Netflix offers a ton of food-related content like the best baking shows or cooking competitions, and some of the best food documentaries on Netflix will leave audiences with their mouths watering. The allure of food documentaries can be attributed to a variety of elements. Whether one has secretly aspired to be a world-class chef or just likes to imagine eating one of their fabulous meals, chances are most are curious about what goes into creating famous dishes. Beyond the glitter of celebrity chefdom, some may have always wondered what it was like to own their own food truck and serve a sample of local flavor to ersby.
Perhaps audiences seek out food documentaries because they're curious about how food relates to health. Other food documentaries teach audiences how to cook new dishes or inform viewers about food from around the world they may have never heard of before. Whether it’s a desire to know more about the food supply chain, the food industry, or just where eggs come from, there’s a food documentary for that too. Luckily, Netflix offers a wide variety of food documentaries to choose from, and the best food documentaries on Netflix offer a little bit of everything.
What The Health (2017)
One of the best food documentaries on Netflix is What the Health. The link between diet and disease is a strong one, and knowing the ramifications of everything people put in their bodies is important to understanding it. What the Health looks at how what people eat alters the internal environment of their body chemistry, often resulting in harmful setbacks rather than healthy progress. While there have been plenty of anti-sugar or anti-carb documentaries, What the Health offers a more dynamic look at food and the human body. It’s sobering to look at the billions of dollars that the healthcare, pharmaceutical, and food industry stand to make by our ignorance.
Cooked (2016)
Once again, investigative journalist and foodie Michael Pollan takes a deep dive into diet and lifestyle, but this time he’s not just sticking to the West in one of the best food documentaries on Netflix. He undergoes a globe-trotting adventure to several of the world’s most flavorful countries, exploring the culinary arts of a variety of individuals. In Cooked, Pollan learns from chefs, bakers, and brewmasters the nuance of letting food add sustenance to one's life as well as one's body. With more of a focus on food prep, audiences will learn as much as he does about the ion for cooking meals that nourish body, mind, heart, and soul.
Rotten (2018)
For those looking to see the shocking side of factory farming, look no further than one of the best food documentaries on Netflix. Rotten takes viewers on a serious investigation of the dark side of the food industry, from giant meat-processing plants to airplane hangar-sized warehouses full of chickens packed so tightly they can barely move. Following the food chain supply from its source to market, viewers quickly see that supply cannot always meet demand and that the commoditized nature of food means that to keep costs down and to inflate profits, certain corners must be cut. Cutting those corners can have serious consequences for everyone.
Chef's Table (2015)
From the producers that brought Street Foods, their previous deep dive into the lifestyles and culture of chefs, Cooked, is not to be missed and one of the best food documentaries on Netflix. Follow culinary masters from South Carolina to China as they pursue their dreams of mastering the craft of creating new gourmet food experiences. Chefs reveal to viewers their ion for plating the perfect gourmet meal and the entire process that leads up to it. From making new recipes to locating new ingredients and creating new cooking methods to bring those recipes to life, they show viewers that innovation is the key to keeping cuisine exciting.
Salt Fat Acid Heat (2019)
Based on her 2017 book of the same name, Salt Fat Acid Heat sees Iranian-American chef Samin Nosrat traveling across the globe to showcase the best uses of salt, fat, acid, and heat in one of the best food documentaries on Netflix. Part travel show and one of the best cooking series, Nosrat samples local dishes in Japan, Italy, Mexico, and California and demonstrates to viewers how these meals best incorporate these fundamental tasting elements. Nosrat is a charming host and her instructions are both clear and precise, making cooking look easy. It's the perfect docies for those looking to explore the most delicious fundamentals of cuisine.
Street Food USA (2022)
One of the best food documentaries on Netflix seeks to showcase the variety of delicious street fare available in the USA. Street Food USA is an easy binge, with six episodes in total, and sees the camera crew visiting some of the most delicious street food venues in places like Miami, Oahu, NYC, Portland, New Orleans, and more. Each installment visits four different eateries and samples the local and cultural cuisine of the area, featuring everything from long-held classics to unknown dishes such as Souse and Yakamein to hot dogs and pizza. With all of this variety in mind, Street Food USA has a little something for everyone.
Chef’s Table Pizza (2022)
Pizza may have gotten its start in Italy, but chefs from all over the world have added their own cultural spin to the classic dish. This is what one of the best food documentaries on Netflix seeks to explore, Chef's Table Pizza. With six episodes to choose from, the docies travels to different parts of the world to explore several different chef's crafts as they each have their own unique way of making pizza. Starting out in Phoenix, Arizona, and traveling across the globe, Chef's Table Pizza sees some intriguing takes on the beloved dish while also spotlighting the lives of the chefs who are revolutionizing it.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner (2019)
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner is quite unique as it takes Chef David Chang and a slew of different notable celebrities to major cities all over the world and sees them tasting and talking about local cuisine. Guest stars include Seth Rogen, Chrissy Teigen, Lena Waithe, and Kate McKinnon traveling to famous locations like Vancouver, Marrakesh, Los Angeles, and Phnom Penh to take a bite out of local eats while also experiencing the culture and exploring different food-making techniques. The docies takes viewers through breakfast, lunch, and dinner at each of these locations with some fun field trips along the way.
Chef’s Table BBQ (2020)
The Emmy-nominated series has another spinoff in Chef's Table BBQ, and it's one of the best food documentaries on Netflix. Like the rest of the Chef's Table iterations, BBQ follows four different chefs from completely different regions as they take on the nominal delicacy of America's South. While the series mainly stays in the USA, the final episode sees audiences taking a trip to Yucatán to discover chef Rosalia Chay Chuc's Mayan traditions for preparing a slow-cooked masterpiece. Chef's Table BBQ features more interesting characters than in previous seasons and features all types of BBQ cooking techniques which are sure to take audiences away from the standard grill.
High On The Hog (2021)
Based on the book High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey from Africa to America, this four-part docies is one of the best food documentaries on Netflix that showcases the cultural impact African American cuisine has had on the USA. While there are only four episodes right now, the series has been renewed for a second season. The show stars Stephen Satterfield, Gabrielle E.W. Carter, and Jessica B. Harris who bring their food and cultural knowledge into the fray as they discuss cultural roots in African cuisine and how it's changed American dishes forever. The show explores everything from okra and yams to mac and cheese and Virginia ham.
