These Anthony Bourdain Photos & Videos Capture His True Passion For Food & Exploration

On Friday morning, CNN reported the devastating news that Anthony Bourdain died by suicide at the age of 61. The chef, author, and television personality was known worldwide for his love of cooking and his adventurous spirit. And photos and videos of Bourdain, as well as snapshots he shared of his travels, demonstrate Bourdain's passion for food, friends, and exploration.

Bourdain, who most recently hosted the award-winning CNN series Parts Unknown, made a career of traveling the world, exploring different cultures and trying various kinds of cuisine. In a statement on Friday morning, CNN announced the news of Bourdain's death:

It is with extraordinary sadness we can confirm the death of our friend and colleague, Anthony Bourdain. His love of great adventure, new friends, fine food and drink and the remarkable stories of the world made him a unique storyteller. His talents never ceased to amaze us and we will miss him very much. Our thoughts and prayers are with his daughter and family at this incredibly difficult time.

According to the report, Bourdain was in France working on an episode of Parts Unknown at the time of his death, where he was found by his close friend, French chef Eric Ripert. The news of Bourdain's death sparked widespread grief.

Bourdain had an 11-year-old daughter, Ariane, with ex-wife Ottavia Busia, and was most recently dating Italian actor Asia Argento, Good Housekeeping reported. In 2013, while accepting a Peabody Award, Bourdain described his approach to his work, and at its core was Bourdain's own interest in cuisine and dialogue.

"We ask very simple questions: What makes you happy? What do you eat? What do you like to cook? And everywhere in the world we go and ask these very simple questions," he said. "We tend to get some really astonishing answers."

These photos and videos of Bourdain show what his own answer might be to those questions, and demonstrate his infectious enthusiasm for a good meal, an interesting conversation, and an exciting new locale.

A Good French Dish

Bourdain regularly shared photos of his dishes, and in his last Instagram post before his death, he shared this photo of his plate in the Alsace region of France.

A Happy Meal

In this 2016 clip from Parts Unknown, while in Shanghai, Bourdain enjoys Xiaolongbao, which translates to "small, steaming basket buns," but Bourdain adorably dubs them "pillows of happiness."

Spanish Stew

Bourdain posted this photo of Fabada, a Spanish bean stew most commonly found in the community of Asturias, according to CNN, on Instagram in April, tagging Spanish-American chef José Andrés in the post.

A Candid Shot

In February, Bourdain posted this sweet photo of himself with his girlfriend, Argento, in Hong Kong, simply captioning the picture, "Shelter from the Storm."

Taking A Break

Bourdain takes a break from filming in Lisbon, Portugal in 2011.

Behind-The-Scenes

The chef posted this behind-the-scenes selfie with filmmaker Christopher Doyle on Instagram in January as he was traveling in Hong Kong.

Meeting The President

Bourdain shakes hands with President Obama in 2016 in Hanoi, Vietnam, where he interviewed the leader.

Pasta

The world-renowned chef shared this photo of a pasta dish in December 2017, captioning the photo, "Torino," presumably indicating that he was dining in the Turin, Italy.

Late-Night Snack

After one drink — or maybe a few — Bourdain made his way to Waffle House in Charleston, South Carolina, with chef Sean Brock in 2015, where they enjoyed a late-night snack.

Gone Fishing

In October 2017, Bourdain showed off the fruits of a hard day of work, joking that he'd had a "rare, successful day shooting a fishing scene," on the Canadian island of Newfoundland.

The Crew

Bourdain shared this photo of he, Argento his team readying to shoot in Rome back in December 2016.

An Enlightening Trip

Bourdain experiences all that Iran has to offer in this 2014 clip, and realizes neither the country nor its food is what he expected.

Old Friends

Bourdain posed for a photo in September 2016 with his longtime pal, acclaimed chef Juan Mari Arzak, affectionately calling Arzak "'my father', my friend, my protecter, my guide to Pais Vasco from the very beginning, the legend" in the caption.

Being Honored For His Work

Bourdain with his Emmy Award for Outstanding Informational Special in 2014, which he won for his work on Parts Unknown and underscored his dedication to sharing diverse and enlightening experiences with his viewers.

Take-Out

Bourdain made a point to sample cuisine from all over, which included one of LA's signature exports, In-N-Out Burger. Despite his culinary expertise, he captioned the photo of the fast food staple, "I am a man of simple needs."

Bourdain's love of food and travel and his curiosity about other people were contagious, and there is no doubt he will be sorely missed.

If you or someone you know are experiencing suicidal thoughts, call 911 or call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255. You can also text the Crisis Text Line at 741-741. For international resources, here is a good place to begin.