Andrew Zimmern On Why He Always Feels At Home In The South

About Andrew Zimmern

Andrew Zimmern grew up in New York City, where he learned his love of food from traveling with his parents and spending weekends with his grandmother. He got his first job in a restaurant on Long Island at age 14, and after some difficult years with substance abuse, he eventually moved to Minnesota, where he got sober and gained attention as a chef, radio host, writer, and television personality. In 2006, he started hosting Bizarre Foods on the Travel Channel, which earned him four James Beard Awards and made him one of the most successful hosts in the history of Food TV.

What Andrew Zimmern Talks About On This Episode

• Being born and raised in New York
• Spending a lot of time in the South
• Moving to Minnesota
• The cooks in his family–his grandmother, mother, and father–who made an impact on him
• His grandmother's influence on his life and passion for cooking
• Growing up around food and traveling
• The stories behind the recipes and dishes in the South
• Being a natural storyteller
• "Andrew Zimmern's Wild Game Kitchen" Show

Quotes By Andrew Zimmern

"What's interesting about it is that, I think if you lined up a hundred well-known culinary people, 'Where'd you get your first inspiration for cooking?' If we were playing family feud, number one would be grandmother." - Andrew Zimmern

"The world isn't made up of things. My experience is the world is made up of people, and the people in the South are kind and they're generous and they're honest and the people that I've bumped into there have a way of expressing themselves and opening their door that the rest of us really should take a page outta their book on. It's always the people." -Andrew Zimmern

About Biscuits & Jam

In the South, talking about food is personal. It's a way of sharing your history, your family, your culture, and yourself. Each week Sid Evans, editor in chief of Southern Living, sits down with celebrity musicians to hear stories of how they grew up, what inspired them, and how they've been shaped by Southern culture. Sid takes us back to some of their most cherished memories and traditions, the family meals they still think about, and their favorite places to eat on the road. Download and listen to this episode of Biscuits & Jam with Andrew Zimmern on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or everywhere podcasts are available.

Editor’s Note: Please be mindful that this transcript does not go through our standard editorial process and may contain inaccuracies and grammatical errors