The Episode Andrew Zimmern Wishes He Filmed For What's Eating America

Chef Andrew Zimmern has a gift for delighting his audiences when he's in front of the camera. He's known for his numerous television appearances, including but not limited to "Bizarre Foods: Delicious Destinations," "The Zimmern List," "Andrew Zimmern's Driven By Food," "My Hometown with Andrew Zimmern," and more (via IMDb.) 

One of his TV shows, "What's Eating America," took Zimmern fans on an unexpected journey in 2020 as the chef shed light on several important topics including immigration, healthcare, voting rights, and more. There was a twist, though – Zimmern used food as a tool to reach out to his audience and focus on several crucial issues on the show.

According to the chef's website, there were five episodes in the series. One of his most impactful episodes looked at the impact of addiction in the food industry. This was very personal for Zimmern, who's previously struggled with addiction himself and knows exactly what it's like. However, the chef wishes he could have done something more when he was filming "What's Eating America."

According to The Wrap, Zimmern really wanted to include the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on "What's Eating America," which was actually filmed before the pandemic took over. His explanation for wanting to focus on the pandemic was pretty simple and relatable: Zimmern said that everyone in the food industry — from farmers to restaurateurs to supermarkets and shoppers — had been majorly affected by COVID-19, and he could have helped spread awareness about that on his show. 

Zimmern also pointed out how crucial the food industry is to the economy overall. "Restaurants are micro-economies and arguably the most important in our country," he declared. "Restaurants are the number-one employer of human beings in America, second only to the U.S. government."

Zimmern also wanted to raise funds for independent restaurants that were the worst-affected in the U.S. And although "What's Eating America" has wrapped up, Zimmern is still doing what he can to help out. As per Forbes, the chef joined the Independent Restaurant Coalition in 2020 to offer support to his peers in the industry.