Ep 5. Factory Food

In this episode of Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern, the focus is on factory food. Andrew visits various food production facilities around the United States to see how these massive, mechanized operations produce their goods.

First up, Andrew heads to a potato processing plant in Idaho, where he gets a tour of the facility and learns how potatoes are turned into frozen French fries. With a production line that can process over 2 million pounds of potatoes in a day, it's impressive to see just how quickly these machines can peel, cut, and fry the spuds. Andrew even gets to taste-test some of the finished product, and he's impressed by the perfect golden-brown color and crunchy texture.

Next, Andrew travels to a seafood-processing plant in Boston, where he witnesses the transformation of raw whole fish into frozen fillets and portions. He watches as the fish are gutted, headed, and filleted by machines, and then frozen for later use. Andrew also gets a taste of some fresh-shucked oysters, and he marvels at the precision and efficiency of the shucking machines.

After that, Andrew heads to a bakery in Chicago where he sees how bread is made on a large scale. He watches as a massive mixer blends together the ingredients for hundreds of loaves of bread, and then sees the dough being divided, shaped and baked in huge ovens. Andrew even gets to help make some pizza dough, and he's amazed at how quickly the machines can turn out perfectly rolled balls of dough.

In Indiana, Andrew visits a candy factory where he gets an up-close look at how chocolate and other sweets are made. He sees the process of tempering chocolate, making molds, and creating elaborate candy creations. Andrew also gets to sample some of the delicious treats, including a giant chocolate-covered cherry and a staggering array of gummy candies.

Finally, Andrew heads to a meat processing plant in Texas, where he sees how huge quantities of beef are turned into hamburger meat. He watches as the meat is ground, formed into patties, and then packaged for shipment. Andrew is amazed at the scale of the operation, and he learns about how technology and automation have revolutionized the meat industry.

Overall, this episode of Bizarre Foods provides an eye-opening look at how some of our favorite foods are made on a massive scale. While the machinery and processes might seem impersonal and industrial, it's fascinating to see how these factories can churn out millions of pounds of food with speed and efficiency. Andrew's wide-eyed wonder and curiosity make for an engaging and informative tour of these food factories, and viewers are sure to come away with a new appreciation for the engineering and innovation that goes into feeding the world.