In quest of foragers

GORDON RAMSAY GOES TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH TO EXPLORE HIDDEN FOOD TREASURES, THEIR BOLD FLAVOURS AND THE ARDENT KEEPERS

- VIBHA VARSHNEY

THE EXQUISITENESS of the culinary creations of a land is not usually linked to its farms but to the bounties of its wilderness and are shaped by the knowledge inherited from one’s ancestors. British chef, restaurateur and television personality Gordon Ramsay whose television series Uncharted has returned to National Geographic with a third series, tries to explore this rich food heritage of the world.

Shot amid the pandemic, this series, like all the previous episodes of Uncharted, documents the expeditions of Ramsay to a far-flung region. There he meets a chef who directs him to different communities from whom Ramsay must learn about the local cuisine. Over a week, Ramsay tries to master the art, know the ingredients that make the dishes so unique and learn how to forage for them. He then prepares a meal for special guests from the community and the chef, while ensuring that he does not hurt the community’s sentiments—a South African Zulu chief has to be served well-cooked meat while the monks in Laos cannot be served geckos preserved in the locally brewed liqueur. These final feasts then end up being a competition, with both the chefs hoping that the guests prefer their food over the other’s.

Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted

Cast: Gordon Ramsay