Food star Anthony Bourdain tells of a ‘different Iran’ than expected
He said the few days he spent there defeated the image that has been painted by the media or politics
Ultimate foodie and world-acclaimed chef Anthony Bourdain travelled to Iran to shoot an episode for his travel show, where the Islamic republic left him in shock and awe.
“It was a very different Iran than I had been led to expect or could have imagined,” he told CNN’s Fareed Zakaria.
As part of his show on CNN, “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown,” the author and TV personality travelled an Iran he described as “extraordinary, heartbreaking, confusing, inspiring and very, very different than the Iran I expected.”
He said the few days he spent there defeated the image that has been painted by the media or the “long and very contentious relationship we’ve [the U.S. and Iran] had as nations.”
A U.S. citizen, Bourdain recounted walking through the streets in Iran and being warmly greeted by passersby who eagerly welcomed him and his crew to savor their country’s cuisine
“To walk down the street as an American and have total strangers constantly saying, where are you from? America, have you tried our food? Thank you for coming…” he remembered.
He said he has come across this degree of hospitality towards “strangers” in “very, very few places – and I’m talking Western Europe and allied nations.”
“We’d been told to expect that. But you get thrown by it when you face it everywhere.”
To help narrate his experience, Bourdain talked about one evening when he and his team went out with their Iranian crew to celebrate their producer’s birthday at a restaurant where local families dined while listening to Persian music.
Someone then found out about his producer’s birthday.
“The entire restaurant sang “Happy Birthday” to him and presented him with a cake.”
Bourdain was in awe at the stark difference between the Iran he had been led to believe and the Iran where an entire restaurant sang “Happy Birthday” to stranger.
He also commented on Iran’s versatile culture, describing it as “neither East nor West, but always somewhere in the middle.”
His show did not simply frequent Iran's restaurants and eateries but also featured traditional Iranian dishes cooked by Iranians who invited the chef into their home.
In one of the homes he is invited to, Bourdain agrees with his host on how Iran is “confusing” adding that the contradictions are “confusing.”
-
Brazil chef gives World Cup a fishy English twist
The Brazilian version of a British classic meal has the seal of approval from England boss Roy Hodgson. Sports -
French restaurant’s ‘no Pakistani’ rule lands chef in hot soup
The restaurant was severely attacked on Twitter for refusing to serve Pakistanis Variety -
World chefs come together in hajj to serve Muslim pilgrims
Every year, chefs from tour operators around the world compete during the hajj season to offer the pilgrims a wide selection of meals from different ... Hajj 2013 -
A Saudi chef’s journey, from industrial to culinary engineering
After spending two years studying engineering, he surrendered to his long-held desire for the art of cooking and switched his life around. ... Perspective -
Kuwait’s Kout buys UK dining chain Little Chef for $23m
Kuwait-based Kout Food Group has bought British roadside dining chain Little Chef for about 15 million pounds ($23 million). Kout, which also owns ... Retail -
Ramadan crowds in Jeddah fascinated by female ‘fried liver’ chef
A traditional kibdah (fried liver) stall run by a woman in Jeddah’s Al-Balad district is attracting the attention of Ramadan shoppers, Saudi ... Ramadan 2013 -
Cook and Cruise: French chef spreads Harley bike culture in Jordan
Three thousand miles from his native Lyon, Frenchman Claude Abry is living his dream in the Middle East, where he once cooked for royalty and has now ... Art and culture