Anthony Bourdain Quotes

Anthony Bourdain was an American chef, author, and television personality. He gained international fame with his culinary travelogue series "Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations" and "Parts Unknown." Bourdain's adventurous spirit, love for global cuisine, and candid storytelling made him a beloved figure in the culinary world. He championed diverse cultures and explored the connections between food, travel, and personal experiences. Through his books and television shows, Bourdain left a lasting legacy, inspiring countless individuals to embrace food, travel, and cultural exploration. His untimely passing in 2018 was a great loss to the culinary community and beyond.

The Italians and Spanish, the Chinese and Vietnamese see food as part of a larger, more essential and pleasurable part of daily life. Not as an experience to be collected or bragged about - or as a ritual like filling up a car - but as something else that gives pleasure, like sex or music, or a good nap in the afternoon.

If anything is good for pounding humility into you... -Anthony Bourdain

If anything is good for pounding humility into you permanently, it's the restaurant business.

Southeast Asia has a real grip on me. From the very first time I went there, it was a fulfillment of my childhood fantasies of the way travel should be.

Since the very beginning, Emeril's had a sense of humor about me calling him names and poking fun at him.

You'd have a hard time finding anything better than Barcelona for food, as far as being a hub. Given a choice between Barcelona and San Sebastian to die in, I'd probably want to die in San Sebastian.

Barbecue may not be the road to world peace, but i... -Anthony Bourdain

Barbecue may not be the road to world peace, but it's a start.

Discovering the context

The quote uses humor to convey the limited impact of barbecue in achieving world peace. It suggests that while barbecue may not directly solve global conflicts, it can serve as a small step toward fostering connections, dialogue, and understanding among individuals. It highlights the role of shared experiences in building peace.

Oh yes, there's lots of great food in America. But the fast food is about as destructive and evil as it gets. It celebrates a mentality of sloth, convenience, and a cheerful embrace of food we know is hurting us.

Bad food is made without pride, by cooks who have no pride, and no love. Bad food is made by chefs who are indifferent, or who are trying to be everything to everybody, who are trying to please everyone... Bad food is fake food... food that shows fear and lack of confidence in people's ability to discern or to make decisions about their lives.

Get up early and go to the local produce markets. In Latin America and Asia, those are usually great places to find delicious food stalls serving cheap, authentic and fresh specialties.

Food is everything we are. It's an extension of nationalist feeling, ethnic feeling, your personal history, your province, your region, your tribe, your grandma. It's inseparable from those from the get-go.

When I was writing 'Kitchen Confidential,' I was in my 40s, I had never paid rent on time, I was 10 years behind on my taxes, I had never owned my own furniture or a car.