With his matter-of-fact humor Anthony Bourdain offered pieces of food and travel wisdom to suit every appetite, and traveled the world with an open mind, open heart, and thirst for adventure.
Here are 17 great Anthony Bourdain quotes to spark wanderlust for your next journey.
ANTHONY BOURDAIN ON TRAVEL
“It seems that the more places I see and experience, the bigger I realize the world to be. The more I become aware of, the more I realize how relatively little I know of it, how many places I have still to go, how much more there is to learn.”
For travel inspiration: Europe destination guides
“If I’m an advocate for anything, it’s to move. As far as you can, as much as you can. Across the ocean, or simply across the river. The extent to which you can walk in someone else’s shoes or at least eat their food, it’s a plus for everybody. Open your mind, get up off the couch, move.”
“Travel is about the gorgeous feeling of teetering in the unknown.”
For travel inspiration: Latin America destination guides
“When dealing with complex transportation issues, the best thing to do is pull up with a cold beer and let somebody else figure it out.”
“Like I said before, your body is not a temple, it’s an amusement park. Enjoy the ride.”
For travel inspiration: USA & Canada destination guides
ANTHONY BOURDAIN ON FOOD
“Barbecue may not be the road to world peace, but it’s a start.”
“Food is everything we are. It’s an extension of nationalist feeling, ethnic feeling, your personal history, your province, your region, your tribe, your grandma. It’s inseparable from those from the get-go.”
“Good food is very often, even most often, simple food.”
Related content: 9 dining experiences that will have you tasting the best of the USA
“Meals make the society, hold the fabric together in lots of ways that were charming and interesting and intoxicating to me. The perfect meal, or the best meals, occur in a context that frequently has very little to do with the food itself.”
“I think food, culture, people and landscape are all absolutely inseparable.”
Related content: From lawyer to dine at home host, meet Deborah Lanini
“Bad food is made without pride, by cooks who have no pride, and no love. Bad food is made by chefs who are indifferent, or who are trying to be everything to everybody, who are trying to please everyone… Bad food is fake food… food that shows fear and lack of confidence in people’s ability to discern or to make decisions about their lives.”
“Cooking is a craft, I like to think, and a good cook is a craftsman—not an artist. There’s nothing wrong with that: the great cathedrals of Europe were built by craftsmen—though not designed by them. Practicing your craft in expert fashion is noble, honorable and satisfying.”
Relate content: 7 Farm-to-Table dining experiences you can enjoy with Insight