Few chefs have impacted the world quite like the late Anthony Bourdain. Champion of all things food, an ally to many in disadvantaged communities, and an uncommonly honest, fiercely beloved personality, Bourdain left an indelible mark on the culinary landscape and the world before his tragic death in 2018.
Across his three memoirs, Kitchen Confidential, Medium Raw, and World Travel (and fiction!), Bourdain exposed the culinary underbelly that many outside observers thought they understood, but in reality, knew very little about. Through his work, he was also an advocate for constantly trying new things and stepping outside of your comfort zone, both of which he became very familiar with over his lifetime. Even better, Bourdain expertly narrated all of his acclaimed memoirs himself, making what were three already incredible audiobook journeys even more special. And now, his fans can glean even more about Bourdain through the latest documentary about his life, Roadrunner.
Thankfully, because of his spare-no-detail and outspoken personality, Bourdain was also a source of great and memorable quotes. So if you’ve ever wanted to get into the mind of the inimitable Bourdain, then look no further. Here are the 30+ of the best quotes from the culinary legend himself, Anthony Bourdain.
Best Kitchen Confidential Quotes
1. “No one understands and appreciates the American Dream of hard work leading to material rewards better than a non-American.”
2. “I've long believed that good food, good eating, is all about risk. Whether we're talking about unpasteurized Stilton, raw oysters or working for organized crime 'associates,' food, for me, has always been an adventure.”
3. ““Our movements through time and space seem somehow trivial compared to a heap of boiled meat in broth, the smell of saffron, garlic, fishbones and Pernod.”
4. “People confuse me. Food doesn't.”
5. “Skills can be taught. Character you either have or don't have.”
6. “For me, the cooking life has been a long love affair, with moments both sublime and ridiculous. But like a love affair, looking back you remember the happy times best.”
7. “Food had power. It could inspire, astonish, shock, excite, delight and impress. It had the power to please me... and others. This was valuable information.”
8. “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.”
9. “I'll be right here. Until they drag me off the line. I'm not going anywhere. I hope. It's been an adventure. We took some casualties over the years. Things got broken. Things got lost. But I wouldn't miss it for the world.”
10. “The journey is part of the experience—an expression of the seriousness of one's intent. One doesn't take the A train to Mecca.”
11. “Don't lie about it. You made a mistake. Admit it and move on. Just don't do it again. Ever”
12. “[When I die], I will decidedly not be regretting missed opportunities for a good time. My regrets will be more along the lines of a sad list of people hurt, people let down, assets wasted and advantages squandered.”
13. “Whatever had the most shock value became my meal of choice.”
14. “Your body is not a temple, it's an amusement park. Enjoy the ride.”
15. "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."
16. "I don't have to agree with you to like you or respect you."
17. "Travel changes you. As you move through this life and this world you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life—and travel—leaves marks on you. Most of the time, those marks—on your body or on your heart—are beautiful. Often, though, they hurt.”
18. "Good food is very often, even most often, simple food."
19. "An ounce of sauce covers a multitude of sins."
Best Medium Raw Quotes
20. “If you’re twenty-two, physically fit, hungry to learn and be better, I urge you to travel—as far and as widely as possible. Sleep on floors if you have to.”
21. “You have to be a romantic to invest yourself, your money, and your time in cheese.”
22. “That without experimentation, a willingness to ask questions and try new things, we shall surely become static, repetitive, moribund.”
23. “I am not a fan of people who abuse service staff. In fact, I find it intolerable. It’s an unpardonable sin as far as I’m concerned, taking out personal business or some other kind of dissatisfaction on a waiter or busboy.”
24. “Everyone should be encouraged at every turn to develop their own modest yet unique repertoire—to find a few dishes they love and practice at preparing them until they are proud of the result. To either respect in this way their own past—or express through cooking their dreams for the future. Every citizen would thus have their own specialty. Why can we not do this? There is no reason in the world.”
25. "Frightened people become angry people–as history teaches us again and again."
26. "What's the most frightening thing to a child? The pain of being the outsider, of looking ridiculous to others, of being teased or picked on in school. Every child burns with fear at the prospect. It's a primal instinct: to belong."
27. "It's very rarely a good career move to have a conscience."
28. "And I’m not going to tell you here how to live your life. I’m just saying, I guess, that I got very lucky. And luck is not a business model."
Best World Travel Quotes
29. "If you’re going to a country, particularly in Southeast Asia, [where] you’ve never been before, it’s a very good idea to go to the market first, see what they’re selling, get an idea of what they’re good at, what the people are buying.”
30. "Most of us are lucky to see Paris once in a lifetime. Make the most of it by doing as little as possible. Walk a little, get lost a bit, eat, catch a breakfast buzz, have a nap, try and have sex if you can, just not with a mime. Eat again. Lounge around drinking coffee. Maybe read a book. Drink some wine, walk around a bit more, eat, repeat. See? It’s easy."
31. "There is no other place on earth even remotely like New Orleans. Don’t even try to compare it with anywhere else. Even trying to describe it is tricky, as chances are, no matter how much you love it, you don’t really know it. No last call at bars, lots and lots of great food. We know that. Locals who are, well, uniquely wonderful. There’s an attitude here that defies all setbacks, all the things wrong with this fabulously, famously fucked-up city that defies logic in the very best possible ways."
