About Jamie's American Road Trip
Q&A with Jamie Oliver about the Arizona episode
It looked pretty cold in Arizona, was it?
Arizona was absolutely freezing! The whole experience was
enchanting but bleak, inspiring yet depressing. The Navajo are
incredible - their way of life, respect for the land and each other
is amazing. Their ability to hunt and stay alive in such rugged,
extreme conditions really impressed me. They are lovely, lovely
people. Historically, I think the Navajo people have been fairly
oppressed and treated very badly by the settlers who came to
America and took their country over. Unfortunately, their situation
is still really difficult and theirs is a way of life that seems to
be dying out. I think (without being too philosophical about the
whole thing) a lot of what America and the rest of us need to do to
become a healthier nations could be learnt from the Navajo people:
respect for farming, eating local food and not taking more than you
need.
Are there any similarities between your campaigns such
as School Dinners and Ministry of Food and Roy's work to get young
Navajo people interested in the food and traditions of their
people?
Roy, like myself, has been campaigning to make sure kids
have an appreciation of things that are important and relevant to
modern day life. The things he's promoting are there to make these
young people socially richer and ultimately, happier. The big
difference between our campaigns is that Roy is really swimming
against the tide. He hasn't got the means of television or the
media to help tell his story like I did (not until we came along
anyway). But he's doing wonderful work and I wish him all the luck
in the world.
Had you ever heard of anyone cooking with cedar ash and
what was it like?
I hadn't seen that before. It was very strange and it
sort of felt like there were very fine grits in the food. But I
think that you could get used to it. The tastes and textures didn't
really offend me, and from what I was told, cedar ash actually has
some incredible health benefits, so that was really
interesting.
About Jamie's American Road Trip
Join Jamie Oliver on the adventure of a lifetime and ultimate road trip - travelling around the USA on a journey of discovery into parts of that vast country that few visitors ever see.
On his trip, Jamie delves into the underbelly of American society to uncover fascinating personal stories, try real American food and meet the most interesting but unsung chefs and food producers the country has to offer.
This epic journey takes Jamie to the heart of America: its
people, culture, music and most importantly, its food.
