Exotic, odd sampled on 'Food Paradise'

The quirky food and travel franchise "Food Paradise" is branching out to include worldwide gastronomic destinations not to be missed.

Airing Wednesdays on Travel Channel, "Food Paradise International" brings viewers to the most legendary and undiscovered hot spots to celebrate foods that might not necessarily be associated with those cities.

"'Food Paradise' domestic is really built on a successful franchise in which we thought of the foods that people love and how do you find the variations of it across the country?" executive producer Tina Nguyen explains. "And wherever you go, you'll meet these interesting people who put a twist on it and (have) lots of personality, a lot of robust food and inventiveness. And it just felt like an organic expansion of the franchise to take it internationally. And if you watch 'Food Paradise,' it's a lot of food categories that are relatable, so everything from barbecue to burgers to pizza. The category is very familiar but people have taken these food items to really fun and kind of wacky variations."

Such as in the episode, "Steak Paradise," which visits such unlikely beef destinations as South Africa, Italy and Sydney — the location of a very high-end beef shop.

"It's like the Gucci of steak merchandising," Nguyen explains. "And they showcase the best cuts of beef from around the world whether it's Japan, locally, and it's going into this jewelry shop of beef. So we feature how beef is celebrated, and not just the way it's made but like how it's cultivated and raised. ...

"And then in Italy, there's this one chef who also is an artist, and the way he treats his beef is like the way he makes his sculptures. He's a sculptor as well. And so he runs his Agriturismo, which is both a farm and restaurant and lodge, he creates a sculpture on the ground and he also grows the meat on the location. So this really rich environment where it's art and meat and fire. It's very highbrow and yet very primal."

For sheer wackiness, though, nothing tops the episode airing later this month, "Pizza Paradise," according to Nguyen.

"Pizza is basically a container food. ... It's a blank slate," she says. "And you can fill it or you can top it in different ways.

"The thing is when you look at pizza in Tokyo, (it is) a totally different rendition. It's got a fish-stock base and yams. It's a totally different idea and it's a different food experience but it delivers on the same idea that it's like this contained patty of goodness."

Then, of course, there is the lamb and cheese pizza in London.

"It's run by these two guys who are really tough guys," Nguyen says. "And their pizzas are delicate and exquisite and (have) what they call modern flair. Like, they'd combine the most disparate ingredients and the pizza looks delicate and they're big in flavor ... I mean, London you think of beer and brats or bangers and mash — basic staples — and this is really delicate pizza."

Source: Exotic, odd sampled on 'Food Paradise'