When it comes to high-quality viewing, the culinary world has all of the ingredients for maximum entertainment. The pressure, the skill, the high stakes — it all makes for great television. Documentaries about food take this one extra step; often focusing on a sensational or troubling plot within the industry or how a chef or restaurant grew to prominence (or came crashing down).
Whether it’s simply witnessing what it’s like to be a Michelin-star talent in the world of cooking or digging into a scandal that plagued the entire wine realm, the food doc is must-see TV. These great films can change the way we eat for the better, inspire us to cook at home, give us a new appreciation of a particular cuisine, and so much more. Just be advised, you may need something good to munch on while you take in these food-heavy movies (or at least a good nightcap cocktail).
Here they are — 21 of the best food documentaries out there.
Bon appetit!
Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011)
Super Size Me (2004)
In summary: You’ll never want to eat McDonald’s again (or you’ll want to immediately go to McDonald’s … it’s a toss-up). This 2004 documentary
sealed Morgan Spurlock into the guild of iconic documentarians. The concept was simple: Eat only McDonalds for a month — breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert — and see how your health changes. Spurlock’s social experiment was simultaneously a cultural break-check on the role corporate giants have on American lives and health, particularly the obesity epidemic.
Noma: My Perfect Storm (2015)
What the Health (2017)
Sour Grapes (2016)
King Corn (2007)
That Sugar Film (2014)
Fed Up (2014)
Symphony of the Soil (2013)
Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret (2014)
Vegucated (2011)
Somm (2013)
Food Fight (2008)
Ella Brennan: Commanding the Table (2016)
Food, Inc. (2008)
For Grace (2015)
A Matter of Taste: Serving Up Paul Liebrandt (2011)
Gather (2020)
Rotten (2018)
Julia (2021)
Forks Over Knives (2011)
Too hungry now? Why not watch something a little less focused on food by checking out the best documentaries streaming on Netflix.
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