4 Shows That Celebrate Food Memories: Best of Netflix

Celebrate food memories and culture with an evening watching your favorite Netflix shows! Be insired to try new foods and tastes!

There’s nothing better than settling in and watching a favorite show at the end of a long day! A bowl of popcorn… A fuzzy blanket… A comfortable couch… a perfect combination!

Many of our favorite shows put food memories in the spotlight. If you have a Netflix account, here are four shows to put on your watchlist!

The Great British Bake Off

The Great British Baking Show has taken the world by storm, and it’s not hard to see why. Delicious baked goods, British accents, contestants who are genuinely nice to one another… what’s not to love?

To top it all off, it’s a fantastic showcase for food memories. Nearly every contestant will make something inspired by their heritage, whether it’s their grandmother’s biscuit (cookie) recipe or a bread flavored with ingredients from their ancestral homeland.

Some contestants take a more literal approach, especially in the Showstopper challenges.

Remember Candice Brown’s gingerbread replica of her family’s old pub, complete with a tiny edible dartboard and sticky ginger cake carpet? More recently, Dave Friday baked an elaborate “bread plaque” depicting his home, complete with his girlfriend and pets.

Not every baker is lucky enough to get a coveted handshake from judge Paul Hollywood during their time in the tent. Still, we applaud them for sharing and reinventing their favorite memories in their bakes.

We tend to binge watch this one! It’s definitely binge-worthy! We challenge you to watch and not come away inspired to start baking up a favorite family recipe or your own showstopper!

The Big Family Cooking Showdown

From the creators of The Great British Bake Off, The Big Family Cooking Showdown is a special competition that showcases family meals at their best. For the two seasons, family groups cook their way through a variety of challenges designed to test their skill and highlight their culinary traditions.

The show maintains the same competitive-yet-friendly vibe, and we also get glimpses into the contestants’ home kitchens. In Season 1, the judges actually visited each family’s home to judge a meal! [Sarah would love to do that!]

It’s especially fun to see different generations cooking together, especially when the younger ones take charge.

In Season 2, teenager Jasmyn Whitaker was a force to be reckoned with and led her family all the way to the finals.

Again, this one is binge-worthy and inspirational in our book!

The American Barbecue Showdown

Imagine The Great British Bake Off, but with huge slabs of meat and lots of smoke. That’s pretty much what you get from The American Barbecue Showdown, and it’s awesome.

Cooks from all over the United States, including a few champion pitmasters, are put through the ringer to see who deserves to be crowned king or queen of ‘cue.

Few American foods carry more history and tradition (and sometimes controversy) than barbecue. Pork or beef, anyone?

Just ask anyone from the southern U. S. , and they’ll probably tell you their family has been eating and/or cooking barbecue (BBQ) for generations. From Grubbs, the backwoodsman who’s no stranger to squirrel, to Rasheed, who makes a splash with his Caribbean- and Latin-inspired dishes, everyone pours their heart, soul, and heritage into every challenge.

Somebody Feed Phil

Here at The Food Memory Project, we believe in the power of food to unite people of all cultures and backgrounds. Phil Rosenthal harnesses that same power in the Netflix hit Somebody Feed Phil. Each episode features not only the best foods in a destination, but also the people who make (and eat) them.

The New York City episode in Season 2 is full of food memories, as we follow Phil through his hometown. One of his final stops is his parents’ kitchen, where his mother Helen divulges secrets of her homemade matzoh ball soup.

In Season 4, the Mississippi Delta episode is a can’t-miss, as Phil highlights the power of a good meal to open minds and bring people together.

Arguably, Somebody Feed Phil is one our favorite shows celebrating food, people and cultural traditions. Thanks, Phil, for taking us along on your journeys!

Honorable Mention: Schitt’s Creek

Schitt’s Creek? Really? Okay, this one miiiiiight be a bit of a stretch, but hear us out.

In Season 2, Episode 2 (“Family Dinner”), zany matriarch Moira decides to teach her son David to make enchiladas. The recipe may or may not be Moira’s mother’s… it’s really anyone’s guess.

Things quickly go south when neither Moira nor David has the slightest clue how to “fold in the cheese.”

Ultimately, all’s well that ends well. Moira and David get some bonding time, and the enchiladas are… well, we think they were edible. This fictional family meal demonstrates how mishaps can turn into some of the best food memories!

Let us know what you’re watching! Do you have a favorite show that highlights food memories?