Omnivore

I found this series to be educational, with stunning imagery and told by someone with a true love of food, its roots, and respecting quality over quantity. These naysayers can get lost. It's interesting, and makes me fall in love with food again and the love of how its binds us by brining us together all over again. I highly suggest watching this series if only to learn that we need to respect where our food comes from, who is involved with getting it to us, and how important is is to connect with its producers in some way.

Every episode was educational and relatable. Every subject important to myself as they're all things I consume, most of them daily.

Rene Redzepi, the acclaimed chef of Noma, is undoubtedly a culinary genius. His innovative approach to cooking has revolutionized the food world, making him an influential figure in contemporary gastronomy. However, the decision to cast him as the narrator of "Omnivore" seems to have been a misstep. Redzepi's narration lacks the engaging dynamism needed to capture and retain the audience's attention. His delivery, while knowledgeable, feels monotonous and fails to evoke the excitement and curiosity that the subject matter warrants.

The first episode of "Omnivore" sets the tone for the series, but unfortunately, it falls short of expectations. The pacing is slow, and the content, though rich in potential, is presented in a way that feels uninspired. Viewers may find their minds wandering, unable to connect deeply with the material. The episode's structure and presentation do not do justice to the vibrant and diverse world of food it aims to explore.

I can only assume many of the other reviews come from food snobs, "influencers", or those who just enjoy being negative and pseudo-intellectual.

Do I agree that the episodes can be lacking in content and history? Of course. A 1 hour episode on chili peppers, or any single ingredient, can't begin to cover the entire history. Regardless, for the regular person (not a "foodie"), I'm learning a lot.

I view this series as an introductory series. Maybe Food 101. If you want more advanced stuff, by all means, go find some books. Watch other documentaries.

I was entertained. The series kept my interest, even if parts of it were simplistic in nature. Most of all, I learned. And now I want to know more. That's a win, in my book.

"Omnivore" is a captivating new series on Apple TV+, a visual feast that dives deep into the stories behind essential food ingredients, with educational and entertaining episodes on chilies, tuna, salt, rice, coffee, corn, bananas, and pork. The cinematography is stunning, and I was often so mesmerized by the visuals, I had to rewind to catch the dialogue we missed. Renowned chef and host René Redzepi guides viewers through each episode with his mellifluous voice making even the most commonplace ingredients seem significant. Each episode serves as a deep dive, exploring cultural relevance and the intricate connections in our lives. The series transforms the mundane into the extraordinary, reminding us of the importance of the ingredients we often take for granted.

Don't get me wrong, AppleTV+ has some excellent content like Severance, For All Mankind and Presumed Innocent. But even with their top tier stuff, there's this whiff of something noxious that I couldn't quite put my finger on.

This docu-series perfectly encapsulates it: that odor is the smug condescension of the global one percent. Hosted by some celebrity chef from a fancy restaurant few people could ever afford to dine at, it trots through some popular foods, focused on just a tiny fragment of the whole industry, the fancy pants artisanal froo-froo segment.

It's lovely that some dude in Rwanda is making coffee by hand, for what, $100 a pound? Obviously this has no relevance to the common herd, watching grocery prices soar and thinking about what they have to cut back.

The episode about salt could have been fascinating, especially if it did anything more than, once again, talk about the teeny industry of making salt by hand. How about the long, fascinating history of salt in various human cultures? We barely get any of that.

Netflix (which in general doesn't have anything near the quality of AppleTV+ anymore) made a good series along the same lines called Rotten. If you're frustrated by Omnivore, check that out. Eschewing the prissy approach, Netflix takes us to the gang wars of the avocado trade, the cratering French wine industry, and corruption in the garlic industry. Much more real and relevant.