's restaurants serve brunch: are they worth it?
5 ... And Maybe Didn't Like The Balkans
- The Balkans are another area Chef Anthony Bourdain hadn't been interested in.
From the high peaks of Bulgaria and the pebbly beaches of Albania to the deep caves of Slovenia and the medieval villages of Romania, there's no doubt that the Balkan Peninsula is a beautiful and diverse region. Yet, Bourdain filmed only two episodes there, with one being a complete failure.
4 Perhaps Filming In Afghanistan, A War-Torn Country, Was Impossible
- Like much of the Middle East, Anthony Bourdain had seldom spoken of or shown interest in heading to Afghanistan.
The Middle East is a melting pot of cultures, spices, and sceneries, so it’s no surprise Bourdain loved exploring its dishes and traditions. That being said, the chef never visited war-torn Afghanistan (for a reason). Perhaps filming in Afghanistan - a battleground of numerous international and local interests - was simply impossible.
3 Bourdain Loved Africa (But Never Went To Mali)
- Due to ongoing violence in the region, Anthony Bourdain hadn't shown much interest in tasting food in Mali, Africa.
Although Malian cuisine is rich and interesting, celeb chef Anthony Bourdain never visited Mali, once one of the richest countries in Africa. Sadly, the Malian conflict that started in 2012 has never really ended. In fact, according to Al Jazeera, the cross-border ethnic violence that started as a local problem is expanding and intensifying.
2 He Never Visited Wales
- Chef Anthony Bourdain didn't find Wales a hot spot for food.
Although Wales - with its charming villages, green valleys, unique language, and ancient castles - is like a fairy tale, celeb chef Anthony Bourdain never visited this part of the UK. Compared to other filming locations (and unusual dishes), perhaps Wales was too ordinary for him.
1 Even Though People Love Traveling, Nobody Likes Plane Food
- Anthony Bourdain wasn't a fan of airline food.
From fertilized eggs to smelly tofu, it’s not a secret that chef Anthony Bourdain didn’t hesitate to explore the world in order to try some unusual dishes. Yet, one thing he dreaded was plane food. Funnily enough, he left plane passengers a witty piece of advice: better sleep through dinner.