Best Cooking Shows on Netflix to Watch This Season

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It can be quite overwhelming pursuing through Netflix’s large catalog, even when you have a specific genre in mind. Just on the subject of cooking, you have dozens of options to choose from, each with its own twist and intrigue. So, out of all the cooking shows currently available on the platform, which one should you be prioritizing?

Is it cake?, High on the Hog, Flavorful Origins, Nailed It – these are just some of the more prominent cooking shows on Netflix. These shows range from educational to purely entertainment.

In this article, we will look at some of Netflix’s latest and best cooking shows. Hopefully, this list will provide you with some useful insight to pique your interest in watching them.

Is It Cake?

Our first entry on the list is also the newest. Premiering on 28 March 2022, Is It Cake? is a game show-style cooking competition. The objective is for skilled cake craftsmen to make cakes that resemble everyday objects. The contestants then present their creations to celebrity judges to trick them.

The winner of each show receives is a reward of $5,000. They have the chance to win more by participating in further games. From toilet paper and rubber ducks to other food objects such as cheeseburgers and a pack of Doritos, you will find all sorts of crazy yet deceptive cakes on display in this show.

The show is hosted by comedian Mikey Day. It currently has only one season which comprises 8 episodes. Each episode is 37 to 40 minutes long.

High on the Hog

High on the Hog is one of the more culturally extensive shows on the platform. Focusing on African-American cuisine, the show highlights many of its well-known dishes as well as traces their origins.

The show not only highlights the many travails African Americans in America had to endure and subsequently overcome, but also the many nuanced ways this culture influenced American food as a whole.

Hosted by author and restaurateur Stephen Satterfield, the show is a sobering yet enriching celebration of African-American food. Many of the dishes involve ingredients that were not traditionally wanted by others. From barbeque briskets to Virginia ham, these dishes are sure to evoke your intrigue in both culinary and history.

Flavorful Origins

Netflix’s Flavorful Origins is a documentary-style series that focuses on a specific cuisine. The show currently has 3 seasons in total. Each season highlights a particular regional cuisine from China. Season 1 focused on Chaoshan cuisine, season 2 did the same for Yunnan cuisine, and the latest season highlights Gansu cuisine. 

Within a season, each individual episode puts a spotlight on one particular ingredient. Then the show traces the roots of that ingredient, its uses, and dishes involving it. At the same time, the show also brings forth the stories of the people responsible for the preservation of said ingredients.

The first season is 20 episodes long while the rest are 10 episodes each. But you do not have to watch them chronologically. 

Nadiya’s Time to Eat

Out of all the shows so far, Nadiya’s Time to Eat is the most personal. It is the adventure of British television personality Nadiya Hussain as she sets about making delicious dishes that are short, easy, and convenient.

Each episode highlights 3-4 dishes of varying sizes and shapes. Mushroom egg rolls, zesty haddock, meatloaf Wellington, raspberry cheesecake croissant, french toast, kiwi-feta salad and so much more are made in a fashion that is simple and quick to recreate in this hectic modern society.

Currently, the show has only 1 season. There are a total of 7 episodes, each of them being about 30 minutes in duration.

Nailed It

One of the longest-running cooking shows on Netflix, Nailed It is more about entertainment and less about education. The show takes in amateur home bakers who are not particularly skilled in this art. They are then tasked to recreate some famous desserts and the closest to doing this wins the prize.

Each show brings on 3 contestants at a time. They are given edible, highly elaborate dishes to replicate. The prize at the end of the episode is $10,000. So, delight here comes from seeing regular home cooks struggle in the professional world, trying desperately to be the least bad at baking.

The show is hosted by comedian Nicole Byer who is joined by renowned French pastry chef Jacques Torres to see the hapless contestants suffer for our viewing.

Heavenly Bites: Mexico

Here is another recent entry to Netflix’s catalog, Heavenly Bites: Mexico takes you on a journey through Mexican cuisine. It is a show that highlights the ingenuity and boldness of many Mexican dishes.

From micheladas and tacos to several delightful desserts – the show is a visual ode to Mexican cuisine’s sheer extravagance. Hosted by Memo Villegas, the show has 1 season with 6 episodes. Each episode is around 30 minutes. So, you are in for a wild ride that also does not consume too much of your time.

The Chef Show

From watching John Favreau acting as a high-class chef to seeing him interview real-life world-class chefs, this show takes the movie “Chef” and asks the question – what if it had an interesting, episodic spin-off show?

Joining John Favreau on this journey of culinary excellence is chef, Roi Choi. Together, they bring on many famous celebrity chefs from all over the globe. 

But the show is not only limited to the confines of a studio kitchen. Chef Roi and Favreau take their adventure out on the streets, visiting different locals, and putting the spotlight on various cultures and cuisines. The show frequently experiments with different cuisines and tries to create something new and fresh.

The show delicately takes its time as the experience not only makes you knowledgeable about a new dish from a different cuisine but also makes you genuinely invested enough so that you try to replicate it yourself.

Conclusion

Whether you are a professional cook or simply like cooking as a hobby, Netflix’s wide array of cooking shows is sure to catch your interest.

James Laight

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