Planet Food
Season 2
TV-G
Top chefs take the viewers on a culinary journey through regions of the world renowned for the richness and diversity of their food.
Where to Watch Season 2
6 Episodes
- JapanE1
JapanMerrilees Parker travels to the island state of Japan to learn about its unique food culture. Starting in its capital Tokyo, she goes to, Tsukiji, the world's biggest fish market, where she encounters weird shellfish and 500lb tuna! Master chef, Romeo teaches her how to make the ultimate sushi, an art that takes years to master. Then it's off to a ramen museum, where you can try regional styles of the noodle soup that is Japan's fast food of choice. Although the Japanese have one of the healthiest diets on the planet, many of their ingredients are alien to the average westerner. Merrilees meets Elizabeth Andoh, a food writer who guides her round the unfamiliar ingredients of a Tokyo food hall such as miso and seaweed. Escaping the city, Merrilees takes the bullet train to Matsusaka where she visits a farm that produces the most expensive beef in the world - the cows are fed with apples and beer and massaged daily! On to Kyoto, the old seat of the empire where she's immersed in traditional Japanese customs such as the tea ceremony and visits a 400-year-old restaurant. After shopping in its ancient market, known as Kyoto's Kitchen, she learns about the Japanese art of knife-crafting. Soba noodles and tofu are other Japanese staples - Merrilees visits another ancient restaurant to try these before meeting the master brewer of a local sake brewery - a Brit! After a quick look at the ancient practice of comorant fishing, Merrilees travels to Japan's iconic Mount Fuji for the annual Summer Fire Festival to gorge herself on wonderful street food. Back in the suburbs of Tokyo, Merrilees is invited to the home of a lady who teaches her how to make tempura - an invite to a private home is an honour in Japan and the food is even better! Then Merrilees watches the preparation of fugu - the ultimate Japanese food fetish - a poisonous fish which can kill if prepared in the wrong way before ending her journey with a lesson in Japanese/European fusion cuisine. - LebanonE2
LebanonLebanon is a country located between the desert and the sea. The location is a both blessing and a curse, with war being waged on this fertile ground for over four millennia. The rich soil and varied history of Lebanon have resulted in a world class cuisine. Chef Merrilees Parker travels to the capital of Beirut, and then in to the countryside of Lebanon to learn more about its people, their culture and their cuisine. Merrilees begins her journey at a Beirut juice bar. The fresh fruits and vegetables are plentiful in Lebanon and her avocado smoothie is a great start to breakfast. Next she meets up with Nayla Audi who is a well-known food writer and restaurateur. Together they make Fatteh, which is a chick pea based dish with yoghurt. Breakfast is topped off with a trip to Corniche to sample Manoushie, an Arabian bread. Merilees goes in to a Lebanese home to help prepare the national dish, Kibbeh. For lunch she visits a French café. The French took over Beirut after World War I, and even though the city was destroyed by civil war in the 80’s, the influence on cuisine and architecture remains. Dinner is served in downtown Beirut at Johnny Ferrah's chic restaurant: Bread. Johnny dines with Merrilees and together they sample calamari and shrimp, bathed in a squid oil vinaigrette, followed by a delicious seafood sampler with a taste of sardine. After a day in Lebanon's chicest city, Merrilee heads to its oldest, the ancient city of Tyre. The Phoenicians arrived in Tyre in 4000 BC when - as the first sea faring nation in the Middle East - they established a trading post for silks and spices, building a vast empire on the back of the purple dye of the murex mollusk. While over-fishing has taken its toll on the Mediterranean stocks, the Tyre markets are still a good destination for fresh seafood. Merrilees helps to prepare the local fish, which is a no-frills affair, using little more than a squeeze of lemon for flavour. Merrilees continues her journey to - MalaysiaE3
MalaysiaMalaysia’s multiculturalism is unrivaled thoughout South East Asia – and is reflected in its cuisine. Host Merrilees Parker begins her journey on the Malaysian peninsular with the native Orang Asli people of Kelantan. They teach her how to hunt with a blowpipe and cook dinner in a bamboo trunk. She then heads off to the stunning Islamic East coast to cook a rich curry using freshly caught mackerel. She finds strange and delicious fruits in the markets and – after Friday prayers - shares in the sweet and savoury delights cooked on the streets. In the ancient spice capital of Melaka, Merrilees cooks up a storm with fiery Laksa Soup in the style of the Nyonya, then visits a Portuguese settlement and wolfs down Devil’s Curry. In the Cameron Highlands, 5,000 feet above sea level, there is a notable English influence. Merrilees picks tea on the Boh Plantation and samples Mrs. Chong’s famous scones with homemade strawberry jam. The island of Penang is Merilees' next stop. Here she joins a street vendor, stir-frying Char Kway Teow on a hand cranked charcoal barrow. Penang is a festive destination and she joins 10,000 Chinese pilgrims for the Vegetarian Feast of the Nine Emperor Gods. In Little India, the smaller festival of Dussehra means more vegetarianfood to be tasted, but this time with an Indian flavour. Having sampled spicy betel leavesand sweet pulled tea, she tries her hand at making the delicate fried bread known as Lacy Roti. The capital, Kuala Lumpur, is one of the fastest growing cities in South East Asia and fortunately Malay culture is not being lost in the rush to modernise. Merrilees finds 2 chefs who use traditional Malay cooking traditions in a modern fine dining style that is set to rival the great cuisines of the world. Finally, on the paradise island of Langkawi, Merilees joins the Ramadan celebrations with a feast of delicious sweetmeats before learning how to make Beef Rendang in the jungle home of the charismatic chef, Shukri - ScandinaviaE4
ScandinaviaChef Merrilees Parker takes a culinary tour around Scandinavia - a region infused with the Viking history and heritage. Over 1,000 years ago the Vikings pillaged other lands, mainly because the cold Scandinavian north did not allow them to grow their own produce. Freezing winters meant that growing vegetables, fishing and trading were out of the question. So, during the summer months, anything that could be was either salted, smoked or dried. Thus the tradition of preserved foods began in Northern Europe. Preserved rations were also ideal for the Vikings long sea journeys but, on the occasions when fresh produce was available it was an excuse to eat, drink and be merry! Merilees begins her journey at a Viking festival in Sweden where she ends up in the stocks for stealing the village pig! In an attempt to prove her innocence she earns a flogging. She manages to negotiate her way in to a kitchen, where she helps salt the pork, and prepare the ox meat stew, destined for the evening's feast. When dinner time comes there are no complaints, thankfully. They wash down dinner with mead, or honey wine, otherwise known as Viking Viagra. Next stop is the village of Bonan, in Sweden where Merrilees learns how to smoke herring with a direct descendant of one of the village founding members. In the 16th century salt was so valuable that only small amounts of it could be used, this resulted in a proliferation of smoked meats. The Midsummer Festival in Sweden marks the summer solstice and the arrival of fresh produce. Merrilees meets chef Don Lexo and together they make pickled herring with a mustard dill sauce. This dish is just one that will be part of the evening's "smorgasboard". Travelling inland to the mining village of Falun, Merrilees gets a lesson on the importance of sausages. An hour’s journey north and she’s busy helping to prepare moose with the king of Swedish cuisine and inspiration for the Swedish chef on the Muppet Show: Lars Backman. Travelling fu - Southern China
E5Southern ChinaAs the departure point for millions of Chinese exiles, Guangdong or Canton, was the origin of most of the Chinese food the world knows. Of the 8 major cuisines of China, including Sichuan, Hunanese and Pekinese, it was the Cantonese who first took their food to the world. On this culinary voyage of discovery, celebrated New Zealand chef, Peter Gordon, discovers the roots of this - one of the world's great cuisines. In search of the roots of Cantonese cuisine, Peter's journey takes him north to the mountain home of the Yao tribe and county of Lianzhou where a small community of this ethnic minority has settled. Here he meets local people and cooks succulent spiced pork over an open fire in a Yao tribal house. After picking fresh star anise from the trees, he walks the rice fields of the Pearl River Delta and brews up some rice liquor with a local farmer. In the ancient former capital of Foshan, he explores the health benefits with one of the country's leading traditional Chinese medical doctors and samples some exquisitely healthy dishes. Guangzhou is the capital of Guangdong and powerhouse of the Cantonese people - driven by cash and commerce, it has grown into a bright and dynamic metropolis. Here Peter joins international dragon boat racing crews for a strength-giving feast. He also learns how to make delicious Dim Sum breakfast dumplings with one of the world's leading experts: Chen Xiao Hong. Cantonese food is known worldwide as the perfect takeaway meal - it's so easy and quick to cook fresh and makes perfect fast food. Meanwhile, Peter embarks on a shopping trip to the fabled market of Qingping which specialises in dried food for Chinese medicine. He discovers the Cantonese penchant for of weird and wonderful ingredients - it is said that they will eat anything with legs... excepttables and chairs! Peter is no exception... he takes his life into his hands when he samples tasty fried cobra! Chaozhou is a city famed for its elegant and sophisticated - Spice TrailsE6
Spice TrailsThe word "spice" is derived from a French word meaning "special". Used in small quantities, there is little nutrition derived from them, but their mysticism has affected the world profoundly. In this remarkable journey, Planet Food guides travel the world to see how control of the spice trails, over the last five millennia, has made great cities and destroyed ancient civilisations. Our guides travel from the Molucca Islands of Indonesia, the original home of cloves and nutmeg, to the Indian province of Kerala, with its native pepper and cardamom. Leaving behind Sri Lanka’s sublime cinnamon, they cross the oceans on Arab dhows, Chinese treasure junks and Portuguese caravels, in search of the world’s flavour. See how Venice, Beirut and Cairo grew rich on their control of the overland spice routes, until Vasco da Gama rounded the African cape and claimed the Spice Islands and Goa for Portugal. Learn how Columbus’s accidental discovery of America brought chilies, chocolate and vanilla to Europe and the Far East. Discover how treachery and subterfuge in the search for spices transformed the world’s balance of power. Planet Food journeys to the Caribbean, where the British established prosperous spice farms, until they were undermined by sugar production. We visit the Indian Ocean Islands where the Dutch spice monopoly was toppled by the French. We’re transported to a time when bribes were paid in pepper and Emperor Nero indulged in a spicy excess, at the Saffron Festival in Spain. Finally, we travel to China, where spice, tea and opium blended together to bring down an empire. Along the way, we’ll seek out the secret spice blends that define the great cuisines of the world, including Jamaican jerk seasoning, Indian garam masala, Chinese 5-spice powder and Middle Eastern harissa. With these we’ll create some of the world’s great dishes, each of which reaffirms the importance of the spice trail.