Pioneer of earth-friendly haute cuisine David Kinch learned cooking in France, Spain, Germany, and Japan; his restaurant is located close to the electronic chips of Silicon Valley.

Dai Jianjun is passionate about preserving the ancient dietary doctrines of Chinese food knowledge, an art form he is seeking to salvage.

Luke Burgess' endeavors to reconnect cooking with the soil.

Father Godfrey Nzamujo has set up the Songhaï Centre in Porto-Novo, the capital of Benin; the center features a system of organic agriculture.

Arnaud Daguin promotes organic farming and sustainable agriculture through cooking for his French guesthouse.

Eric Werner, who is fascinated by Mayan culture, opened Hartwood, an open-air restaurant in perfect harmony with its environment and the local community.

For a long time stifled by conflict, Colombia is finally picking itself up and gradually reconnecting with its roots and traditions.

Founded in 1971 in Berkeley, California, Alice Waters' restaurant Chez Panisse has become a legend.

Denmark is clearly spearheading a new style of cooking that is local and inventive; in Aarhus, Thorsten Schmidt is one of the pioneers of this Nordic revolution.

As a young chef, James teamed up with other free spirits to create cooking collective The Young Turks and a series of pop-up restaurants.

There is, of course, much more to a vacation experience than hotels, sightseeing and souvenirs. For a look at what is literally on the menu, Travel Channel takes a tour of the must-see eateries across the country where a one-of-a-kind dining experience can be had. There are places that serve lip-smacking pizza, tasty deli entrees, boatloads of bacon, fresh seafood, finger-licking deep-fried dishes, juicy steaks, hot-and-spicy favorites -- the list that can whet anyone's appetite goes on and on. Each episode focuses on a specific type of food, and there's even episodic room reserved for desserts, such as ice cream and pie.

Host Camille Ford travels the country searching for dishes that have defined a particular city and created longstanding culinary rivalries. Then, she organizises a blind taste test in that city, pitting two of the most iconic eateries in a battle to settle the "food war" once and for all.

In one of the most popular series in Travel Channel's history, actor Casey Webb -- assuming the mantle from original host Adam Richman -- travels across America to sample some iconic regional dishes and take on some daunting food challenges, such as attacking a pitcher-sized bloody mary garnished with a whole fried chicken, tucking into a four-and-a-half-pound Reuben sandwich, and a choice between taking on a 151-ounce milkshake, an eight-pound sloppy joe or eating six habanero ghost chili wings. Talk about the big, the bad or the burn!

With roadside diners, vintage drive-ins and out-of-the-way "dives" enjoying a resurgence of hipness among foodies, host Guy Fieri travels across America in search of some of the best "greasy spoon" eateries. The restaurants that Guy visits are usually well-known among locals and other people in the region. While at each location, Fieri talks to the staff as well as the customers to get their thoughts on the food. Many episodes feature eateries that are connected by a common thread, such as burgers or comfort foods.

Possessed by a strong curiosity and, apparently, an even stronger digestive system, host Andrew Zimmern (a chef and food writer by trade) traverses the world in pursuit of unusual regional delicacies and startling native "delights" on the menu, as he tries to ferret out the weirdest foods a location has to offer -- possibly including ferret, actually. In addition to vivid descriptions of the taste and texture of the foods he discovers, Zimmern also provides a short history of each dish. Some of the locales Zimmern has traveled to include Ecuador, Taiwan, Iceland and Minnesota (because not all "unique" foods are found in exotic locations).

Rick Stein embarks on a gastronomic road trip from Venice to Istanbul.

Japan's sushi and yakitori restaurants are at the top of most tourists' to-do lists, but some of Japan's more exotic dishes can intimidate newcomers. Carmen Roberts travels through the country, tackling some of the foods that others dare not.