Social Action and Community Media - Street Food
Street Food - S1Ep1: Bangkok, Thailand
Street Food, a Netflix original series made by the creators of Chef's Table, is a culinary documentary aiming to educate and inform those with an interest in food and travel. The pilot episode follows the story of a seventy three year old woman in Thailand on her journey to becoming a successful chef. Growing up in a slum, Jay Fai watched her mother sell food at the market near her home. The family wasn't making enough money, and her drug-addicted father often ran away, so Fai became a seamstress in order to provide support and help to put a meal on the table. However, her career was cut short whilst Fai was in her twenties when she lost all of her possessions in a fire. She was working at the time of a stairwell collapse, which triggered fire in which all of her equipment and possessions were destroyed. She then decided to teach herself to cook in order to help her mother's business, and soon began to put her own twist on recipes. She eventually made enough money to rent out a shop to sell her food from aftermarket a risky but successful decision to borrow money in order to buy higher quality ingredients. Fai experimented with unusual dishes such as dry tom him soup and crab omelettes, and was eventually she was awarded a Michelin star after her food gained a large swell of popularity, making her a recognised chef worldwide and increasing the amount of customers she gets to the point of people having to reserve tables in order to ensure they'll be able to get served.
This educational programme also allows an insight into how the authorities feel about street food, with stories of vendors being chased away and food stalls being shut down. However, the documentary also shows how it brings people together, with people taking taxis to teach their favourite vendors when they move from the area. By including this context, the audience are able to empathise more with the struggles of street vendors trying to maintain their businesses while making a profit.
While a global audience is intended for this documentary, it can only be accessed by people with Netflix memberships. However, the site is highly popular amongst a range of different viewers from different demographics. Documentaries are also becoming increasingly popular with modern audiences, which means that a great variety of people are able to watch it and learn about the importance of street food in Thailand. A sense of inspiration is installed in viewers through stories of personal discovery and growth, and watching a person who has come from a background of poverty become successful allows the audience to share a feeling of price with the chef - a feeling magnified through the sharing of Fai's life story alongside footage of her cooking and interacting with customers.
The producers used a range of techniques such as flashbacks, music to create varying moods and emotive language and recounts to allow the audience to not only learn about the chef's background and the bigger picture in regard to street food in Thailand, but also so that viewers can connect with Fai and root for her business. Flashbacks can allow viewers to feel as though they know the chef and her experiences. This makes it easier for people to empathise with her former situation and gain a sense of satisfaction when she becomes a success.
Not only is this a feel-good viewing, but it offers information in a bite-sized and easy to follow format. Because of this, it's suitable to a wider audience as well as ensuring that people are learning while still being entertained by the documentary.
Street Food, a Netflix original series made by the creators of Chef's Table, is a culinary documentary aiming to educate and inform those with an interest in food and travel. The pilot episode follows the story of a seventy three year old woman in Thailand on her journey to becoming a successful chef. Growing up in a slum, Jay Fai watched her mother sell food at the market near her home. The family wasn't making enough money, and her drug-addicted father often ran away, so Fai became a seamstress in order to provide support and help to put a meal on the table. However, her career was cut short whilst Fai was in her twenties when she lost all of her possessions in a fire. She was working at the time of a stairwell collapse, which triggered fire in which all of her equipment and possessions were destroyed. She then decided to teach herself to cook in order to help her mother's business, and soon began to put her own twist on recipes. She eventually made enough money to rent out a shop to sell her food from aftermarket a risky but successful decision to borrow money in order to buy higher quality ingredients. Fai experimented with unusual dishes such as dry tom him soup and crab omelettes, and was eventually she was awarded a Michelin star after her food gained a large swell of popularity, making her a recognised chef worldwide and increasing the amount of customers she gets to the point of people having to reserve tables in order to ensure they'll be able to get served.
This educational programme also allows an insight into how the authorities feel about street food, with stories of vendors being chased away and food stalls being shut down. However, the documentary also shows how it brings people together, with people taking taxis to teach their favourite vendors when they move from the area. By including this context, the audience are able to empathise more with the struggles of street vendors trying to maintain their businesses while making a profit.
While a global audience is intended for this documentary, it can only be accessed by people with Netflix memberships. However, the site is highly popular amongst a range of different viewers from different demographics. Documentaries are also becoming increasingly popular with modern audiences, which means that a great variety of people are able to watch it and learn about the importance of street food in Thailand. A sense of inspiration is installed in viewers through stories of personal discovery and growth, and watching a person who has come from a background of poverty become successful allows the audience to share a feeling of price with the chef - a feeling magnified through the sharing of Fai's life story alongside footage of her cooking and interacting with customers.
The producers used a range of techniques such as flashbacks, music to create varying moods and emotive language and recounts to allow the audience to not only learn about the chef's background and the bigger picture in regard to street food in Thailand, but also so that viewers can connect with Fai and root for her business. Flashbacks can allow viewers to feel as though they know the chef and her experiences. This makes it easier for people to empathise with her former situation and gain a sense of satisfaction when she becomes a success.
Not only is this a feel-good viewing, but it offers information in a bite-sized and easy to follow format. Because of this, it's suitable to a wider audience as well as ensuring that people are learning while still being entertained by the documentary.
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