A travel lover’s tasty treat just launched on the National Geographic Network– the culinary adventure series Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted. The first of six foodie-infused episodes premiered Sunday, July 21 on NatGeo. The series already has a pick-up for a second season.
Who wouldn’t want to see more of Ramsay’s epic journey? He travels across the globe as he hunts for food and ingredients in the strangest places—off a cliff ledge in Peru, diving through New Zealand’s shark infested waters, rappelling down a waterfall in Morocco, into Hawaii’s crashing surf, fishing in a raging river in Laos, and atop snow-capped mountain in Alaska.
The Masterchef says he finds it exhilarating to take food as far as it can go in his relentless pursuit of culinary inspiration.
Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted follows Ramsay as he meets with indigenous people around the globe to learn about the cultures, dishes and flavors unique to each location. Every ingredient he harvests and dish he tastes will inspire a new recipe from scratch, created to represent the heart of that culture. Each episode concludes with Ramsay challenging himself with a local food legend by his side — putting his newfound skills to the test as they cook a feast together for the natives. Ramsay observes, “Food is the gateway to culture, and every adventure is a portal into the soul of the people and place.”
The multi-Michelin-star chef and Ironman athlete was at the Television Critics Association’s Summer 2019 TV press tour to talk about his show. Ramsay said, “It’s been an amazing journey traveling off the beaten path with National Geographic and connecting with locals to learn and share incredible stories of unique traditions, delicacies and the extreme lengths it takes to harvest native ingredients. I’ve learned way more filming this series than I have in the last 10 years.”
Food and adventure programming is familiar ground for Ramsay, whose British series Gordon’s Great Escapes, saw the chef explore the food culture of India and Southeast Asia. Most folks know Ramsay from his Fox TV shows Hell’s Kitchen, MasterChef, MasterChef Junior, and other spin-offs, as well as Bravo’s Best New Restaurant and the Food Network’s competition series Food Court Wars.
Of course for Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted he’s very congenial interacting with the locals, unlike his Hell’s Kitchen demeanor, blowing up and berating the chef-wannabes with a barrage of expletives.
This reporter has had a few conversations with the charming Ramsay, without ever hearing the F-bomb or a swear word. So I had to ask him—“Why were you less of a potty mouth hanging from a cliff, looking for worms, than you are barking orders in a kitchen?”
Ramsay answered with a smirk, “Well, first of all, I was still shitting myself, hanging from the tree upside down, let me tell you that. I may not have looked that nervous, but I certainly was. Here’s the thing about the curse word–when you’re up against sort of high-pressured environments in kitchens, then you need to get that point across urgently. Out and about, on Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted, it’s not needed being surrounded by incredible professionals. I’m not saying it’s easy with them, but they just made it so seamless for me to tap into their world and bed down. But listen, I don’t go out of my way to curse, unfortunately, on several incidents it’s to do with the muppets I have to work with.”
“From day one, I was told, ‘Be you. Surround yourself with talented individuals and go off the beaten track and bring back something new. Put food on Nat Geo like never before. Become vulnerable. So, that’s exactly what we did. And I don’t like hanging around in hotels and sunbathing, so when we landed, we hit the ground, and then we got on with it. It was about getting to the crux and the heartbeat and what (food) made that particular region. Whether it was the Maori influence, or the Hawaiian influence that was just breathtaking.”
Ramsay added, “So, I would like to take this moment to apologize for all that swearing, and I’m going to blame my mum.”
Tune in Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted, Sunday nights on NatGeo.
(Photo credit: National Geographic)
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