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Home > Screenings > SBS International > Food Safari Fire

Director: Toufic Charabati

Producer: Toufic Charabati

Cast: Maeve O’Meara

Genres: Factual

Demographics: All audiences

People: Maeve O’Meara, Toufic Charabati


10 x 30

Food Safari Fire is an inspired 10 part series, a feast for senses and a must-see for barbecue-lovers, devotees of the wood fired oven, spit roast, smokers and those keen to learn new techniques from the gurus of fire.

Never before has a television series covered this breadth of cuisines and techniques – Food Safari Fire explores how the many cultures of the world harness the power of flame to cook some of the most delicious food on earth. It’s simple, powerful and incredibly delicious, focusing on a style of cooking that’s both ancient and highly developed.

Food Safari Fire is the ultimate journey through flavours forged by flame - full of delicious recipes, useful tips and a sense of how these foods fit into each cuisine. It’s television to make you hungry, beautifully filmed so you can almost smell the smoke off the screen and the spices in the air, with step-by-step recipes that can be made at home.

Each episode follows a cooking style and includes detailed information on the preparation of food for the fire, the special cuts, marinades and spices and insiders’ tips on cooking techniques and temperatures. Viewers will enjoy learning about the different types of wood used and how they can be matched with foods to enhance their flavour. They’ll also discover why the clean-burning intensity of high-end charcoal is so adored by chefs.

The power and simplicity of grilling is a major focus and covers such diverse cuisines as Japanese, Chilean, Italian, Turkish, Vietnamese, Greek, Chinese and Mexican. There are vibrant episodes on the wood fired oven and its ability to cook a whole range of food from bread and pizzas to slow cooked meats; an episode on the spit roast from the Argentinian a la cruz style of cooking to a whole lamb Greek style; an episode on the 5000 year old tandoor and one devoted to the art of smoking.

The devices for cooking with fire are also comprehensively covered – from the humble star picket favoured by Tasmanian fire-loving chef, Rodney Dunn to the deep dish perol of Spain; the clever simplicity of the cast-iron domed lid of Croatia - the peka. The alchemy of charcoal and clay is explored as Maeve discovers treasured recipes for the earthenware pots of Asia and the conical North African tagine.

The richness of flavours and the variety of cuisines is what really sets Food Safari Fire apart. For devotees of Food Safari this will be a long-awaited delight, for anyone who loves food, it will be an inspiration.