Anthony Bourdain's Best Ever Quotes

"Travel changes you. As you move through this life and this world you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life—and travel—leaves marks on you.”

Anthony's life was all about opening up one's own borders, and he lived that motto until the end.

“Your body is not a temple, it's an amusement park. Enjoy the ride.”

When it came to foods from all over the world, Anthony was not one to shy away from new experiences that could put his stomach through the ringer. But he did that for us.

“Do we really want to travel in hermetically sealed popemobiles through the rural provinces of France, Mexico and the Far East, eating only in Hard Rock Cafes and McDonalds? Or do we want to eat without fear, tearing into the local stew, the humble taqueria's mystery meat, the sincerely offered gift of a lightly grilled fish head? I know what I want. I want it all. I want to try everything once.”

Anthony's appetite for life was unparalleled in his prime.

“If you’re twenty-two, physically fit, hungry to learn and be better, I urge you to travel – as far and as widely as possible. Sleep on floors if you have to. Find out how other people live and eat and cook. Learn from them – wherever you go.”

Bourdain's best ever experiences came from foreign lands where people spoke another language. Travelling is good advice for any soul.

“Maybe that’s enlightenment enough: to know that there is no final resting place of the mind; no moment of smug clarity. Perhaps wisdom...is realizing how small I am, and unwise, and how far I have yet to go.”

He was also ever the philosopher to go with his cooking skills.

“No one understands and appreciates the American Dream of hard work leading to material rewards better than a non-American.”

Anthony had a deep appreciation for migrants who worked in kitchens. He was always quick to showcase people that impressed him on his show.

“If I'm an advocate for anything, it's to move. As far as you can, as much as you can. Across the ocean, or simply across the river. The extent to which you can walk in someone else's shoes or at least eat their food, it's a plus for everybody. Open your mind, get up off the couch, move.”

That's sound advice for our current times.

“Once you’ve been to Cambodia, you’ll never stop wanting to beat Henry Kissinger to death with your bare hands. You will never again be able to open a newspaper and read about that treacherous, prevaricating, murderous scumbag sitting down for a nice chat with Charlie Rose or attending some black-tie affair for a new glossy magazine without choking. Witness what Henry did in Cambodia – the fruits of his genius for statesmanship – and you will never understand why he’s not sitting in the dock at The Hague next to Milošević.”

Bourdain was nothing if not opinionated!

“We know, for instance, that there is a direct, inverse relationship between frequency of family meals and social problems. Bluntly stated, members of families who eat together regularly are statistically less likely to stick up liquor stores, blow up meth labs, give birth to crack babies, commit suicide, or make donkey porn. If Little Timmy had just had more meatloaf", he might not have grown up to fill chest freezers with Cub Scout parts.”

He might have been on to something quite powerful with this one.

“The journey is part of the experience - an expression of the seriousness of one's intent. One doesn't take the A train to Mecca.”

In the end, his journey ended bitterly by suicide. But his zeal for food, and taking in all that life has to offer is something that will never be forgotten any time soon! Rest in peace, Anthony.