The place to Watch Noma Chef René Redzepi’s New TV Present, “Omnivore”

When René Redzepi introduced final yr that Noma, his much-rhapsodized, three Michelin-starred restaurant in Copenhagen, can be closing, there was a flurry of conjecture about what the meals world would appear to be with out it — and what Redzepi may need up his sleeve.

Seems, he is been engaged on one thing simply as bold: a brand new docuseries, Omnivore, which premieres July 19 on Apple TV+. Omnivore, co-created with meals author (and Journey + Leisure contributor) Matt Goulding, visits dozens of nations over the course of its eight installments. Every episode focuses on one ingredient — corn, for instance, or espresso — from harvest and manufacturing to processing to cooking.

With Redzepi as narrator, the screentime is devoted to fishers, farmers, meals employees, and their prized merchandise. The hypersaline Lake Assal, in Djibouti, is the setting for the opening scene of the episode “Salt,” which additionally visits France, Korea, and Peru. “Chile” takes us to Serbia to find out about paprika, earlier than clocking in for a shift at a Louisiana hot-sauce manufacturing unit and sweating by way of a fiery meal at a tiny restaurant in Bangkok.

However with consideration paid to subjects like local weather change and the affect of commercial agriculture, Omnivore additionally reminds the viewer that every thing we eat suits into a bigger, more and more complicated system — and that our expansive, scrumptious earth can also be an more and more weak one.

T+L spoke with Redzepi prematurely of the sequence launch.

Journey + Leisure: How did the present come to be? Is that this one thing you’ve got been serious about for some time?  

René Redzepi: It is greater than a decade within the making. We had been engaged on one thing in an identical vein as what Omnivore ended up being, telling the tales of who we’re by way of some choose elements. After which throughout Covid, so many selections had been made for Noma and for myself. And considered one of them was, now it is actually time for us. 

We’re curious the way you selected the elements and determined the place on the earth they’d take you. Was {that a} lengthy course of to slender down?  

It was. We had an inventory of 150 elements that every one had a narrative to be advised. So we figured, why do not we method it another way and ask, What are a number of the subjects that we wish to speak about? 

We knew that we needed a narrative on love, our love relationship with meals. And that grew to become the chile episode. It’s simply so thoughts boggling that we simply eat them for ache and pleasure. However we’ve so many different tales which might be unbelievable. For example — I will not say an excessive amount of about it — however we have achieved quite a lot of analysis on vanilla. There are some mind-blowing tales inside vanilla that individuals do not find out about.  

There is a concentrate on sustainability and meals programs, and also you make a degree of unpacking provide chains and speaking about biodiversity. A whole lot of meals reveals go away this out. Why was that vital? 

Virtually every thing that is mistaken on the earth might be advised by way of meals as nicely. We’re simply attempting to tell you, whereas entertaining you, that this world of meals is an important factor on planet earth.

The present was at all times meant to be: This is a tuna, and there’s a method to catch it that is been achieved for 3,000 years virtually the identical means. However what has modified is that now, as an alternative of being eaten regionally, it goes into the stomach of a aircraft transported to Japan, the place it is then reduce into items. Then a few of it results in LA in some restaurant in Venice Seaside, on a Caesar salad. Humorous sufficient, a few of it even ends again the place it got here from as canned tuna.

That’s the fashionable meals system. That’s how we eat more often than not. 

Many individuals are desirous about connecting with meals tradition when touring. What would you say to somebody eager to discover that?  

Touring with meals as your prism is essentially the most wonderful means, for my part. The heartbeat of a metropolis is usually discovered on the markets and the way individuals eat and the way they dine out. And I believe increasingly more that is occurring as a result of, in a really digitalized world, meals remains to be an analog factor. You gotta sit and style. 

Once I journey for myself, I journey very, very sluggish. I truly journey and stroll. I’ve walked the Camino de Santiago 3 times — the final one I did was alongside the coast of the Basque Nation, Cantabria, Asturias, and into Galicia. That was 500 some miles. So I spent quite a lot of time in small mountain villages the place there are principally cows, and also you keep in anyone’s residence, and also you eat what they eat. When you discuss to individuals, they are going to at all times level you into one thing wonderful. They at all times know somebody. 

Any favourite locations that you end up returning to?

I’ve my particular locations on the earth the place I actually discover a lot pleasure and inspiration: I discover it in Japan, I discover it in Mexico, I discover it significantly in northern components of Spain. I additionally actually, actually love Turkey — Istanbul, significantly, is a giant favourite of mine. My household are of Albanian heritage, so it is virtually the identical meals. And the nation of Georgia has mind-blowing meals, mind-blowing wine. 

Subsequent, I will the Basque Nation. I am spending 14 days simply strolling from place to position, stopping in, doing a little analysis. Nothing can beat these moments — to truly go into this little inn the place there is a grandmother and a son working collectively, they usually make a tortilla like they’ve been for 80 years, they usually simply went exterior to choose the chives within the morning to sprinkle on, and it is cooked over the wood-fired oven. A slight trace of smoke. Eggs are runny as you narrow into them. These are the actual experiences, for my part. Not a flowery restaurant with caviar. 

Omnivore debuts on Apple TV+ on Friday, July 19. This interview has been edited for size and readability.