Confession: I’ve been binging on Anthony Bourdain.
I can’t help it. It’s my way of dealing with the news of his death. I wonder how many people out there are doing this too right now? On the DANA scale (Denial, Anger, Negotiation, Acceptance) somehow I am firmly bipolar on in both denial and acceptance at the very same time. There are no middle steps for me.
I am in denial because clearly he is still here. Anthony Bourdain is not gone for me because he has been on my television for the past two days straight. Similar to how people re-live their vacation vibe from sorting through photos, and I can still go back and see Hanoi Vietnam again through Anthony Bourdain. No change there.
So that’s my denial about Anthony Bourdain’s death. But at the same time there is acceptance. Acceptance that there will be no new episodes to watch. The show is cancelled. Re-runs only. And I can accept that. It’s my role. I did not know Anthony Bourdain personally (although damn I would have liked to have had a beer and a chat with that snarky sarcastic world traveling man).
But wait, there’s more…
In my recent Bourdain binger, this time I listened more. Not just for about the places he went, but listened to closer to what he said and how he said it. And in doing that, I came to realize what a gem of a brain that man had for unique food descriptions (in addition to all of those awesome travel quotes buzzing along the internet).
To that end, here is a starter list I created 0f 21 Quotes from Anthony Bourdain about food. As a tribute to the words of a chef who traveled the world and tended to describe foods in brutally humorous and yet descriptive ways. Like the time he described oysters in Japan as “freaking clown shoes” and that spicy chicken dish in China as “ass-burning goodness.” Priceless.
So, enjoy this list of Anthony Bourdain quotes about foods he ate on his travels. And if you’ve got a glass of anything to drink, please raise it now and think, “Cheers to Anthony Bourdain.” And mixed in with your thoughts I hope there will be a tad bit of gratitude for the gifts that he gave to the world while he was here.
21 Anthony Bourdain Food Quotes PDF file
21 ANTHONY BOURDAIN QUOTES DESCRIBING FOOD
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“As incredible as it might seem, you can cook beaver really, really well.” (Canada)
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“Those are the size of freaking clown shoes” (Japan – describing oysters)
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“Here we go, roasted pork belly… which pretty much any sensible person would love.” (Macau)
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“A giant crab claw practically the size of a catcher’s mitt.” (Macau)
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“There is both grilled and not. And both with lots of salsa options.” (Mexico)
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“Oh wow. That looks good. That is exciting. What is it?” (Ethiopia)
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“ …a mutant concoction consisting of gin, beer, wine and Sprite.” (Ethopia)
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“This dish is the single best reason for sharing a border with Germany.”(Canada)
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“Beans and rice, that’s f**king awesome.” (Mexico)
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“That’s where the good Sh*t is buried. You really gotta work for it.” (Mexico, -cracking crab with a rock)
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“That fish sauce with chilis in it…. whoaa that’ll just singe your eyes off” (Vietnam)
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“Clams with pork cracklings? How could that not be good?” (Vietnam)
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“Um waiter, there’s something sharp in my soup.” (Vietnam)
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“I’ve never had barbecue this moist. It’s supernatural.” (US – Austin)
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“A real shrimp cocktail the way Jesus wants you to eat them” (Canada)
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“The dish, in practical terms, is a game of finding the bits of chicken in the mountain of ass-burning goodness. C’mon, it’s fun for the whole family.”
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“As it cooks down, it gets stronger and stronger, and the heat, more intense: a delicious yet unpredictable silt of spice gathering at the bottom of this river of hot lava.” (China)
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“It’s the spicy, sensualist heartland of all the things I love about China… food that can burn you down to a charred, smoking little stump.” (China)
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“That’s pure sugar. Oh wow, my teeth are rotting right out of my head. I might go into diabetic shock here.” (US – Austin TX)
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“I think we learned something today: only Texans and Jews understand brisket.” (US – Austin)
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“I’ve never had barbecue this moist. It’s supernatural.” (US – Austin)
AND FINALLY …. a popular saying in more than one episode…
“…and a cold local beer”
