
Episode 1
Fire
With help from Aboriginal hunters and a barbecue pit master, Pollan shows how fire shaped human gastronomy, and weighs our duty to the animals we eat.
Episode credits
Directed by Alex Gibney

TV series
Explored through the lenses of the four natural elements – fire, water, air and earth – COOKED is an enlightening and compelling look at the evolution of what food means to us through the history of food preparation and its universal ability to connect us. Highlighting our primal human need to cook, the series urges a return to the kitchen to reclaim our lost traditions and to forge a deeper, more meaningful connection to the ingredients and cooking techniques that we use to nourish ourselves.
Streaming, rental and purchase options
Checked Jul 22, 2026
Cooked is available to stream on Netflix in United States. Use the direct links below to open the provider.
Explored through the lenses of the four natural elements – fire, water, air and earth – COOKED is an enlightening and compelling look at the evolution of what food means to us through the history of food preparation and its universal ability to connect us. Highlighting our primal human need to cook, the series urges a return to the kitchen to reclaim our lost traditions and to forge a deeper, more meaningful connection to the ingredients and cooking techniques that we use to nourish ourselves.
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Episode 1
With help from Aboriginal hunters and a barbecue pit master, Pollan shows how fire shaped human gastronomy, and weighs our duty to the animals we eat.
Directed by Alex Gibney

Episode 2
Pollan looks to the kitchens of India for a lesson in the value of pot cooking and examines the consequences of eating highly processed food.
Directed by Caroline Suh

Episode 3
Visit food labs and Moroccan fields as Pollan delves into the science of bread-making and the nature of gluten.
Directed by Ryan Miller

Episode 4
Discover how microbes help turn raw ingredients into delicacies like chocolate and cheese as Pollan tackles the mysterious process of fermentation.
Directed by Peter Bull
Episode information updated Jul 22, 2026
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