Chef, writer, and TV personality Anthony Bourdain has traveled the world and tasted the best foods in nearly every country for his previous Travel Channel show, "No Reservations," and his current CNN show, "Parts Unknown."
Between trips around the globe, Bourdain has found the time to film three seasons of Raw Craftfor the whiskey company The Balvenie. Each episode of the online show features a different craftsperson showing Bourdain his or her process. In the 13 episodes that are now available, the crafts on display range from guitar-making to knife-making. Each craftsperson, said Bourdain, shows a dedication to the detail of their art that borders on obsession.
“It is a series that highlights people who have decided for whatever reasons, usually very personal ones, to make things the old, long, extremely difficult, minimally profitable, if profitable at all, way,” said Bourdain during an interview Wednesday with Boston Public Radio.
In the most recent episode of "Raw Craft," Bourdain travels to Southbridge, Massachusetts to watch SJC Drums make handmade wood drums for Green Day drummer Tré Cool.
“I knew absolutely nothing about how drums are actually put together...it was an education in a short period of time. These are people that started as a family run operation, who ... for the love of music and love of making stuff, started building drum quits in the garage. This is no easy thing.”
Bourdain sees the people featured on the show as part of a rare breed that still hold themselves to a “medieval standard of excellence.”
“This is the standard of excellence that they were raised with. This is what they aspire to,” he said. “There is an element of fetishism to this.”
Click above to hear the full interview with Anthony Bourdain.
Editor's Note, June 8, 2018: Anthony Bourdain has died at age 61. According to his employer, CNN, the cause of death was suicide. If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (En Español: 1-888-628-9454; Deaf and Hard of Hearing: 1-800-799-4889) or the Crisis Text Line by texting 741741.
