No Passport Required: Marcus Samuelsson discovers America’s cuisine

America’s culinary world has many influences. In the new show No Passport Required, Marcus Samuelsson explores how the country’s diversity impacts how we eat.

Food television is more popular than ever. From cooking shows to cooking competition shows, foodies are glued to the television. Recently, a new must watch food television show was announced, No Passport Required hosted by Marcus Samuelsson.

The celebrity chef, restaurateur and philanthropist, Samuelsson is a wonderful choice for this type of food television show. With his diverse background, Samuelsson knows that culture, locales and people influence how and what you cook. As host, he can share his perspective and help to share others’ food stories.

In the announcement about this new food television show, Chef Samuelsson commented

"Chasing flavors has been my lifelong passion. To now be able to bring viewers on that journey with me to these amazing communities in cities across the U.S. is truly a dream come true. We get to go deep into the markets, pull up to the roadside stands, and be welcomed into homes — all the places where people share and celebrate food together."

No Passport Required: Marcus Samuelsson discovers America’s immigrant influence cuisine, photo from BusinessWire

The new food television show is slated to air on PBS in 2018. Six episodes are scheduled for the first season. This programming isn’t a cooking show. Rather, each 60 minute episode shows Chef Samuelsson as he explores a unique local in a city’s food culture. Some anticipated locations include Washington DC’s Little Ethiopia and Vietnamese shrimpers in Louisiana.

This type of food television show is similar to the popular Anthony Bourdain food/travel show. While many people enjoy Bourdain’s sometimes snarky approach, the show doesn’t always show places that the “normal” person or foodie could enjoy. Hopefully with Chef Samuelsson’s show, the general person can experience some of the highlighted locations. For example, a local food festival featuring some immigrant cuisine could be a great reason for foodies to visit that city.

Additionally, I hope that Chef Samuelsson brings some practical food and cooking ideas to the show. Everyone may not be able to visit these locations, but any cook can experiment with ethnic flavors at home. Whether it is adding a new spice to a classic dish or trying a new way of cooking a favorite protein, this new food television show has many possibilities.

Next: Conversation with Marcus Samuelsson, inspiring the home cook to explore flavor

No Passport Required hosted by Marcus Samuelsson should air on PBS in Spring 2018. It will be on my food television watch list. Will it be on yours?