Every dish has a story, and No Taste Like Home with Antoni Porowski is here to share them. Premiering on February 26 at 20:30 on National Geographic (DStv 181) across Africa, this captivating docuseries features culinary expert and Queer Eye star Antoni Porowski as he embarks on culinary adventures with celebrity guests. From Italy’s vibrant streets to Borneo’s dense jungles, each episode reveals the deep roots of cherished family recipes.
Viewers can expect inspiring appearances from celebrities like Awkwafina, Henry Golding, James Marsden, Florence Pugh, Issa Rae, and Justin Theroux, blending ingredients, culture, and personal journeys into captivating narratives and delicious dishes.
Your Luxury Africa spoke to Porowski via Zoom from London where he shared personal highlights from the show, his deep love for Florence Pugh and memories of South Africa.
YLA: You’ve gone around the world for your new show No Taste Like Home with Antoni Porowski, so when can we expect to see you in South Africa?
Antoni: [Laughs] I haven’t had the honour of visiting Joburg, but I’ve stayed in Cape Town and absolutely loved it. It couldn’t have been more amazing weather. The trip was way too short, on my way from Botswana, but I have every intention of coming back soon. Table Mountain almost took me out. It was so windy – I almost fractured my leg three times. Two people were carried down in stretchers. It was wild. Respect to those of you who have conquered that mountain.
YLA: How did the idea of the show come about and when did you get involved in the project?
Antoni: I basically wanted someone to fund my world travels, so I convinced National Geographic to do it [laughs]. You think I’m joking, but I’m not. It was partially that. But we really connected on a lot of key elements that were important to me – making it global, the idea of storytelling through the lens of food and the importance of that. And that happens to be something that they really wanted to expand on, so it was kind of a match made in heaven.
YLA: What was it like working with such big stars on the show?
Antoni: We’ve seen a lot of these people in movies and TV over the years. I was crying two weeks before on a flight watching Florence Pugh in Little Women, and then suddenly I meet her and she’s this delightful person. To see such big stars with human vulnerability in a such different light is something that was fun for me, and I hope that it’s going to be fun for viewers as well.
YLA: Who did you connect with the most and why?
Antoni: I think the one I connected with in the deepest way, in terms of our deep pathological obsession with food, was Florence. While we were filming a scene, I noticed she kept staring at this leg of lamb that had just come out of the oven, smelling so beautifully. She just kept on looking at it until she couldn’t help herself anymore. She eventually went “screw this”, grabbed it in her hands and shoved it in her mouth with the fat dribbling down. At that point, I knew we were going to have the best week ever. She is someone who is just so objectively stunning and just couldn’t care less. Her unabashed joy for food is electric and lights me up from the inside. And that was what the entire week was like with her. She introduced me to all of my favourite English things. I’m really looking forward to the episode.
YLA: What was the process like selecting the celebrity guests?
Antoni: The fact that they are all objectively attractive was just a fluke. It wasn’t one of the caveats [laughs]. Honestly, there were a lot of people who were considered. There were some that I was really bummed that didn’t make it, but I’m not going to mention names because I really hope in future seasons we get to try again. Every single episode took three to six months of research by the Nat Geo team and Studio Gordon Ramsay to find out if there was actually a story that was worth telling. That’s the power of working with National Geographic.
YLA: Who is your personal dream guest for the show?
Antoni: I have a relationship with her, but someone like Martha Stewart. Growing up, she was the first example of someone who was proud to be Polish that I saw in media. And, obviously, as we all know, visibility is paramount and important. Even though it’s Martha Stewart, I didn’t even know at the time that I was going to continue a career in cooking and food. I think it would be fascinating to do an episode with her.
YLA: What were some of the challenges you faced?
Antoni: I was a little scared, I think, having the celebrities be comfortable. Actors, understandably, share really deep, vulnerable parts of themselves, of their lives, on set every single day. And then to have them open up about their actual personal lives – I thought that was going to be a challenge. With some of them, it took a day. With others, it took a few days, but I feel like we really got there.
YLA: How did you eventually manage to make them feel comfortable?
Antoni: I think it’s about trust. It’s about intention. It’s about assuring them this isn’t a “gotcha” show. We’re not going to bring up any sketchy ancestor from the past. We’re really here to teach them about themselves and give them a gift that they can hopefully pass on to future generations. We want to leave them with something that they can pass on to their own families the next time they’re all sitting together at a table.
