For Anthony Bourdain, food was an integral part of a nation’s history and culture

Four days ago, Anthony Bourdain shared a picture on his Instagram handle that comprised a food plate. It has an assortment of red meat that included two sausages, a rare steak, along with mashed potatoes at the base. The caption read, "Light lunch."

I didn't think much of the post then. Bourdain is one of the handfuls of celebrities I follow on Instagram, and I write this piece 10 minutes into hearing news of his death.

Bourdain was never the traditional chef; you would never associate him with judging a show or yelling at a reality show participant. Instead, you could see him build the bridge between a nation’s history and its food.

There was one episode that I remember where he visited Haiti after the earthquake that killed thousands of people. He was shooting a show on how the people were recuperating after the natural disaster. There is one scene where he buys a traditional Haitian meal, while having a meal on the beachside while thousands of homeless, who can’t afford a meal, stand and watch him. At the moment, Bourdain overcome by guilt, buys the woman’s entire supply to feed the people. However, he realizes that he has made a mistake when the line that is initially formed turns into a frenzied mob, and finally into a riot. “I realized that a moment of weakness that was triggered by guilt created a bigger problem in a nation that is already suffering.”

Before becoming famous, Bourdain spent more than two decades as a professional cook. In 2000, he published a ribald memoir titled, “Kitchen Confidential”, which became a best-seller, heralding a new national fascination with the grubby secrets and “Upstairs Downstairs” drama of the hospitality industry.

People would associate Bourdain in the beginning as a brash chef, who wasn’t afraid to speak his mind. However, a New Yorker article on the man said, “Over the years, Bourdain has transformed himself into a well-heeled nomad who wanders the planet meeting fascinating people and eating delicious food.”

Last year, Bourdain became an anti-food wastage advocate and highlighted how the restaurant industry was responsible for wasting tonnes of food every day. In an interview with The New York Times, he said that the best way to highlight the issue was to shame those who indulged in food wastage. “Do not underestimate the value of shame,” he said.

Hearing about his death, one can only ask why he committed suicide. He had a dream job – a job people would die to have; had travelled the world; he had become a hermit of sorts, meeting the rich and famous such as Barack Obama in Vietnam, as well as local tribes who lived in the Amazonian belt of South America. Hell, he had even written a graphic novel that was published by DC Comics subsidiary Vertigo.

One can only assume that he had seen enough and for him there were no more Parts Unknown. But due selfishness, a trait that is shared by all humans, we will mourn him.