Binging with Babish

{{short description|American online cooking series}} {{More footnotes needed|date=November 2021}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2021}} {{Infobox social media personality | name = Binging With Babish | logo = BingingWithBabishLogo.png | website = {{URL|https://babi.sh/}} | youtube_handle = bingingwithbabish | youtube_display_name = Binging with Babish | youtube_years_active = | youtube_genre = {{Flatlist| * Cooking * educational * travel }} | youtube_subscribers = 10.5 million | youtube_views = 3.05 billion | stats_update = January 20, 2025 }}

'''''Binging with Babish''''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|b|æ|b|ɪ|ʃ}} {{Respell|BAB|ish}}),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVTiPWb2OZc|title=The Book Tour {{!}} Being with Babish|via=YouTube|date=December 7, 2019 |access-date=September 15, 2020}}</ref> formerly '''''Babish Culinary Universe''''', is a YouTube cooking channel created by American cook and filmmaker Andrew Rea (alias Babish) that recreates recipes featured in film, television, and video games in the ''Binging with Babish'' series, as well as more traditional recipes in the ''Basics with Babish'' series. The first video in the series was uploaded on February 10, 2016.

==History== The YouTube channel was created by Rea as ''Binging with Babish'' on August 21, 2006;<ref name="About">{{cite AV media| people = Rea, Andrew | title = Babish Culinary Universe| medium = video| publisher = YouTube| location = New York, New York| date = |url=https://www.youtube.com/user/bgfilms/about }}</ref> his name was inspired by ''The West Wing'' character Oliver Babish.<ref name="Eater">{{cite web|url=https://www.eater.com/2017/5/5/15537754/binging-with-babish-youtube-series|title='Binging With Babish' Turns Dishes From TV Shows Into Real Food|first=Chris|last=Fuhrmeister|date=May 5, 2017|work=Eater.com|access-date=December 1, 2017}}</ref> Three videos unrelated to ''Binging with Babish'' were uploaded to the account, two in 2007 and one in 2010. The first episode of ''Binging with Babish'' aired on February 10, 2016, which is about a ''Parks and Recreation'' burger cook-off.<ref name="About"/>

Its first video to be widely circulated aired on November 14, 2016, making the "Moistmaker" sandwich from ''Friends''.<ref name="McGurk">{{cite web |last1=McGurk |first1=Stuart |title=Andrew Rea: the YouTube chef cooking up a storm |url=https://www.theguardian.com/food/2022/may/01/andrew-rea-the-youtube-chef-cooking-up-a-storm |website=the Guardian |access-date=20 August 2022 |language=en |date=1 May 2022}}</ref> The channel's growth has been driven by fans promoting its videos on Reddit and other social media platforms.{{citation needed|date=August 2022}} Rea created a Patreon account to earn an income, and after reaching a monthly $10,000 goal, quit his day job to work full-time on ''Binging with Babish'',<ref name="WaPo"/> which is released weekly on Tuesdays.<ref name="NW"/> He spent $6,000 on a Sony digital camera, lights and editing software, and does the production, editing and narration for the videos. The cost of each episode, according to Rea, "varies wildly" because of the ever-changing variety of food and ingredients used.<ref name="WaPo">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2017/08/04/one-recipe-at-a-time-youtubes-binging-with-babish-is-disrupting-the-content-industry/|title=One recipe at a time, YouTube's 'Binging With Babish' is disrupting the content industry|last=Downes|first=Larry|date=August 4, 2017|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=December 1, 2017}}</ref>

Rea posts recipes for the dishes on his website<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.foodandwine.com/lifestyle/books/binging-babish-new-cookbook-eat-what-you-watch|title=How the Star of Binging with Babish Went from YouTube Star to Cookbook Author|last=Bonem|first=Mark|date=August 16, 2017|work=Food & Wine|access-date=December 1, 2017}}</ref> and on October 3, 2017, he published a cookbook titled ''Eat What You Watch: A Cookbook for Movie Lovers'', containing 40 recipes featured in film.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tubefilter.com/2017/10/03/binging-with-babish-eat-what-you-watch-cookbook/|title=Binging With Babish's 'Eat What You Watch' Becomes Amazon's Second Best-Selling Cookbook On Its Release Day| last=Gutelle| first=Sam| date=October 3, 2017|work=Tubefilter|access-date=December 1, 2017}}</ref> He started the series ''Basics with Babish'' on October 12, 2017, teaching preparation of basic recipes, stocking up on and using essential tools and equipment for cooking, as well as a variety of cooking techniques.<ref name="Eater"/> On October 22, 2019, Rea published his second cookbook titled ''Binging with Babish: 100 Recipes Recreated from Your Favorite Movies and TV Shows'', containing 100 pop-culture recipes from his series.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/taste/2019/10/29/20924467/binging-with-babish-andrew-rea-cookbook-movie-tv|title=Cookbook makes it easy to dine like Buddy the elf or 'Seinfeld's' Elaine|agency=Associated Press|date=October 29, 2019|website=Chicago Sun-Times |access-date=December 24, 2019}}</ref>

==Shows== ===''Binging with Babish''=== During each episode, Rea prepares step-by-step instructions on the preparation of pop culture-inspired meals.<ref name="WaPo"/> When ''Binging with Babish'' premiered on February 10, 2016, it was filmed at the kitchen of Rea's New York City apartment. Beginning with the "Meat Tornado from Parks & Rec" in August 2020, the show moved to his home studio in Brooklyn,<ref>{{cite web|title=About: Binging With Babish|url=https://www.bingingwithbabish.com/about|website=Binging With Babish|access-date=September 10, 2020}}</ref> with a voiceover added in post-production. Each episode contains dry humor<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/thanksgiving-sandwich-from-scratch_us_582b1e4ce4b02d21bbca9299|title=This Is The Most Beautiful Thanksgiving Sandwich Video You've Ever Seen|first=Jamie|last=Feldman|date=November 15, 2016|work=HuffPost|access-date=December 1, 2017}}</ref> and is paced at a fast speed. After creating the dish as it originally appeared, some episodes include Rea's interpretation of the recipe.<ref name="NW">{{cite news|url=http://www.newsweek.com/binging-babish-cooking-show-food-tv-movies-youtube-628020|title="Binging with Babish" Faithfully Recreates TV and Film Recipes for an Online Audience| last=Shaffer| first=Claire| date=June 21, 2017|work=Newsweek|access-date=December 1, 2017}}</ref>

=== Others === The first of Rea's side-shows was ''Basics with Babish''; as many of the movie-accurate food dishes required expensive equipment and ingredients to make them accurate, this series is instead focused on making various dishes as simple as possible, often with multiple variations. This series is also notable for featuring guest star chefs from different cultures and ethnic groups when tackling dishes from those regions, most notably the late chef Floyd Cardoz for several Indian-centric episodes.

Another show, ''Botched by Babish'', focuses on Rea correcting food dishes that he received backlash for in the past due to his methodology, such as the pumpkin pasties from Harry Potter (as British fans pointed out how since they're pasties, they're implied to be savoury and not sweet), or the episode on poutine (due to Rea lacking access to cheese curds - an integral ingredient to the authentic version of the dish.). The series is more comedy-driven, with much of the humour derived from the dichotomy between Rea's normal personality and his more off-kilter side, as well as the interactions between him and his crew. In addition to the original format, newer episodes examine basic recipes and tackle what mistakes can be made, how they affect the final product and how to avoid them.

A third show, ''What's in the Fridge'' is an impromptu show that occurs when Rea and his crew are either out of video ideas or they have too many leftovers in the show's fridge that are close to expiration. Rea then does his best to come up with a dish that incorporates as many ingredients as he can.

In 2024, Rea began to produce other shows: ''Can Babish Beat?'', where he compares two versions of the same dish from prestigious New York restaurants and tries to create a better version, and ''Best with Babish'' (formally Ranked with Babish), where he compares different products in the same category and ranks them on a tier list (such as ranking Trader Joe's homebrand frozen pasta or ranking different types of instant ramen.)

On February 18, 2025, Rea started a new show, "Cookalongs" where he cooks a recipe from start to finish at normal speed. These long form videos last from 1 to 2 hours. While cooking, Rea discusses his life and thoughts. <ref>{{cite web |title=First Cookalong |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ag7Nsda0pYE |via=YouTube | date=February 18, 2025 |publisher=Babish Culinary Universe |access-date=7 July 2025}}</ref>

The final Rea-centric series on the channel is ''Being with Babish'', which focuses on Rea giving back to the community and his fans, as well as other miscellaneous subjects such as his weight loss journey.

In addition to these series, there are other series posted on the channel that are run by different chefs, cooking content-creators, behind-the-scenes staff and Rea's personal friends. These projects include: * ''Stump Sohla'', featuring Sohla El-Waylly, which featured Sohla making dishes in a randomly chosen format or theme.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 24, 2020 |title=Sohla El-Waylly from 'Bon Appétit' Finally Has Her Very Own Cooking Show |url=https://junkee.com/sohla-bon-appetit-cooking-show/272146}}</ref> * ''Pruébalo'', hosted by chef Rick Martinez, follows him exploring Mexico and its authentic, regional cuisine. * Alvin Zhou, a senior manager for Buzzfeed's food channel, Tasty, hosts ''Anime with Alvin Zhou'' and ''Arcade with Alvin Zhou'' -which are focused on food from anime and video games respectively. The latest addition, ''Anything with Alvin Zhou'' generally focuses on recreating dishes seen in viral food videos. * ''The FundaKendalls'' and ''Kendall Combines'' are hosted by Kendall Beach, Rea's Kitchen Producer. The former follows a similar format to ''Basics with Babish'' albeit with a focus on technique, and the latter challenges Kendall in creating dishes that combine two ingredients that normally don't pair well together, such as kimchi and cottage cheese. * ''Street Foods with Senpai Kai'' is hosted by food YouTuber Senpai Kai, where he attempts to recreate absurd, yet viral, street food. * ''Soy Boys'', hosted by Rea's frequent cameraman and editor Brad Cash, focuses on vegan dishes that are designed to help his friend, Chris Creasy, lose weight. * ''Football Fusion'' is hosted by Sawyer, Rea's close friend as well both the general counsel and business manager for the Babish company, who lacks experience with cooking. The series is centered on creating dishes that are fusions between two dishes from regions with prominent NFL teams, such as Skyline Chili Cakes, based on Cincinnati's skyline chili and Baltimore's crab cakes.

==Episodes== {{more cn|section|date=September 2020}} {{Series overview | multiseries = {{Series overview/part|c=#ccf|subtitle=Main series}}

{{Series overview | series = ''Binging with Babish''

| color3 = | link3 = | episodes3 = 78 | start3 = January 28, 2020 | end3 = }}

{{Series overview/part|c=#ccf|subtitle=Spin-offs}} {{Series overview | series = ''Basics with Babish''

| episodes1 = 16 | start1 = October 12, 2017 | end1 = May 30, 2018

| episodes2 = 31 | start2 = June 14, 2018 | end2 = February 27, 2020

| episodes3 = 130 | start3 = March 11, 2020 | end3 = }} {{Series overview | series = ''Being with Babish'' | episodes1 = 9 | start1 = March 22, 2019 | end1 = February 21, 2020 }} {{Series overview | series = ''Stump Sohla'' | episodes1 = 11 | start1 = September 24, 2020 | end1 = January 9, 2021 }} {{Series overview | series = ''Anime with Alvin'' | episodes1 = 59 | start1 = April 1, 2021 | end1 = }} {{Series overview | series = ''Botched By Babish'' | episodes1 = 18 | start1 = May 18, 2021 | end1 = }} {{Series overview | series = ''Pruébalo ft. Rick Martinez'' | episodes1 = 9 | start1 = July 10, 2021 | end1 = July 30, 2023 }} {{Series overview | series = ''The FundaKendalls'' | episodes1 = 3 | start1 = November 11, 2021 | end1 = May 21, 2022 }} {{Series overview | series = ''Soy Boys'' | episodes1 = 6 | start1 = March 24, 2022 | end1 = November 13, 2022 }} {{Series overview | series = ''Kendall Combines'' | episodes1 = 5 | start1 = August 16, 2022 | end1 = November 26, 2023 }} {{Series overview | series = ''Arcade with Alvin Zhou'' | episodes1 = 27 | start1 = August 23, 2022 | end1 = }} {{Series overview | series = ''Football Fusion with Sawyer'' | episodes1 = 9 | start1 = September 4, 2022 | end1 = January 18, 2024 }} {{Series overview | series = ''Street Food with Senpai Kai'' | episodes1 = 8 | start1 = February 2, 2023 | end1 = October 29, 2023 }} {{Series overview | series = ''Anything with Alvin Zhou'' | episodes1 = 25 | start1 = December 15, 2023 | end1 = }} {{Series overview | series = ''Best with Babish'' | episodes1 = 41 | start1 = January 11, 2024 | end1 = }} {{Series overview | series = ''Babish Beats'' | episodes1 = 3 | start1 = May 28, 2024 | end1 = }} {{Series overview | series = ''Cook-Along'' | episodes1 = 5 | start1 = February 18, 2025 | end1 = }} }}

== Awards and nominations == {|class="wikitable sortable" |- !Year !Title !Award !Result |- |rowspan="2" |2017 |rowspan="2" |7th Streamy Awards |Food |{{nom}} |- |Breakout Creator |{{nom}} |- |2018 |10th Shorty Awards |Best in Food |{{nom}} |- |2019 |9th Streamy Awards<ref>{{Cite web |author=T. H. R. Staff |date=2019-12-13 |title=Streamy Awards 2019: Full List of Winners |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/streamy-awards-2019-full-list-winners-1248273/ |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref> |Food |{{Win}} |- | rowspan="2" |2020 | rowspan="2" |10th Streamy Awards<ref>{{Cite web|last=Del Rosario|first=Alexandra|date=December 13, 2020|title=The 2020 YouTube Streamy Awards Winners List: Charli D'Amelio, Will Smith & Sarah Cooper Among Honorees|url=https://deadline.com/2020/12/the-2020-youtube-streamy-awards-winners-list-charli-damelio-will-smith-honorees-1234655590/|access-date=January 25, 2021|website=Deadline }}</ref> |Show of the Year|Show of the Year |{{nom}} |- |Food|Food |{{nom}} |- | rowspan="2" |2021 | rowspan="2" |11th Streamy Awards |Show of the Year|Show of the Year |{{nom}} |- |Food|Food |{{nom}} |}

==See also== * List of YouTubers * Gatorwine

==References== {{Reflist}}

===General references=== *{{cite web |last1=Allen |first1=Molly |title=Andrew Rea Tells Us What It's Really Like Being On Hot Ones - Exclusive |url=https://www.mashed.com/623032/andrew-rea-tells-us-what-its-really-like-being-on-hot-ones-exclusive/ |website=Mashed.com |access-date=4 November 2021 |date=5 October 2021}} *{{cite news |title=Watch YouTube's Binging With Babish Surprise An Aspiring Chef For His Surprise Second Act |url=https://parade.com/1262348/parade/watch-youtubes-binging-with-babish-surprise-an-aspiring-chef-for-his-surprise-second-act/ |website=Parade: Entertainment, Recipes, Health, Life, Holidays |access-date=4 November 2021 |date=16 September 2021}} *{{cite web |last1=Krishna |first1=Priya |title=From 'The Sopranos' to 'Star Trek,' Pop-Culture Cookbooks Fuel Fandoms |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/05/dining/sopranos-marvel-pop-culture-cookbooks.html |website=The New York Times |access-date=4 November 2021 |date=5 October 2021}}

Category:2010s YouTube series Category:2016 web series debuts Category:2020s YouTube series Category:Cooking web series Category:Food and cooking YouTube channels Category:Mass media in New York City Category:Streamy Award-winning channels, series or shows Category:YouTube channels launched in 2006 Category:American non-fiction web series

Binging with Babish

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